Florence officials said they expect to bid a $4 million project this spring to install adaptive traffic signals along U.S. 42 from Ewing Boulevard toward Mount Zion.

Eric Hall, a city staff member, told the Florence City Council caucus the city applied for the grant in 2020 and completed design work ahead of funds becoming available. Hall said the city submitted final bid documents to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) on May 16, 2022, and worked with the cabinet through a months‑long review process. "To our knowledge, we have submitted and received approval for all documentation that we're required to. But the only approval we have not received from KYTC yet is the approval to bid," Hall said.

The project will add adaptive signal technology at 31 intersections, Hall said, increasing the original count from 29 after the city added two signals in a later design phase. He said the system lets signals "communicate" and react to traffic volumes instead of running fixed timers, and will include preemption devices for first responders so emergency vehicles can activate green signals.

Hall said the grant is about $3.7 million, an 80/20 split with local partners covering $680,000. Boone County will cover 70 percent of the local share (about $476,000) and Florence's portion is about $204,000. "So as it stands today, for a $4,000,000 project, we will be in at around $200,000," Hall said. He said installation will take about one year after a contract is awarded.

Council members asked about the geographic scope. A council member asked whether Turfway Road would be included; Hall said, "Nope. Not at this time." He said the corridor was prioritized after a 2018 Boone County transportation study that identified congestion on US 42.

Hall said the project has had prior pilot work in the state and that being an early adopter can lengthen the timeline. He told the council that the city received KYTC environmental clearance in July and right‑of‑way certification in December and that staff expect advertising for bids in spring 2025.

The city did not provide a contract award schedule or selected vendor. The KYTC must still issue formal approval to advertise the project for bids, and the council did not vote on any funding at the meeting.