Lexington’s Wilson Downing Road closes July 6 for roundabout work

Wilson Downing Road will close around the clock starting July 6, and that will matter fast for anyone who uses this south Lexington corridor to reach Tates Creek Road, nearby neighborhoods, or local businesses.

The city says the closure will run between Tates Creek Road and Camelot Drive through July 31. Local traffic will still be able to reach homes and businesses in the area, but drivers will need to follow detours and expect a very different traffic pattern for most of the month.

What is being built

This is more than a resurfacing job. Lexington says the project includes the city’s first neighborhood mini roundabout, which will replace the four-way stop at Belleau Wood Drive and Walden Drive. The work also adds a new eastbound right-turn lane onto Tates Creek Road.

City officials say the changes are aimed at cutting congestion and improving safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bicyclists. The redesigned intersection will include new crosswalks and raised refuge islands so people can cross one lane at a time instead of trying to clear a wider intersection all at once.

How traffic will move

During construction, drivers are being directed to use Tates Creek Road, Laredo Drive, and Camelot Drive as detours. The intersection at Wilson Downing Road and Belleau Wood Drive and Walden Drive will be fully closed while work is underway, and that will affect how drivers move through the neighborhood.

The city also says a new entrance to Pebble Creek Drive will be built from Wilson Downing Road on June 18, and the existing entrance from Belleau Wood Drive to Pebble Creek will be permanently closed once construction begins. That means some familiar turns and cut-through routes will not work the same way by the end of the project.

What residents and businesses should expect

For nearby residents, the biggest day-to-day impact will likely be traffic pressure on side streets and longer trips during peak hours. For businesses in the area, the important detail is that access remains open, but customer routes may change depending on which direction people are coming from.

That makes the project worth planning around now rather than after delays begin. If you commute through this part of Lexington, or if you regularly use Wilson Downing Road to connect between Tates Creek and surrounding neighborhoods, July is likely to bring slower trips and more local traffic on alternate streets.

The city expects the road to reopen on July 31.

Sources

• City of Lexington news release: new roundabout and turn lane on Wilson Downing Road
• WKYT: Wilson Downing Road to close for construction starting July 6