RICHMOND, Ky. — The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced temporary road closures scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 20, to accommodate Eastern Kentucky University's Big E Welcome Walk.

Lancaster Avenue, also known as Kentucky Highway 52, will close between the Eastern Bypass and Crabbe Street from 6:30 p.m. to approximately 7:30 p.m. Barnes Mill Road will also be closed between Eastway Drive and Lancaster Avenue during the same window.

Traffic control will be stationed at three key intersections: the Eastern Bypass and Lancaster Avenue, Eastway Drive and Barnes Mill Road, and Crabbe Street and Lancaster Avenue. The cabinet advised motorists to use alternate routes and exercise extra caution in the area.

The Big E Welcome Walk is a signature tradition marking the beginning of the EKU experience as new students walk through Turner Gate, with faculty, staff and community members cheering them on. The event is part of a multi-day welcome program designed to help first-year and transfer students settle into campus life before classes begin.

All work and closures are tentative and subject to change based on weather, emergencies or other unforeseen factors, according to the announcement. For real-time traffic updates and road conditions, the transportation cabinet directed drivers to visit GoKY.ky.gov.