A half-mile section of Clays Mill Road will be closed to through traffic beginning Sunday, May 23, Mayor Linda Gorton announced today. The closure is part of the ongoing work to widen and improve four miles of Clays Mill Road.
“We are excited to focus our energy on the completion of this large section of Clays Mill Road,” Gorton said. “This is a huge infrastructure improvement project to widen and improve Clays Mill, while preserving its fundamental character as a neighborhood artery.”
Clays Mill Road, between Stratford Drive and Pasadena Drive, will be restricted to local traffic from May 23-August 10. Traffic will be detoured onto Harrodsburg Road, via Lane Allen Road and Pasadena Drive.
Clays Mill runs through the districts of three members of the Urban-County Council.
“With three schools on this section of Clays Mill Road, our primary concern was the safety of the kids getting to and from school,” said 10th District Councilmember Amanda Mayes Bledsoe. “While this will be an inconvenience to those using this corridor, we’re hopeful the short-term closure will allow our contractor to complete the work with the least amount of disruption to the neighborhood.”
Ninth District Councilmember Whitney Baxter said, “While this will be a significant inconvenience—it will only be temporary. Everyone’s patience and understanding is appreciated as we move forward on this complex infrastructure improvement project.”
Eleventh District Councilmember Jennifer Reynolds said, “While this closure will be inconvenient for many for a few months, we believe that it will cause less overall disruption to the area as a whole for a shorter amount of time and let the contractor finish the project without affecting commuters to nearby schools and churches. We ask for the public’s patience during this project.”
Work on widening Clays Mill Road began in 2011. The first section of Clays Mill, two miles between Twain Ridge Drive and Waco Drive, is completed. The cost was $11.6 million
Work is ongoing on the second section, from Waco to Harrodsburg Road, including the section that will be closed this summer. The cost of the second section is estimated at $10.7 million. It is scheduled to be completed late in 2022.
“Closure of the road will allow the project to move forward at a much faster pace than single lane closures,” said Doug Burton, Director of the Division of Engineering. “The goal is for traffic-impacting work on the section to be complete before Fayette County Public Schools resume in the fall.” The improved road will include new safety features, especially near the schools.
The improvements include:
- Widening Clays Mill Road from two lanes to three
- New curbs, gutters and sidewalks
- New stormwater collection system with water quality units
- New bike lanes in both directions, stretching the entire length of the project
- Upgraded traffic signals at Pasadena, Hill N Dale and Rosemont Garden at Lane Allen
- Planting over 250 trees
