Contract aims to ease racetrack traffic

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Road crews, start your engines.

The state awarded a highway contract Monday to improve traffic flow and safety near Kentucky Speedway, where a massive gridlock of idled fans during the track's inaugural Sprint Cup Series event caught as much attention as the racing.

The $3.7 million contract was awarded to Sunesis Construction Co. of West Chester, Ohio — one of five bidders, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said. The low bid from Sunesis came in $220,183 below the cabinet's estimate.

Work crews will widen an exit ramp and a highway near the Northern Kentucky racetrack and will add a pedestrian tunnel.

Meanwhile, the track is well along in adding parking to avoid a repeat of the traffic jam that marred the Sprint Cup event last July. Brake lights stretched for miles, and some irate fans missed the race. The speedway, located just off Interstate 71 in Sparta, Ky. , offered them ticket exchanges.

"Our pledge to fans has been that we will never experience the traffic delays like our inaugural race, and these changes, along with changes in our staffing and traffic plan, assure our success," Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said Monday.