The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 4 Public Information Office says first section of Campbellsville's new bypass is expected to open mid-day on Wednesday, May 18th. This portion connects KY 55 and KY 70.  Final surface work is complete. Striping installation is being completed this week. Until now, the two-year project has been built with few impacts to traffic.

Officials with KYTC say through previous experiences in opening new routes, they understand there is an adjustment as the community navigates and figures out how it affects adjacent routes.  Entrances and exits to the roadway as well as intersections can all be unfamiliar.

The new stop condition for drivers on KY 372 at Smith Ridge is in effect.  Motorists on KY 372 are obligated to follow traffic control signage and come to a stop even though the new road is not open.  Features like dual mounted stop signs, thermo striping and other advance notification measures --- used at other similar intersections --- are already in place alerting motorists to stop ahead.

Public Information Officer Chris Jessie says, "We encourage drivers to always pay close attention to roadway signs and limit distractions. We hope the general public understands there is a vested interest for those who design and build roads. Some live in the community, and many certainly drive through. There is a lot of study and reasoning behind the process, and it all focuses on safety and efficiency of travel."

Traffic on the first section is expected to be fairly light, allowing a continued period of time for drivers to become accustomed to the area before it is utilized as a full bypass. The remaining section, from KY 70 to US 68, is under construction now and expected to be finished early-to-mid 2023.