2-year, $50 million project to widen I-71 in Louisville starts Monday

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A two-year, $50 million project to widen and improve Interstate 71 in Louisville starts Monday.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced the project in a news release Wednesday afternoon.

The work will add two lanes — one in each direction — along a 2-mile stretch of the interstate between the Interstate 65/I-71 interchange near Frankfort Avenue, to the I-71/Zorn Avenue interchange. That will bring the interstate up to a total of six lanes from four. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the additional lanes will ease traffic congestion, increase safety and improve efficiency.

"This project along I-71 will make travel safer and more efficient for Kentucky families, visitors and businesses, while also supporting future growth in one of Louisville's busiest corridors," Beshear said in a statement.

During the project, traffic along the existing lanes in each direction will stay open during peak travel times. KYTC warns drivers to prepare for changing traffic patterns, lane shifts and intermittent lane closures overnight.

Work is scheduled to start Monday, Nov. 17. Crews will first have to shift traffic to the outside shoulders of the 2-mile stretch of I-71 in both directions in order to allow the two lanes to stay open during construction.

KYTC said overnight lane closures are possible between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. nightly to prepare for the shift, starting Monday. During those closures, crews will remove and pave over existing rumble strips along the outside shoulders where traffic will be moved to.

Along with widening the interstate in both directions, crews will add a "multiuse path" on Zorn Avenue between the I-71/Zorn Avenue interchange and Mellwood Avenue. The project also includes the installation of a median at the intersection of Zorn and Mellwood to "define traffic movements" and improve safety.

Additionally, the I-71 bridge over Beargrass Creek will be demolished and reconstructed. KYTC said crews will also apply a latex overlay to the I-71 bridge over Interstate 64 at mile marker 0.3 "to extend its service life."

Matt Bullock, chief engineer for KYTC's Fifth District — which covers the Louisville area — said the agency doesn't "take construction impacts lightly."

"This project will have minimal traffic interruptions as existing lanes will primarily stay open during constrictions as crews add a lane in each direction," Bullock said in a statement. "We also continue to coordinate and evaluate construction activities on other projects throughout the entire Louisville area to deliver quality improvements while reducing traffic impacts."

KYTC expects the project to be finished by fall 2027. To sign up to receive alerts about traffic impacts during this and other projects, click here.

To learn more about the project and watch for updates, click here.

Other long-term projects ongoing or in the works

This isn't KYTC's only long-term project that will have a big impact on traffic in the Louisville area. The I-65 Central Corridor Project started in September and will shut down the interstate between Interstate 264 and Jefferson Street for two months next summer.

Because there are about 125,000 vehicles that travel that stretch of road every day, it's anticipated it will be a massive traffic headache.

During the closure, crews will work to replace "the worst of the bridges in this corridor" — three aging overpasses built more than 60 years ago.

Two are in Old Louisville: A bridge over Kentucky and Brook streets, and one at an area where Hill Street, Burnett Avenue and a railroad line meet. The other is farther south over Bradley Avenue near the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Traffic will be detoured onto the Watterson Expressway and Interstate 64 West.

During the work, officials want drivers to use a nearly 16-mile stretch of highways to get around the work zone. But the route is also peppered with deteriorating sections that will certainly see more wear and tear, including seven overpasses in "poor" condition — four of which are set for their own repairs and even replacement, according to a WDRB News analysis of public data.

KYTC officials said completing the entire project will take until the middle of 2027.

To read more about the I-65 Central Corridor Project, click here. KYTC has also set up a dedicated Facebook page for the project, here.

I-264 improvement project

Crews are also several months into a two-year, $130 million project to widen Interstate 264 near Brownsboro Road, near Louisville's new VA Hospital. The project is aimed at expanding lanes and improving traffic flow between I-264 East and the interchange with I-71.

The project calls for making the I-264/Watterson Expressway 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.

KYTC is encouraging motorists to sign up for email or text alerts regarding weekly traffic impacts pertaining to the project. Click here to sign up.

The widening project is also scheduled to be completed in fall 2027. To learn more about the project, click here.

To learn more about KYTC projects and studies in the Louisville area, or to sign up for updates on ongoing construction projects, click here.

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