KYTC studying west Louisville neighborhoods to improve access to waterfront cut off by interstate

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is conducting a study around the most northern part of west Louisville to better connect the surrounding area to its waterfront.

The project, known as the Northwest Louisville Community Connectivity Study, focuses on improving access that been limited due to Interstate 64 and other barriers.

According to the project scope, it lists the highway, flood wall, levee system, and railroad lines along the Ohio River as deterrents to the waterfront in the Portland and part of Shawnee neighborhoods.

The project limits extend from 13th Street in the east to the Bank Street/Northwestern Parkway intersection in the west and from Bank Street to the Ohio River.

KYTC said Waterfront Park's expansion past 9th Street and access to a federal grant focused on reconnecting communities effected by interstates is the reason why its looking at improvements now.

The grant, known as Reconnect Communities and Neighborhoods Grant, program's goal is "Reconnecting communities by removing, retrofitting, or mitigating highways or other transportation facilities that create barriers to community connectivity, including to mobility, access, or economic development."

Project manager Larry Chaney said removing or relocating I-64 is always in consideration, and expected feedback, but said it is a difficult task.

"It's always a possibility, its happened in other communities ... It is an interstate connection, first of all, so there would be a lot of things that would go into consideration to do that, truck traffic, flooding, if you do drop it to grade and make it a parkway which is some of the initial discussions, where does that traffic go? Do you have the same type of traffic that is currently on the interstate on a local road then? Do you put it on the outside of the flood wall in which case you have to raise it up to grade, put it on the south side existing of the flood wall, you take neighborhoods," Chaney said.

Chaney said KYTC said its aware of other existing problems in the area it can address, like improving access to two parks on the north side of I-64 by updating pedestrian bridges and entrances to parks.

KYTC is also considering improvements around 22nd Street where intersection ramps intersect.

"One of the every important things we hope to gain from this study is partnership," said Chaney. "Because we need all the agencies, obviously, Corps of Engineers, Metro Louisville, Parks Department, local government, all the neighborhood associations. We're inviting everyone to our table to talk about this."

Neighbors like Terry Wright, who has lived in the Portland neighborhood for 62 years, said there's room for improvement.

"The park is great. We have no entrances to it, it's terrible," Wright said.

Jack Custer, another longtime Portland resident, hopes access can improve to the river at some point, but he's cautious change will actually happen.

"It would be nice to get to the river more often, it's not exactly easy, and I'm kind of limited with a cane," Custer said.

However, residents have big hopes for what could come.

"We want more people to just come and view the river like Indiana has their river front, we’d love something like that, man that would be wonderful for our neighborhood," said Wright.

Chaney said its possible KYTC will have design plans established mid-2025. Money, if and when it is available, would come in 2027.

For more information on KYTC's study, click here.

To submit your feedback to KYTC, click here.

KYTC said further engagement opportunities can be expected.

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