County reconnects neighborhoods after Shaker Mill improvements

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — A years-long traffic restriction between two Warren County neighborhoods has come to an end after county crews completed improvements to Shaker Mill Road and removed a gate that had blocked through traffic.

The gate separated the older Shaker Mill Bend neighborhood from the newer Carter Crossing subdivision. It was installed several years ago during the construction of Carter Crossing to keep construction traffic out of the existing neighborhood, with Warren County Fiscal Court agreeing it would be removed once roadway improvements were completed. 

Warren County Public Works Director Josh Moore said county road crews completed about $52,000 worth of work using county labor, equipment and materials between May and July.

Improvements included adding one-foot asphalt shoulders to give drivers more room to pass, improving drainage and erosion control, installing reflective markers along guardrails and steep drop-offs, and widening a narrow section where Shaker Mill Road and Shaker Mill Bend Road meet to allow two vehicles to pass safely.

Moore said the road will likely be resurfaced next spring after crews have time to monitor how the newly widened shoulders hold up under traffic.

The removal of the gate also restores direct access between the two neighborhoods. Residents can now travel between Shaker Mill Bend and Carter Crossing without detouring to Cumberland Trace Road or Cemetery Road, making trips to nearby Cumberland Trace Elementary more convenient.

County leaders say the change is about more than convenience.

During a recent Fiscal Court meeting, Moore said emergency responders had occasionally found themselves on the wrong side of the gate, forcing them to drive around the closure or cut the lock to reach a call. Removing the barrier gives emergency services another route into both neighborhoods and provides Carter Crossing with a secondary entrance and exit. 

Warren County Judge-Executive Doug Gorman said reconnecting neighborhoods also helps reduce traffic congestion on larger roadways by improving connectivity throughout the county.

County officials say additional improvements, including resurfacing Shaker Mill Road, are expected during the next paving season.