The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recently awarded a contract to Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. to replace three bridges on Interstate 65 in Louisville. The $150 million project will be conducted in three phases.
Kiewit will replace bridges over Kentucky and Brook streets, Bradley Avenue, and Hill Street and Burnett Avenue. The bridges are more than 60 years old and rated in poor condition. They will be completely replaced including the foundations, piers, beams, decks, pavement, and earth embankments.
Phase one will begin in June or July 2026. I-65 will be closed between Jefferson Street and the Watterson Expressway. In August, the roadway will reopen to traffic with reduced capacity. Phase three will conclude in Spring 2027.
“We understand the inconvenience of closing an interstate, so it was important to us to let the public know more than nine months in advance,” KYTC Secretary Jim Gray said. “We don’t make this decision lightly, but this option will shrink the construction period considerably to avoid prolonged traffic impacts, and it considers the input of area stakeholders to steer clear of major events.”
KYTC has applied for a U.S. Department of Transportation Large Bridge Investment Program grant to continue improvements to the I-65 Central Corridor, including work on 12 additional bridges.