Kentucky 9, A Dangerous Road
Construction on the John Y. Brown, Jr. AA Highway began in 1983. Parts of the road opened through the early 1990s until it was entirely completed in 1995. Originally known as simply the AA Highway; it was so named because it was meant to connect Alexandria to Ashland.
Sadly, since it officially opened in 1995, the 134-mile, mostly-rural highway linking Newport to the Ashland area in Eastern Kentucky has been notorious for accidents, some severe. Just since 2000, 50 people have been killed and 1,200 injured in more than 2,700 collisions on the route, which runs through six counties. Driver inattention and speeding, in combination with the numerous side road entrances and at-grade intersections have been claimed as causes.
In 2004, a State Transportation Cabinet study examined ways to address growing traffic and safety concerns along the AA, also known as Ky. 9, between its western terminus at Interstate 275 in Wilder and Maysville. It concluded that the best option would be to widen the road by an additional lane in each direction, close several intersections with side streets in each county, and create access roads to eliminate residential driveways that have direct access to the highway.
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I frequently bicycle a section of the AA highway, and it's shoulder seems to have a bit more schrapnel and glass than the average highway. I guess more wrecks. Got a flat miles from civilization on it once...bummer. I prefer rt 8 when i can, it's also more scenic.
I get a bit more nervous driving on that road myself when the traffic is heavy. When there's no traffic at all, it does seem as though it was built for Nascar racing. Just one long stretch with no one around.
I'll have to agree with the article that there does seem to be more dangers than the average highway. I drive the"double A" every time I come to maysville and I must say I have seen some close calls.
The Kentucky State Police are very serious about making it safer though. You don't want to speeding or you WILL get a ticket. Troopers just seem to be swarming like bees all up and down that stretch of road.
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