LOUISVILLE, Ky. — One of the most well-traveled portions of interstate in all of Kentucky will soon be getting a makeover.
Sections of I-65 in downtown Louisville is scheduled to be repaved, with construction expected to start within the next 10 months.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) said progress is being made on the I-65 Central Corridor rehab project. According to a news release, the project will renovate overpass bridge and pavement in the "heavily traveled section" of the highway from the Watterson Expressway to I-64.
"This is a corridor that takes about 130,000 vehicles a day," Kentucky Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said. "This is a 30 to 40-year investment that's going to be made here."
On Tuesday, Secretary Gray told WHAS 11 the state and the project team will be looking at ways to best speed up the construction schedule and invest in a method to cut down on lane closures during road work.
"That may mean, for example, working some overtime hours. It may be often 24/7 in some aspects of the project, in order to keep the corridor open and functioning," Gray said.
I-65 serves as a catalyst for many of the city and state's largest employers. Dozens of overpass bridges lead to hubs like UPS Worldport at the Muhammad Ali International Airport, the University of Louisville, and major downtown hospitals.
“It’s critical to many of our leading employers,” Gov. Andy Beshear said. “It’s also a 60-year-old system that’s showing its age. It has numerous bridges that need rehabilitation. One of the objectives of this project will be to improve safety and fix deterioration, which in turn will prevent unplanned closures for repairs in years to come.”
Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. was selected as the construction manager and general contractor of the project.
Secretary Gray says the contractor is known for completing a similar renovation project on I-40 in downtown Nashville months ahead of schedule.
"[We're bringing] the contractor on early in the project in order to help us anticipate the problems that can occur," Gray said.
KYTC says it hopes to hit the ground running on the first phase of construction within the next 10 months, to improve safety and efficiency in the years to come.
In phase one, KYTC plans to rehabilitate at least three bridges on the corridor -- with one being over Kentucky and Brook Streets -- at an expected cost of $100 million. The Kentucky General Assembly has already approved the money.
We're told the project could require more than $140 million more to expand work to several more bridges. The Transportation Cabinet says it's applying for federal grants to cover these costs.
Officials said construction is scheduled to start during the current budget year, which runs through June 2024.
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