Boone County holds town hall on proposed Hicks Pike–Chambers Road swap; residents raise safety, truck and flooding concerns

Boone County Judge opened a caucus‑style public meeting to discuss a proposed road ownership swap that would transfer Hicks Pike to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) and return Chambers Road to county control. County engineer Rob Franksman told the audience the swap is designed to unlock federal and state funding to modernize Hicks Pike and address longstanding safety concerns.

Franksman said Hicks Pike is currently county‑owned, roughly 2.5 miles long, about 18 feet wide and carries just over 3,100 vehicles per day. Using the most recent five‑year crash data (2019–2023), he reported 53 crashes with six injuries and no fatalities on Hicks. The KYTC six‑year highway plan includes roughly $4.9 million in federal design funds for FY2025 and project funding identified in out years that total about $61.1 million to complete the modernization, which could include roundabouts, multi‑use paths, shoulders and dedicated turn lanes. “There’s just over 3,100 vehicles a day that travel Hicks Pike,” Franksman said during the presentation.

KYTC staff described the cabinet’s planning process for swaps as two official orders from the transportation…