The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has closed a five-mile stretch of the I-65 Central Corridor for a month to speed up the initial replacement work on three aging highway bridges; preventing at least a year of additional traffic restrictions for the region in the process.
[Above image by KYTC]
The agency noted that section of I-65 – between the Watterson Expressway (I-264) and downtown Louisville (Jefferson Street) – is scheduled to reopen to two lanes of traffic in each direction on August 1, with work on those three bridges expected to be fully complete in March 2027.
“This is a needed safety measure that has been a long time coming,” said Rebecca Goodman, KYTC secretary, in a statement. “These bridges have been maintained regularly, but they are at the end of their service life, and it’s time for new ones to be built to ensure these key connections are safe and sound for generations to come. This closure allows crews to work safely and faster with less long-term disruption to the traveling public.”
In 2025, KYTC said crews began substructure work to replace foundations underneath bridges, which is now nearly complete, and have since worked to widen ramps and travel lanes. During the month-long closure, crews will demolish the surface decks of each bridge, set new steel beams in place, and rebuild enough of the new decks of the bridge, the agency said.
The agency added that the $150 million investment for this portion of the project includes replacing the I-65 bridges over Kentucky Street/Brook Street, Hill Street/CSX Railroad/Burnett Avenue, and Bradley Avenue near the fairgrounds – ensuring long-term reliability and add 75 years of service life to each bridge. Sidewalks will also be reconstructed and improved, and modernized lighting will be installed under and adjacent to the new bridges, KYTC said.
The agency also noted that six more bridges will be replaced or rehabilitated as part of the I-65 Central Corridor project, with substantial project completion expected in late 2027.
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