US 25E Intersection with KY 233 RCUT

KNOX COUNTY, KY

TRANSPORTATION

The intersection of US 25E and KY 233 in Knox County continued to experience a high number of angle crashes, even after being signalized and equipped with advance warning flashing beacons.

Palmer Engineering collaborated with KYTC to assess the safety concerns and identified the Restricted Crossing U-Turn (RCUT) as an effective solution to reduce conflict points and improve overall safety. As only the second RCUT implemented in Kentucky, the project represented a relatively new but proven safety strategy for the state. In the three years following implementation, the intersection experienced a 74% reduction in total crashes and a 71% reduction in fatal and serious injury crashes—demonstrating the effectiveness of the RCUT and the value of a data-driven, collaborative approach to safety.

Unique Aspects

Opportunities

· Improve Safety: Address a pattern of severe angle crashes at a high-risk intersection
· Innovative Approach: Introduce an RCUT as a safer, more effective alternative
Challenges

· Design Constraints: Balancing RCUT geometry and access needs within existing right-of-way
· Traffic Flow Adjustments: Addressing operational impacts and driver adaptation to the non-traditional RCUT configuration
Successes

· Safer Operations: The RCUT design significantly improved safety and reduced conflict points at the intersection.
· Crash Reduction: Achieved a 74% reduction in all crashes and a 71% drop in fatal and serious injury crashes.