LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – A major road project is moving closer to reality in a part of Louisville already transformed by a new U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs hospital.
State officials plan to open bids Thursday for the overhaul of the Watterson Expressway between Westport Road and Interstate 71 that includes widening the interstate and reworking the interchange at U.S. 42.
The goal is to improve traffic flow in a rapidly changing area already dogged by congestion and delays, with the work scheduled to occur during the final stages of the adjacent VA medical center construction.
"I think that would be a great idea," said Anna Clare, who works at the nearby Brownsboro Animal Clinic. "I just think as long as the VA (facility) is getting built, we should not have any other construction projects — at least going on right now."
Clare said the late afternoon congestion in the area, particularly as nearby schools dismiss, routinely affects appointments at the clinic. "Almost everyone calls saying that they're late because they're stuck in traffic," usually less than a mile away, she added.
This week's letting marks the second time this year the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has put the work out for bid. The state got one offer in March, but the $149.4 million proposal from Louisville Paving Co. was above the official estimate of $91.2 million and rejected.
Plans call for making the I-264 Watterson a three-lane interstate in each direction between Westport Road and I-71. On- and off-ramps in the area stand to get extra lanes, including the ramp from I-264 East to I-71 North; the U.S. 42 westbound ramp onto I-264; and the I-264 West ramp to Westport Road.
Rendering of a single point urban interchange planned at U.S. 42 and I-264 (courtesy KYTC)
But perhaps the biggest change is a unique type of interchange design — called a single-point urban interchange — set for U.S. 42 and the Watterson.
The section of road between Rudy Lane and the entrance to the city of Northfield now has two traffic signals for cars entering and leaving the Watterson. Once the redesign is complete, however, there would be just one light in the area.
A single-point urban interchange lets cars coming from different directions make left turns at the same time. The main signal also controls vehicles going straight, while drivers turning right must abide by stop or yield signs.
State traffic counts in the area haven't been done consistently, making comparisons over time difficult. The main section of the eastbound Watterson between Westport Road and U.S. 42 hasn't been counted since 2013, for instance.
Some counts indicate traffic has decreased, while others show increases. Nearly 23,000 vehicles used the Watterson ramp to I-71 North in 2023, or the highest daily count dating back to 1996, state data shows.
"It was already a congested area. Something has to be done," said Eric Gunderson, who drives the area regularly.
"The plan makes sense to me -- allow people to get in and off the highway faster," he said. "Sometimes it can back up for more than a mile in either direction. It's really difficult, and something a lot of people want to avoid."
Most importantly, Gunderson said he hopes the upgrades will make it easier for veterans to access the new hospital. Construction is set to be complete on the $900 million facility in mid-2026.
The VA declined to answer specific questions for this story, including how it expects the road construction to affect patient care and other operations of the new medical center.
A web page about the new hospital says the VA "will continue to advocate for sensible roadway improvements that impact traffic near and adjacent to the project site ..." The agency declined to answer a question about what other specific changes it believes need to occur.
The VA instead issued a statement that read: “Robley Rex VAMC is not managing the project. When the new facility is turned over to the Robley Rex VA Medical Center, the team will ensure communication with Veterans, staff, and visitors regarding access to healthcare services and programs.”
The state road project has been in Kentucky's long-range highway plan since at least 2010, with its cost continuing to climb from about $36 million in 2012, to more than $59 million in 2020 and to the roughly $91 million today.
State lawmakers allocated $10 million in federal highway funds for the project in 2024 after previously setting aside that amount in 2022. Morgan Woodrum, a Transportation Cabinet spokeswoman, said in an email that "expenditures of funds will occur over multiple highway plans."
The next such plan will be approved during next year's Kentucky General Assembly.
Woodrum said that although the project has been in the state's plan for years, it has followed a timeline "independent of the VA hospital construction." She noted that planning began before the hospital was announced at its current site in 2012.
Still, Woodrum said the work "will benefit traffic flow for all users and area destinations."
A construction timeline will be determined once a contract is awarded, according to the project's website. Bidding documents show the overall project must be done before October 2027.
"You would have thought that this would have been further along with the timing of the VA hospital and the number of years," said state Rep. Tina Bojanowski (D-Louisville), who represents the area. "So, you know, it doesn't really frustrate me because I think it's sometimes par for the course."
Besides traffic issues, Bojanowski said she also hears from residents about the placement of sound barriers. State documents indicate that those cushions would be added along the Watterson near the VA hospital site, extending toward the I-71 North ramp and up I-71.
"What's troublesome for some of my constituents who aren't in that area, they see other people getting sound barriers, and then they don't get one," she said. "And that's frustrating."
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