Man o' War Boulevard in Lexington: What Actually Helps When You Break Down

If your car quits on Man o' War Boulevard in Lexington, don't stop in the lane if it's still rolling. The road has curbs and no breakdown lane. So turn right onto the next side street or into a lot. Put your flashers on. Then read the nearest cross street off the sign at the next light, and call for help with that name ready.

Why is Man o' War a hard place to break down?

Man o' War runs almost 17 miles around the south side of Lexington. Most of it is four lanes, split by a raised grass median. It has curbs and sidewalks, like a city street, not wide paved shoulders like a highway.

That was a design choice. The road was built through new subdivisions in a 120-foot strip of land. There was no room left for breakdown lanes. Drivers often complain about it, because a stalled car on Man o' War often sits in a travel lane.

So the usual advice, "pull onto the shoulder," doesn't fit most of this road. Your real choices are a side street, a driveway into a lot, or the right lane with your flashers on. The rest of this guide is about picking the best one fast.

What should you do in the first few seconds?

Most cars warn you before they die. The engine shakes, a red light pops up or the power steering goes heavy. Use the speed you still have.

1. Signal right and move to the right lane. The median side is grass behind a curb. That's not a safe place to sit.
2. Take the first right you can. A neighborhood street or a store driveway gets you out of 4 lanes of traffic.
3. If the engine cuts out, the Kentucky Driver Manual says the wheel will feel hard to turn, but it still turns. Press the brake with steady pressure. Don't stomp it.
4. Don't stop on a curve or just past a rise. The manual says to stop where other drivers can see you from far back.
5. Flashers on the moment you slow down. Keep them on the whole time you wait.

What if the car dies right in the lane?

Sometimes there's no side street close enough. The car stops in the right lane, near a curb, with traffic behind you. Here's how to handle it.

• Leave your seat belt on and your flashers going while you decide.
• If you can see cars swerving hard around you, or anyone is hurt, call 911 first. Lexington police list injury crashes and any moment when someone can get hurt as 911 calls.
• If you get out, use the curb side, never the traffic side. Step up onto the sidewalk and well back from the road.
• Lift the hood only if you can do it from the curb side. The manual says a raised hood tells other drivers you need help.

If the car is in a lane but nobody is at risk, Lexington police have a non-emergency line, (859) 258-3600. Sentinel is not an emergency service. A car blocking a lane of Man o' War with no flashers working is a 911 call.

What does Kentucky law say about a car stuck in the road?

Kentucky law, KRS 189.450, says you can't leave a car standing on any part of the roadway. There's an exception for a car that breaks down and can't be moved off the shoulder of a state-maintained highway until repairs or help arrive. Even then, it can't sit there 24 hours or more.

The same law lets a police officer move a car that's left in the road, or have a towing business take it away. That's a tow you don't control, to a place you didn't pick. Getting your own help moving early is the better path.

There's good news too. Kentucky's move-over law, KRS 189.930, protects a broken-down car that shows flashers, flares or reflectors. On a road with four or more lanes, like most of Man o' War, other drivers must move over a lane when it's safe. If they can't, they must slow down. Your flashers are what turn that law on.

How do you tell your driver where you are on Man o' War?

"I'm on Man o' War" isn't enough. That could be any spot on a road that's almost 17 miles long. Lexington police ask callers for an address or a street corner. Your tow driver needs the same.

Find the nearest big cross street

From west to east, these are the main roads Man o' War crosses. Find the last one you passed and the next one ahead.

Cross street	Landmark to mention
Versailles Road (US 60)	West end, by Blue Grass Airport and across from Keeneland
Parkers Mill Road	West side
Harrodsburg Road (US 68)	Southwest side
Nicholasville Road (US 27)	South side
Tates Creek Road	South side
Richmond Road (US 25 and US 421)	Southeast side
I-75, exit 108	East side interchange
Liberty Road and Todds Road	East of I-75, where it becomes KY 1425
Winchester Road (US 60)	East end, near Hamburg

Add these details

• Which way you were headed. Say "toward Hamburg" or "toward Keeneland." That's easier than east or west on a road that curves.
• Which side of the median you're on. Your driver can't cross that grass, so the wrong side means a long U-turn.
• The name of the side street or store lot you pulled into.
• Share your phone's location on the call. It's the fastest way to be exact.

Why does the I-75 end of Man o' War need extra care?

The east end is the busiest stretch. A 2016 study for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the city counted about 38,000 vehicles a day on Man o' War near I-75. I-75 there has three lanes each way.

That same study found that on Fridays, the line of cars on the southbound I-75 exit ramp to Man o' War could get long enough to back into the I-75 travel lanes. The crew watched it on a weekend that included the Keeneland fall meet.

If your car fails in that ramp line, you're stuck between stopped cars and fast interstate traffic. Stay buckled in with your flashers on. If cars behind you are coming up fast on I-75, call 911. When you call for a tow, say "southbound I-75 exit ramp at Man o' War, exit 108."

Past I-75, the road becomes KY 1425 toward Winchester Road and the Hamburg area. Name that part as "Man o' War east of I-75" so nobody heads to the wrong end.

Can you check traffic before you go back out?

Yes. The city's traffic site shows live video from its traffic cameras. You can pick an area from a list or a map. It helps you see if a lane is blocked before you drive back onto Man o' War after a fix. GoKY, the state's traveler site, shows crashes and closures on I-75 and state roads.

Which kind of help do you need?

Not every stop on Man o' War needs a tow truck. Think about what happened.

• The car clicks or won't crank after you stopped for gas: a jump start may get you going.
• You hit a curb and the tire went flat: a hard hit on a high curb can do that. If you have a good spare, ask for a flat tire change in a side street or lot.
• Keys locked inside at a store along the way: ask for a car lockout service.
• The engine is done, or the car is damaged: you need car towing to a shop.

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network, not a tow company. A vetted local partner tow company does the work. Before anyone is sent, we text you a price, and that price is locked. Then we keep checking on you by text until help arrives. That's our Stay-With-You Promise. Our Lexington towing page covers New Circle Road, the pikes and the towns nearby.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

Man o' War Breakdown Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: KRS 189.450, KRS 189.930, Kentucky Driver Manual, Lexington police: when to call, LFUCG traffic cameras, Man o' War Small Area Study (2016), GoKY, Man o' War Boulevard route.