In an effort to make pedestrian crossings safer, state highway officials on Monday announced plans to reconfigure more than a half mile of busy Second Street/Kentucky 351 from four lanes to two driving lanes plus a center left-turn lane between Green Street and Carlisle Street at the foot of the Second Street overpass.
By restriping the roadway on Thursday, that stretch of Second Street will be converted into one 11-foot travel lane in each direction along with the new center turn lane and new four-foot bicycle lanes in each direction while maintaining approximately eight feet of on-street parking along most of the corridor, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said in a news release.
That section of Second Street is one of Henderson’s busiest thoroughfares, carrying an average of 14,426 vehicles per day in the vicinity of Clark Street as of 2023, according to the online KYTC Traffic County Reporting System.
“The corridor includes a school and serves neighborhoods, businesses and other destinations that generate regular pedestrian traffic,” KYTC stated in the release. “The project is intended to make it easier and safer for people walking to cross the roadway while continuing to accommodate motorists traveling through the area.”
Contacted by the Hendersonian on Monday afternoon concerning the state’s traffic reconfiguration announcement, Henderson Mayor Brad Staton provided a measured response.
“The way we’re looking at it is, if it will make things safer for the kids, that is something we hold in high regard,” Staton said, also noting that that portion of Second Street is a state highway under state control. (The roadway is a state highway from Green Street extending west to the intersection with Kentucky 416 at Hebbardsville.)
“If it’s just a striping project and the state is in complete control of it, they’re not legally required to tell us about it,” the mayor said. “If the state-level engineers think it’s the best for their road, I’m not going with my initial (skeptical) reaction. It’s different than what we have, different than what we’re used to.”
Noting that the state expects to restripe that stretch of Second Street in a single day, Staton said, “They can change it back in a day if they get (a negative) community reaction.”
The city posted the KYTC news release to its Facebook page on Monday afternoon, and negative reaction was swift, with one commenter posting, “This is the dumbest thing they could do.”
Staton posted his own comments to Facebook, declaring that the reconfiguration “was not one the city requested” and that the city learned of the details of the reconfiguration only after receiving the news release Monday.
“My initial reaction when I heard the plan late last week, that had to be firmed up before they made a definite news release today, was not great,” the mayor posted. “I think it’s natural that many of us would react that way to something like this. This is something new and different and unfamiliar and I had tons of questions as I’m sure so many of us do now.”
Staton said those with questions should reach out to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, adding, “It’s a fast-moving project that’ll most likely be complete by the weekend …”
Other officials’ comments
“All of the Transportation Cabinet experts I’ve spoken to seem to think this is going to be a way to narrow the driving lanes of traffic to make pedestrian traffic more safe in that area,” state Rep. JT Payne said Monday. “A lot of folks from the East End cross that street (as do) children from Holy Name.”
Payne said he’s also been told that narrowing that portion of Second Street could provide an option for eventually installing a crosswalk and caution lights, something he’s been told wouldn’t be permitted on a 60-foot-wide, four-lane highway.
In April 2025, representatives of Holy Name School and the Women’s Addiction Recovery Manor (WARM), among others, appeared before the Henderson City Commission to advocate for a pedestrian overpass to be constructed at the intersection of Second and Adams streets to help walkers safely cross over the busy roadway.
Payne said he wasn’t sure if that proposal triggered the upcoming traffic reconfiguration, “but the safety of that crossing has been a conversation for at least a decade, from my conversations with KYTC, that this been a point of concern amongst them and community members for, like I said, at least a decade.”
He said he’s been told that a similar traffic reconfiguration was done near the Western Kentucky University campus in Bowling Green “and it has achieved its purpose and kept traffic moving, slowed traffic down to improve pedestrian safety with a crosswalk with lights. When that did work, I think that was when our KYTC folks … (decided it) could be a solution” for Second Street here.
Details on that Bowling Green project weren’t immediately available.
The Hendersonian has reached out to other local and state officials for comment. This story will be updated.
What KYTC says
A KYTC spokesman in Madisonville didn’t immediately return phone messages left by the Hendersonian.
In its release, the KYTC said the following:
“One of the primary benefits of the new roadway configuration is improving conditions for pedestrians.
“Instead of crossing four travel lanes, pedestrians will cross one travel lane in each direction with a center turn lane separating opposing traffic. This simplifies the crossing by reducing the number of moving vehicles pedestrians must monitor at one time. The center turn lane also provides a refuge area for pedestrians who are unable to complete the crossing in a single movement.
“The revised layout also improves visibility by reducing lane-changing movements and separating left-turning vehicles from through traffic, making it easier for both drivers and pedestrians to see one another.
“These improvements are especially beneficial along a corridor that experiences regular pedestrian activity associated with nearby schools, neighborhoods and local businesses.”
Concerning traffic, the KYTC release said:
“The center left-turn lane allows motorists preparing to turn into driveways or side streets to move out of the through lane before slowing or stopping. This reduces delays for following traffic and minimizes sudden braking and lane changes.
“Traffic studies indicate the corridor’s traffic volumes can be accommodated with one travel lane in each direction while maintaining efficient vehicle movement.
“Dedicated bicycle lanes provide cyclists with a designated operating space, creating more predictable interactions between bicycles and motor vehicles while preserving existing on-street parking.”
Regarding the process of reconfiguring the traffic lanes, KYTC said the following:
“The project will be completed through pavement restriping and does not require roadway widening, modification or major construction.”
It added:
“The project will primarily consist of restriping the existing pavement and is expected to require only temporary lane closures during the work. Motorists should use caution, watch for crews and equipment, and obey all traffic control devices.
“Work schedules are subject to change due to weather or other unforeseen circumstances.”
HPD’s response
Sgt. Bill Russell, public information officer for the Henderson Police Department, said HPD learned of the state’s plans from the news release on Monday.
“As far as the traffic, I think it’s a good thing,” Russell said of the planned reconfiguration after discussing it with a senior HPD officer.
“It can be hard for pedestrians to get across four lanes,” he said. Crossing just two lanes, plus the center turn lane, should be easier.
Motorists turning left will be able to use the center turn lane, which will get them out of moving traffic, hopefully reducing rear-end collisions, Russell said.
“Overall, I think it’s a good thing,” he said, though adding: “Big change. Lot of confusion at the beginning.”
Russell said HPD will have a school resource officer “out there (at Holy Name School) at the beginning of school to help with traffic because I know it will be a learning curve.”
