Traffic flow on bypass will change for Boyle County Fair
Published 2:34 pm Friday, June 9, 2023
Cars traveling west on the bypass can make a U-turn at Stewarts Lane before the railroad crossing.
The left turn lane entering Smoky Way will be blocked off.
Cars traveling west on the Danville bypass can make a U-turn at the left turn lane going to Stewarts Lane, just before the railroad crossing. Photo by Fiona Morgan
A view from the new fairground looking southwest from the parking area shows the ticket booth, and the new motor sports track behind it is on the southwest side of the property. Photo by Geri Price
Workers are making a new motor sports track at the new Smoky Way fair location, with bleachers from the old location.
Only cars competing in motor sports can enter Fireside Drive. Photo by Fiona Morgan
The Boyle County Fair is at a new location this year on the Danville bypass, which means a new entrance procedure and traffic pattern.
The new location is on Smoky Way in Danville just off the bypass. The land is behind the Danville Fire Department Station 2 and the Danville Eye Center. The fair is starting Saturday and will continue until June 17.
Cars will only be able to enter Smoky Way coming east on the bypass. They can enter by Monticello Bank, right across from Applebees. The intersection between Belinda Blvd and Smoky Way will be blocked off, and people will not be able to turn left onto Smoky Way if they are coming west on the bypass.
Fair President Ryan Owens explained that police do not want cars going straight from Belinda Blvd to Smoky Way, as it’s a safety hazard.
The intersection and left turn lane between Skywatch Drive and Fireside Drive will also be blocked off. Cars that are traveling west on the bypass will have to make a U-turn at Stewarts Lane, which is just before the bypass meets train tracks.
Cars traveling west on the bypass can make a U-turn at Stewarts Lane before the railroad crossing.
Only cars that are competing in motor sports will be able to enter Fireside Drive. Once they enter Fireside, they can continue past Smoky Way to the motor sports track, which is on the southwest side of the property on Fireside Drive.
All other fair attendees must enter Smoky Way traveling east. Once on Smoky Way, cars can turn left on Fireside Drive and be directed to parking. As for drop-offs, cars can drop people off once they reach Fireside Drive from Smoky Way, then turn right on Fireside Drive to exit.
Cars cannot drop people off before entering Smoky Way. Owens said that the shoulder on the bypass will be closed, to discourage dropping people off there. Owens that police will be ticketing people who do drop-offs on the shoulder.
There will be signs for the fair put up and people helping direct traffic. Owens explained that the construction area across the bypass from Starbucks is not an entrance to the fair. That drive will be blocked off to avoid confusion.
Fair events and the carnival will be just south of Smoky Way. The land is about 50 acres owned by a local farmer. Owens said they may seek to purchase the property if it proves to be a good fit.
For the first year, however, the new location does not have facilities for the pageants and livestock shows. The livestock shows will still be at the old livestock barn at the old Boyle County fairgrounds.
The pageants will be at the Boyle County Performing Arts Center at Boyle County Middle School on Saturday, June 10. Everything else will be at the new Smoky Way location.
The fair is organized by all volunteers, which Owens said is less than 10 people. Their funding comes only from ticket sales, sponsorships and some money from the Kentucky Department of Agriculture. They also receive help from the city and county.
“Most all of us do this for the kids and the community, it’s not anything that we make any money off of,” Owens said.
See the insert of the Advocate-Messenger June 9 print edition for a special section detailing the fair events and schedule, or go to boylefair.com/schedule.
Owens said people should check the fair’s social media pages for updates or changes to the schedule throughout the week.
