LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — With just five days until a stretch of Interstate 65 in Louisville closes for two months, city leaders and transportation officials want drivers to be prepared for widespread traffic impacts.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the I-65 Central Corridor project is the state's top priority, one that will impact more than 100,000 people each day.

The agency said Wednesday morning everything is in place for the closure, including bars and 50,000-pound beams for the reconstruction of three overpass bridges — over Kentucky, Brook and Hill streets.

Starting Monday, June 1, I-65 will close from Jefferson Street near downtown to Interstate 264 near the airport. A portion of the southbound stretch — between University Boulevard and the Watterson Expressway — is set to reopen July 1. But traffic in both directions isn't scheduled to reopen until Aug. 1. At that point, two lanes will be back open in each direction until the expected full reopening in late 2027.

i-65 closure map

A map provided by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet outlines the I-65 closures and the official detour routes. (Source: KYTC)

Local drivers will likely use city roads to avoid the closure, but the 16-mile advised detour is largely meant for regional traffic coming through Louisville. Here's what KYTC encourages those drivers to do:

  • Take southbound drivers crossing the Ohio River onto Interstate 64 West then I-264 East, where they'll eventually rejoin I-65 headed toward Bullitt County
  • Take northbound drivers west on I-264 then I-64 East and rejoin I-65 headed across the Ohio River into southern Indiana

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

City leaders said drivers should plan on their commutes being at least 20 minutes longer and avoid rush hours if possible.

They suggest drivers pay attention to their GPS systems, which will be updated along with the project.

Traffic officials said that while the first few days of the closure will be tough, things will fall into place.

"We know, when we talk about congestion, there are 125,000 drivers who will be looking for new routes and some of those will be through traffic that will use the signed detour," project spokesperson Mindy Peterson said. "Some of those will be folks who say 'I'm going to stay on the interstate system,' some people will stay on the local streets, some people will try a mixture of that."

Ramp adjustments have also been made to make it easier for commuters to get through neighborhoods if they have to.

For everything you need to know about the closure, traffic impacts and more, click here.

For more information on the project, click here.

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