LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A busy corridor in downtown Louisville known as the "9th Street Divide" is undergoing major changes after years of discussion.
On Monday Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg announced the highly anticipated Reimagine 9th Street project is breaking ground.
This is the first phase of construction that will revitalize major transportation routes between west Louisville and downtown, according to a news release from the Mayor's Office.
The project is meant to reunite downtown Louisville and the Russell neighborhood with Greater Louisville, according to the city's website. It also aims to improve public health and increase economic opportunity for nearby residents while improving road safety.
The corner of W. Muhammad Ali Blvd. and 22nd St. has been deemed a high crash area. Zion Baptist Church, which sits on the corner of that intersection has had several close calls.
Pictured: this image shows a car that crashed into Zion Baptist Church in the 2200 block of West Muhammad Ali Blvd. in Louisville, Ky. (WDRB/Louisville Metro Public Works)
"We typically experience at least four accidents a year," said Pastor Gerald J. Joiner. "A car actually flipped up on its side, tore down the rails and actually hit the doors. So, it would have come inside the door."
Pastor Gerald Joiner says people racing to beat the light at Muhammad Ali Blvd. end up crashing into other cars or the building.
"Our steel poles have been bent, the brick work on our building has been damaged, "[Concrete] flowerpots have been demolished by the impact of cars driving at high rates of speed."
According to Kentucky State Police data, there have been more than 820 crashes on Muhammad Ali and Chestnut Street combined between January 2020 and December 2024.
In 2022, the city received a $15.6 million federal RAISE grant to help fund the construction. The project was even mentioned by President Joe Biden during his northern Kentucky visit in 2023, according to previous WDRB reports. The total project cost is nearly $25 million.
Ninth Street -- also known as Roy Wilkins Avenue -- is surrounded by one-way streets designed in the 1960s and 1970s. The first phase of the project calls for converting Muhammad Ali Boulevard and Chestnut Street/River Park Drive between 9th Street and Southwestern Parkway to two-way streets.
According to the release, two-way street conversions will:
- Slow down traffic and reduce crash severity
- Enable more direct emergency response from police, fire and EMS
- Make businesses more visible and easier to find
- Decrease the distance motorists have to travel
- Simplify access to, from and along bus routes
Work on the two-way conversion phase of the project is expected to wrap up in the summer of 2026, according to the release.
The work will eventually stretch from Ninth Street to Shawnee Park. Planners considered several different roadway concepts from Broadway to the Interstate 64 ramp. Officials also held public meetings to solicit input for ideas.
The city contracted with MAC Construction to handle the project, which is expected to be complete by August 2028.
CLICK HERE for a closer look at the Reimagine 9th Street plans.
Related Coverage:
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Louisville's 'Reimagine 9th Street' project on course to be finished in 2028
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