LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Five days into Louisville's two-month Interstate 65 shutdown, thousands of drivers are now relying on the state's recommended detour route around the city.
The closure is putting the city's strategy to reroute traffic onto Interstate 64 and Interstate 264 to its first real-world test. The 16-mile detour route that includes several bridges WDRB previously found were rated in "poor" condition.
Construction began Monday, closing a five-mile stretch of I-65 from downtown Louisville to I-264 while crews replace three aging overpasses built in the late 1950s. State transportation officials said the project will save at least a year of additional construction impacts and produce bridges expected to last decades.
Last September, uncovered data showed seven bridges along the recommended detour route were rated in "poor" condition, the lowest of three classifications assigned by the Federal Highway Administration.
While a "poor" rating does not mean a bridge is unsafe, it does indicate inspectors found issues such as major defects or concerns with bridge components.
Those overpasses are now carrying additional traffic as drivers navigate around the I-65 closure, increasing the demands placed on the already-aging structures.
When the detour route was announced, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials said the bridges were capable of handling the additional traffic and would not be negatively affected by the temporary increase in vehicles. In a statement Friday, the department restated that belief.
"The bridges along the detour routes remain safe to carry additional traffic during the I-65 Central Corridor closure," KYTC said.
Of the seven bridges identified, at least four are slated for future rehabilitation or replacement, according to public records.
Work began May 25 on three of those four bridges on I-64 along the Ohio River, which is part of an $8.8 million preservation project. KYTC described the work as "preventative maintenance" aimed at extending the life of the structures.
Overnight single-lane closures start Monday, May 25, 2026, in Jefferson County between 2nd Street and the approach to the Sherman Minton Bridge. (Photo courtesy of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet)
The project includes steel and joint repairs, concrete patching, new drainage and the addition of a protective coating on bridge driving surfaces. Overnight single-lane closures associated with the work were taking place before the I-65 shutdown began but have been paused until the interstate reopens.
The full project is expected to be complete by summer 2027.
With nearly two months remaining in the I-65 closure, it remains to be seen how the detour bridges will sustain the increased traffic.
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