LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The new roof project for the KFC Yum! Center in downtown Louisville is almost done, but the final stretch of construction will mean traffic changes.
The eastbound lanes of River Road between 2nd and 3rd streets will close Monday, Nov. 17, as construction work continues on the new roof. This will limit access to Interstate 64 East from River Road.
Crews began working to replace the 250,000-square-foot original roof in August as part of the Louisville Arena Authority's $13.6 million infrastructure improvement investment.
The roof project is now in its final phase, according to a news release. Work on the main part of the roof is nearly complete, and workers are now preparing to replace the curved section that extends toward the Ohio River, according to the release.
On Friday, the KFC Yum! Center released a rendering depicting what the new retrofit metal panel roof will look like once it's complete.
The work has already caused minor traffic disruptions near the 2nd Street Bridge with part of Main Street closed, and drivers need to prepare for more closures beginning Nov. 17, according to the release. That's when some eastbound lanes of River Road, between Second and Third Streets, will be closed to vehicle traffic. Those closures will remain in place until the project is complete in January.
The portion of 3rd Street between Main Street and River Road that has been closed since the project started will reopen Nov. 17 but may experience occasional closures as needed. Roads will be open during any major event at the arena.
The roof replacement coincides with the venue's 15th anniversary, and comes more than three years after a leak in the roof delayed the start of the UofL-Boston College basketball game.
Since opening in October 2010, the KFC Yum! Center has welcomed more than 13 million guests, hosted nearly 2,000 concerts, sporting events and conventions and has made a $1.4 billion economic impact on the city.
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