Like many in Louisville, you may have taken it with a grain of salt when you heard the news of the revitalization of the Dixie Highway. The $50 million project intends to make one of the most dangerous highways in the state into a safer, more inviting place to travel.
The details of the project probably did not come to your mind at the time of your accident on the Dixie. As EMTs placed you into the ambulance and took you to the hospital, highway improvements may have been the last thing on your mind. Nevertheless, if the plans for upgrades prevent future accidents, you may agree that it is a positive step.
The new and improved Dixie
Over 60,000 drivers every day depend on the corridor that connects businesses and residential areas through the entire state and beyond. Nevertheless, the Dixie Highway is also the scene of frequent accidents and numerous injuries and fatalities. In fact, fatal accidents occur on the Dixie more than three times as often as they do on other highways in the state. Traffic is unpredictable and congested, and crossing the highway as a pedestrian is often treacherous.
Some of the changes promised in the plan address these issues. The project outlines the following improvements:
- A rapid transit bus line
- More efficient traffic flow and high-tech signal timing
- More left-turn lanes
- Increased pedestrian paths
- Raised medians
- Communication through message signs
Many improvements will focus on those areas notorious for hazardous conditions.
Getting you home safely
While the millions of dollars invested in the Dixie Highway may indeed improve safety for the thousands who travel it daily, no highway improvements will ever entirely remove the human error factor that causes so many accidents and injuries in Kentucky. Drivers will still allow distractions, impatience and carelessness behind the wheel with them, and you pay the price. If you travel the Dixie Highway on your daily commute, you may have felt that it was only a matter of time before you were in an accident.
Now that you are recovering from your injuries, you may be hurting in other ways, particularly financially if you are unable to work because of your injuries. If you are having difficulty obtaining payment from your insurance company, or if you want to discuss the option of seeking potential compensation through the civil courts, meeting with an attorney is a good first step.
