I-65 Central Corridor

KYTC changed its plan for the I-65 Central Corridor project. Gov. Andy Beshear said I-65 will stay open during the work, which reverses the earlier plan for a full shutdown. Instead, the one-mile stretch from Hospital Curve to near the Kentucky Street overpass will drop to one lane in each direction from May 2027 (after the Kentucky Derby) through late 2028. Trucks and through traffic will detour via I-264. Local underpasses will close in turn: Broadway closes through October for overpass demolition, and Muhammad Ali Boulevard and Brook Street will also be affected. Mayor Craig Greenberg said the city will monitor traffic in real time. District 5 chief engineer Matt Bullock said open areas under the interstate will be replaced with MSE retaining walls.

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The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) closed a five-mile stretch of I-65 through central Louisville — from Jefferson Street to the Watterson Expressway (I-264) — in both directions at 12:01 a.m. June 1 so crews could replace three aging bridges (over Kentucky/Brook streets, Hill Street/Burnett Avenue and the CSX line, and Bradley Avenue) on the $150 million Central Corridor project. State highway engineer James Ballinger said the full closure would save at least a year of construction compared to working under traffic, with the new bridges expected to last about 75 years. The project is funded by the state legislature and the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Prep work began in early May with the closure of the St. Catherine Street off-ramp and 1st Street on-ramp, and crews pre-assembled 70 steel beams and precast deck panels so they could be "puzzled" into place quickly. The contract carried "steep penalties" for lateness.

The roughly 120,000–125,000 daily drivers on the corridor were directed to a signed detour on I-264 (Georgia Davis Powers Expressway) around the west side of the city, adding an estimated 15–20 minutes. Officials urged test-driving alternate routes, staggering work hours and using Waze (KYTC's official mapping partner). The coverage looked at ripple effects: hospitals in the LOUMED district said they would stay open 24/7 with staggered shifts and pre-positioned ambulances; Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport (SDF) pointed travelers to its Crittenden Drive west entrance; and businesses along Preston Highway and South Preston Street braced for either a windfall or a slump from cut-through traffic.

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The first days of the closure went more smoothly than many expected. The main trouble spot was northbound I-65 just before the Watterson, where a temporary barrier split eastbound and westbound traffic and caught drivers making last-minute lane changes. KYTC added signs, restriped lanes near the airport, and had a team drive the whole detour to review signs after truckers reported confusion at the Watterson East interchange. Trucks still using non-truck navigation kept getting stuck under Louisville's notorious low railroad trestle known as the "can opener," and KYTC turned to geofencing and in-cab alerts. TARC reported no major bus delays. In Old Louisville and Germantown, residents complained about trucks cutting through residential streets and about round-the-clock demolition noise, though opinions on the noise were split.

Demolition finished about two and a half weeks in, and the project moved into rebuilding while staying on schedule despite storms. The two-mile southbound section from University Boulevard to the Watterson reopened June 29, two days early, along with four ramps. Courier Journal columnist Joseph Gerth argued that the closure's success suggests it may be time to revisit "8664," the old proposal to remove I-64 from Louisville's waterfront.

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I-65 reopened to two lanes in each direction early Wednesday, July 29 — three days ahead of the Aug. 1 target — after crews worked overnight to restripe, change signs and pull barrels. The corridor remains a construction zone with a 40 mph speed limit and nine ramps still closed (including Brook Street to Chestnut, St. Catherine, and the Arthur Street off-ramp). Commuters' reactions were mixed: some from southern Indiana saw faster trips, while others from Elizabethtown and Bullitt County said the drive took about as long as their detours. Businesses near the detour, like a convenience store that saw 25% fewer customers, welcomed the reopening.

The three bridges replaced during the shutdown will be finished by March 2027. Overall, nine bridges are being replaced along the corridor, and the full project is expected to wrap up in late 2027 or early 2028. Gov. Andy Beshear said that I-65 should not fully shut down again while work continues, and through traffic is still encouraged to use the I-264 detour.

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With the interstate open again, work shifted to replacing bridge superstructures over downtown streets. The Muhammad Ali Boulevard/South Brook Street underpass closed in late August and immediately caused hour-long backups near the hospitals, so the planned Broadway underpass closure was postponed a few days. The University of Louisville turned part of Muhammad Ali Boulevard into a two-way street to keep its parking garages reachable. Broadway eventually closed but reopened weeks ahead of its mid-October target. When it did, Jacob Street under I-65 closed permanently to ease traffic from the Broadway off-ramp. Gray Street under I-65 closes Oct. 5 through late November.

In late June, WAVE reported that contracts as drafted called for a second full I-65 shutdown in summer 2027, from just after the Kentucky Derby through late August (northbound would stay closed until mid-October), to replace six more bridges, including one near Hospital Curve. Traffic would be allowed as far north as Broadway that time. A KYTC spokesperson said Jefferson County residents "should not have to endure two closures in two years" and that the governor intends to push the closure further into the future.

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