WCPO 9's Logan MacDonald covers Northern Kentucky. If you have a story that you'd like Logan to look into or a news tip, email him at Logan@WCPO.com.
Kentucky transportation officials have abandoned their plans for a "road diet" that would narrow a heavily traveled stretch of Dixie Highway in Boone and Kenton counties.
"We refer to it as road reconfiguration. Diet just had that negative connotation," Bob Yeager, chief district engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said. "A road reconfiguration has been taken off the table for this."
The decision follows months of extensive public backlash and Florence city officials speaking out against the plans last week.
"There were some concerns. People really didn't know what we were doing and didn't know why we were doing it," Yeager said. "So we went around and had those (public) meetings and even with the meetings, there were still some concerns."
Instead, KYTC plans to repave that stretch of Dixie Highway, repair curbs and sidewalks, and focus on safety upgrades. The work is expected to be completed this summer.
WATCH: Why Kentucky transportation officials canceled major roadway project
Elizabeth Goetz, a Boone County driver, described the current condition of the road to WCPO a week prior to the announcement by KYTC.
"The potholes are awful. They're beyond awful. The asphalt's coming up ... they're ruining cars," Goetz said.
Yeager said the resurfacing usually addresses those issues.
"Even minor improvements are, are certainly important when we're talking about trying to save lives," Yeager said.
But the concept is not completely off the table for the future. Yeager said one of the concerns around the "road diet" was the impact of the traffic from the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project.
By the time resurfacing is needed again, Yeager said that traffic should be over.
"So again, (that could be) a good time to look at it," Yeager said. "But it doesn't mean that we can't do it somewhere in between here if something else comes up."
Yeager said KYTC officials have learned many lessons from the Dixie Highway "road diet" process.
"The one thing is, don't surprise people with these types of things without explaining it to them first. So we've backed off that, and the road needs to be resurfaced, so we're going to do this here soon," Yeager said.
You can find more details on the project by clicking the link here.
Have a story idea or tip for WCPO 9 Northern Kentucky reporter Logan MacDonald? Email him at Logan.MacDonald@WCPO.com.
