LEXINGTON, Ky. — Construction crews shifted traffic on Newtown Pike on July 28 to make way for continued expansion of the I-75 widening project, which aims to improve safety and reduce congestion in a corridor long plagued by accidents and heavy truck traffic.

Beginning at 7 p.m., intermittent rolling roadblocks affected Newtown Pike northbound between Newtown Court and Citation Boulevard while crews moved vehicles onto the first completed portion of the Legacy Trail underpass. A single lane closure was also in effect on the right-hand lane going northbound, with possible lane closures on southbound Newtown Pike. All lanes reopened at 5 a.m. the following morning.

The traffic shift was necessary to allow construction to begin on the next section of the Legacy Trail underpass, a $1.5 million project that will route the popular 12-mile recreational trail safely beneath Newtown Pike at Citation Boulevard. Once complete, the underpass will eliminate the need for cyclists and pedestrians to cross the widened roadway, which will ultimately contain six lanes in that area.

The broader I-75 widening project aims to expand the interstate to eight lanes—four in each direction—over a 2.3-mile corridor from the Paris Pike exit to the I-75/I-64 southern split. The project is expected to be completed in 2026. Motorists were advised to expect short delays and use caution while traveling through the work zone.

The underpass construction comes as the Legacy Trail, which stretches from the Kentucky Horse Park to downtown Lexington, undergoes a partial closure between Newtown Springs Drive and Citation Boulevard to accommodate the work. Transportation planners said the underpass was necessary because expanding Newtown Pike to six lanes would create a crossing that was too long and unsafe for pedestrians and cyclists.