LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Construction is now underway on a road in Fairdale that has been closed for more than a year.

Crews began work Thursday on Mitchell Hill Road, north of Top Hill Road, where they started building a retaining wall to stabilize the hillside before reconstructing the road.

Part of the road washed away in Feb. 2025 after heavy rains flooded the area.

In his weekly update, Metro Councilman Dan Seum Jr., D-13, said the city has contracted with Hall Contracting to complete the work on the road. He said the company built a similar retaining wall on Arnoldtown Road in 2024.

Seum said in the update the building of a retaining wall was the "best long-term and most practical, least invasive solution." The retaining wall will be anchored into the bedrock, properly drain water through the wall and extend about 30 feet below the roadway to fully support it. 

Before construction could begin, MSD had to review the plans for drainage and clear trees from the area. In addition, the city needed temporary and permanent easements from nearby owners for construction access, drainage, improvements and future maintenance. A geotechnical report was also needed to understand how the flooding affected the roadway's stability.

Once the retaining wall is complete, work to rebuild the road will begin. Construction is expected to last through September. 

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