KYTC planning more improvements to Spaghetti Junction

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is hoping the $500,000 worth of improvements made to the Spaghetti Junction area in Louisville will make the drive safer for everyone.

Over the weekend, crews shut down Interstate 64 West to Interstate 65 South along with Interstate 71 South to I-65 South and North in order to reconfigure the design and improve safety. There is still one more part of the project that needs to be finished, but transportation leaders believe the initial changes are improving driver safety.

“We think everything is going to be safe and much more efficient because of those additional signs and stripes,” KYTC District 5 Chief District Engineer Matt Bullock said. “This is a safety project to get people in the right lanes, slow down and navigate that curve.”

Bullock said when the curve was built, it fully met the standards. Still, as WDRB News first reported in July, there have been more than 200 crashes in that area since the start of 2017. Bullock said the number of accidents, especially involving tractor trailer trucks, was the signal something needed to change.

“Since we still had a problem, we had to look at enhanced signs and enhanced striping and take some drastic measures,” he said.

The lanes were repaved in order to paint new stripes for a different traffic flow pattern. Before, drivers had to merge in the curve. Now, there are designated lanes for both I-65 North and South. Bullock said they have been monitoring drivers through Trimarc cameras since Monday morning, when the new interchanges were reopened. He said some drivers are making last-minute maneuvers to change lanes, but he believes that is part of the learning curve.

Bullock said the key to knowing if the changes are working will be in the number of crashes in the future, which he hopes will be minimal.

“We’re looking for less accidents, particularly the high impact accidents where it’s closed for hours at a time,” he said.

Crews also added more warning signs and reflective striping on the barrier wall.

“There are some signs that of course separate you into your 65 North and Southbound lanes ahead of time,” Bullock said. “We also have a pretty large truck overturning sign to warn people of the curve ahead.”

There is still more work to do. In the next few weeks, they will be adding flashing lights to the barrier wall in the curve. Crews will not need to close any lanes of traffic in order to install the lights.

“That’ll really make the curve pop, because you won’t be able to miss it," Bullock said. "If anyone wrecks there, then they certainly weren’t paying attention."