Following a pair of deadly wrong-way crashes in late 2022, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is spending $1.9 million to install new signs aimed at reducing wrong-way driving in six Northern Kentucky counties.
Work is underway to install about four dozen “Wrong Way,” “Do Not Enter,” “One Way” and “Stop” signs through July. Installations are taking place in Grant County from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with some lane closures. Drivers are urged to use caution or seek alternate routes to avoid delays.
The move comes after two fatal crashes in October 2022. On Oct. 23, retired Catholic school teacher Martha Arlinghaus, 83, was killed when a wrong-way driver struck her vehicle on Interstate 71/75 in Kenton County.
Arlinghaus, who retired from Villa Madonna Academy Elementary School in 2002, was traveling to Cape Cod, Mass.
Kearies Simpson, 26, of Covington, was convicted of vehicular homicide in Arlinghaus' death and is serving a 25-year prison sentence.
Less than a week earlier, another driver was killed in a wrong-way crash on the Daniel Carter Beard Bridge.
Since 2015, there have been 39 wrong-way crashes reported across Boone, Kenton, Campbell, Carroll and Gallatin counties, according to state officials. Boone County will receive 16 signs, followed by Kenton with 10 and Campbell with nine.
Kentucky plans to post weekly updates on the project on its District 6 Roadshow website.
Source: Cincinnati.com, Linknky.com
