GEORGETOWN, Ky. — Kentucky state roads are seeing an upgrade right now. Crews are spending their time unboxing and installing LED lights along state-maintained roads.

“Over 18,000 are going to be replaced for energy efficiency and to save money and also it will require less maintenance,” said Natasha Lacy, District 7 public information officer with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC). 

The initiative is driven by KYTC and the Finance and Administration Cabinet.

“Trying to look for ways to increase efficiency with energy and decrease costs and this is something of course that will probably take place across United States as a whole,” Lacy said.

The upgrades will reduce the energy consumption of roadway lighting systems by more than 50 percent.

“This will save a lot of money for taxpayers,” Lacy said.

It will be roughly $2.8 million a year in reduced utility and maintenance costs. But the high-mast lights aren’t the only ones being replaced. Street lights are also part of the upgrade across state-maintained roads as well as replacing lights in the Cochran Tunnel in Jefferson County and the Cumberland Gap Tunnel in Bell County. 

“So not only with the efficiency with the energy but with maintenance too as well. There will be less time and energy and money spent on maintaining and replacing bulbs and also doing repairs,” Lacy said.

KYTC said work began in November and is expected to be complete by early 2022. They also report that 1,500 lighting fixtures at state-owned maintenance garages and parking lots will also be replaced as part of the project.

Here's a map to track the replacements.