2 southbound lanes on I-65 in Louisville could open ahead of schedule, project officials say

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Project officials said two southbound lanes of Interstate 65 between University Boulevard and Interstate 264 could open sooner than expected.

Original plans called for the two southbound lanes to reopen on July 1. But Mindy Peterson, a spokesperson for the I-65 Central Corridor Project, said construction on the Bradley Avenue Bridge is ahead of schedule. If weather cooperates, she said, two southbound lanes could open "before July 1, possibly even days earlier."

It's been two weeks since a five-mile stretch of the interstate between the Watterson Expressway and Jefferson Street downtown shut down for the I-65 Central Corridor Project.

I-65 Closure | Traffic Map | Latest Coverage | Real-Time Alerts

Crews are replacing three aging overpasses in the Old Louisville and Saint Joseph neighborhoods over:

Kentucky and Brook streets
An area where Hill Street, a rail line and Burnett Avenue converge
Bradley Avenue near the Kentucky Exposition Center

Those three were built in the late 1950s and are in "poor" condition, according to WDRB News' review of Federal Highway Administration data. Officials with the I-65 Central Corridor project said the closure is being done all at once to save "at least a year of additional restrictions and construction delays."

Minor traffic backups and confusing signage were some of the biggest issues drivers noticed shortly after the shutdown began. Many of those problems were addressed.

One issue that persists, according to project officials, is semitrucks using detours that cause other traffic issues.

As truck drivers search for alternate routes during the interstate closure, many are bypassing officials detours, which has led to an increase in these already familiar incidents. As of July 10, Louisville Metro Police confirmed at least 11 crashes involving large trucks were reported at the overpasses along 3rd Street near Winkler Avenue and Eastern Parkway.

LMPD spokesperson Aaron Ellis said this number only includes incidents in which officers were called to respond. It doesn't include near misses or any trucks that drove away after hitting the overpass.

Ellis also said the number could be higher if a local towing company was called instead of police.

On Monday, LMPD responded to a call for service at the "can opener" just after 5:30 a.m. A semi that had struck the overpass, LMPD said. No one was reported hurt and the roadway reopened just before 8 a.m.

Officials said the can opener incidents are still happening because some trucking companies aren't using trucking-specific navigation systems that keep them away from problem areas.

"A lot of drivers, if they don't have a truck-specific GPS, because there is cost to that, they're just using, you know, your normal GPS that you'd have," said Rick Taylor, president of the Kentucky Trucking Association.

Norfolk Southern, who own the railroad tracks on the overpass at 3rd Street and Eastern Parkway, said a railroad bridge inspector is called to inspect the structure immediately after every incident.

The frequency of the incidents at Louisville's infamous can opener have declined since the first week of the closure. Taylor and project officials are hopeful that trend continues until lanes reopen on the entire stretch of the interstate.

Two lanes, in both directions, are scheduled to reopen to limited traffic in August, with some "off-peak" lane closures and other impacts until the work is finished in mid-2027.

For more information on the project, click here. And see below for a real-time traffic map: