Project: Georgetown Bypass
Description:
The Georgetown Bypass provides an alternative route south of the congested city branching from US-460 two miles west of the city center and reconnects to US-460 1.5 miles west of the city center. It is also known as the US-460 Bypass and McClelland Circle.
Characteristics and Setting:
Project Type:Bypass Project Mode:Highway Average Annual Daily Traffic:42,516 Length (mi):5.50
Economic Distress:1.33 Population Density (ppl/sq mi):145 Population Growth Rate (%):3.72
Employment Growth Rate (%):1.14 Market Size:240,991 Airport Travel Distance:28.35 Topography:14
Geography
Region:Southeast State:KY County:Scott
City:Georgetown Urban/Class Level:Metro Local Area:Georgetown
Impact Area:County Transportation System:Highway GIS Lat/Long:38.204554 / -84.537415
Timing
Initial Study Date:1969 Post Constr. Study Date:1999
Constr. Start Date:1991 Constr. End Date:1994
Months Duration:N/A
Costs
Project Year of Expenditure (YOE): 1994 Planned Cost (YOE $):N/A
Actual Cost (YOE $):24,440,000 Actual Cost (curr $):39,401,170
Pre/Post Conditions:
NOTE: All pre/post dollar values are in 2013$
Select a region to display the conditions for that region:
County Impacts for: Scott
NOTE: All impact dollar values are in 2013$
| Measure | Direct | Indirect | Total |
| Jobs | 1376.00 | 124.00 | 1500.00 |
| Income (in $M's) | 85.31 | 7.69 | 93.00 |
| Output (in $M's) | 650.29 | 58.60 | 708.89 |
Case Location:
Narrative:
Narrative Title
1.0 Synopsis
The Georgetown Bypass provides an alternative route to US 460 south of the congested center of Georgetown, KY. Construction of the bypass opened up new land for residential, retail and industrial development spurred by the development of a Toyota manufacturing plant. The bypass helped facilitate the city and county's steady growth over the past 20 years. The project is not responsible for any net job creation.
2.0 Background
2.1 Location & Transportation Connections
Georgetown, located in Scott County, KY, is approximately 20 miles north of Lexington, 80 miles east of Louisville, and 70 miles south of Cincinnati. Georgetown is in the Blue Grass Area Development District of KY, and falls under the jurisdiction of the State Highway District 7.
US 460 begins in Frankfort and travels east through Georgetown, Paris, Mount Sterling, West Liberty, Saylersville, Prestonsburg, and Pikeville before exiting into Virginia near Mouthcard, Kentucky. In Georgetown, the four-lane, divided US 460 bypass spans 5.5 miles around the southern edge of town. It branches from US 460 two miles west of the city center and reconnects to US 460 1.5 miles west of the city center. The Georgetown Bypass is also known as the US 460 Bypass and McClelland Circle, and connects seamlessly into Cherry Blossom Way, which provides direct access to the Toyota manufacturing plant three miles to the north.
Limited commercial air service is available through Lexington's Blue Grass Airport. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport and Louisville International Airport both provide air service to destinations within the United States and internationally.
2.2 Community Character & Project Context
As a bedroom community to Lexington, 15 miles to the south along I-75, Georgetown had a small town character before the successful recruitment of the Toyota manufacturing plant in the mid-1980's. Toyota located in Georgetown due to I-75 access immediately adjacent to the plant, I-64 connections within 10 miles, a sufficient water and sewer system, rail access at the plant, low-cost power, and an educated, competitive and available workforce. While the bypass was planned, its development was far from certain at the time of Toyota's location announcement. Since the Toyota plant opened, the County's population has doubled from 23,000 to 45,000.
A notable number of Georgetown residents commute south to Lexington and west to Frankfort (the state capital 20 miles to the west). These commuting patterns affected the community's desire for improved connectivity around the city center and eliminated potential bottlenecks.
3.0 Project Description & Motives
The Georgetown Bypass project consists of a four-lane, partially controlled access facility designed to facilitate east-west through traffic movements around the Georgetown city center. The project also included an above-grade rail crossing. The project was built to address several traffic flow issues, including:
- Improve Georgetown Industrial Park Access : Prospective companies continually expressed concern about the congested access via Lemons Mill Road (southeast of the city center) for both truck traffic and employees.
- Accommodate Shift-Change Traffic Peaks: Similarly, industry shift changes congested both Lemons Mill Road and US-25 (the major north-south arterial).
- Eliminate Backups due to Railroad Crossings: Peak period train crossings brought Georgetown's major arterial traffic to a standstill in several directions.
- Improve Access to Georgetown College and John Graves Ford Memorial Hospital: Access for hospital patients, staff & emergency vehicles were especially constrained during peak periods and/or train crossings.
- Accommodate Future Retail Development: Officials and residents feared that the planned Kroger and Wal-Mart shopping complexes would further exacerbate city traffic congestion.
Led by the Georgetown-Scott County Citizens Transportation Advisory Committee, residents, business leaders, proprietors and local officials strongly supported the project and its location, despite the fact that it did not directly serve the Toyota Plant. Further, the Planning Commission fully supported the project because it furthered the region's land use goals.
The cost of the proposed Georgetown bypass was estimated at $18.0 (1985 $) million. Ultimately, the 5.5 mile bypass cost $24.4 million by its completion, and opened in 1994. Plans call for the eventual extension of the bypass to the north.
4.0 Project Impacts
4.1 Transportation Impacts
The bypass supported the Toyota Plant and related manufacturing facilities north of town by providing alternate routes to traffic used for plant-related activity. Specifically, to the east, the bypass feeds into the Plant's primary access artery, US 62 (Cherry Blossom Way). Subsequent to the bypass completion, the four-lane partial access road (US 62) was also improved to a four-lane divided highway north of the Toyota Plant. This facilitated led to the subsequent development of a second, larger Wal-Mart Superstore.
The bypass succeeded in eliminating much of the truck traffic movements associated with the Lemons Mill Road area (southeast of the city center). This traffic previously passed through the city center. Additionally, the grade-separated railroad crossing significantly diminished the congestion effects of trains.
4.2 Demographic, Economic & Land Use Impacts
The bypass was instrumental in supporting a major land use shift initiated by the Toyota Plant. To supply the plant, businesses serving the Toyota facility located to the east and north of the city center and now use the bypass. Additionally, major retail stores, including Wal-Mart and a Kroger Grocery, located along the bypass, followed by several large chain restaurants. Nearby interstate access further supported this growth in retail and restaurant business. As a result, small retail stores in the downtown closed and were replaced by professional services including banks, law firms, accounting firms, etc.
Property taxes are relatively low in Scott County. The county generates revenue through an Occupational Tax, which includes a 1% payroll tax and a profit tax. Between 1986 and 1996, the Occupational Tax revenues have increased from $1.1 million to $7.5 million, and peaked at $18.7 million in 2005. In 2008, these taxes fell to $16.9 million and are anticipated to fall in 2009 to under $12.0 million due to the effects of the 2009 economic recession on the automobile industry in general, and the Toyota Plant specifically. The bypass is recognized as a contributing factor in the county's growth over the past 15-years.
5.0 Non-Transportation Factors
Jobs at the Toyota Plant (and related businesses) created new housing demand. The bypass facilitated a significant shift in land use at the edge of the city from low value tobacco farmland to industrial and/or residential land uses. The County Planning and Zoning department has worked to facilitate the transition.
Much residential infill has occurred between the bypass and the city center. Spurred by the Toyota-related jobs and the city's proximity to Lexington, the bypass helped accommodate the region's rising demand for new housing. This resulted in property values increasing 10-20-times the previous 1980 values, with current values at $200,000-$250,000/acre
The community has not succeeded in diversifying its industrial base away from the auto manufacturing sector. The bypass has had no effect in attracting new manufacturing industries or businesses unrelated to the Toyota plant.
6.0 Resources
6.1 Citations
- “Project Planning Report, Georgetown Bypass”; KY Transportation Cabinet, Department of Highways, Division of Planning, September 1986
- “Analysis of the Economic Clusters in the Bluegrass Area Development District, 2009”; The Bluegrass Area Development District (BGADD)
- http://www.bgadd.org/
- http://www.gscplanning.com/
- http://www.gtown.org/default.asp
- http://www.kentuckyroads.com/scott_county/
- http://www.transportation.ky.gov/D7/default.asp
- http://maps.google.com/maps
6.2 Interviews
Organization
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet -Highway District #7
Bluegrass Area Development District
Scott County
Footnotes (optional)
Case Study Developed by Wilbur Smith Associates
Attachments:
