Some south Louisville residents share concerns about improvements to 7-mile stretch of Preston Highway

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Those who live near or travel along the Preston Corridor had some of their questions answered about the future of the area and how to make it safer.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is conducting a transportation planning study, dubbed the Preston Transportation Plan, aimed at improving a busy 7-mile stretch of Preston Highway between Interstates 264 and 265 in south Louisville. But state leaders want feedback before the project gets started.

That's why KYTC held an open house Tuesday evening, giving residents and those who use Preston Highway a chance to look at the study area and ask questions.

Jeff Crady has lived along Preston for 30 years and was one of dozens who attended the open house at the South Central Regional Library.

"I used to do rehab at the old rehab (center) on Dixie and, when I left there, I had to go two blocks down, wait for the light to change, do a U-turn to get back to the expressway," said Crady.

The goal of Tuesday's open house was for KYTC to hear feedback from those who live nearby when it comes to the transportation planning study.

The study will identify short- and long-term highway safety and mobility enhancements for the stretch of Preston Highway between I-264 and I-265.

"By talking to the folks who live and use the corridor on a daily basis, we are able to get some information that the data can't always tell us," said Stephen Dewitte, Strategic Planning director at KYTC.

The study is still in the very early stages, so there are no renderings or project costs. But KYTC still doesn't know what all it would include — that's where Tuesday's open house comes in.

Sandy Daunhauer, who lives nearby, said people are just going too fast through the corridor and that the crashes are proof.

"People speeding and running the lights, because they do run the lights. Badly," Daunhauer said. "You got to look before you, when you get a green light, you better look before you go."

Right now, Preston is known as one of the most dangerous corridors in the city, running from downtown Louisville to the Bullitt County line with an average of 715 crashes each year, according to the city's study. Officials said there have been 13 fatalities and 33 serious injuries on Preston since 2021, citing Kentucky State Police.

Maps show the main hot spots where the crashes happen. One is at Outer Loop, the other is at the Fern Valley Road intersection.

"Right there by Southern High School, it will be flashing 25 and even school buses are doing 40 through there, and a lot of cars," Crady said.

Crady added that while he knows if and when the projects start they will vary in duration, he has concerns for those who drive and work along the corridor.

"There's a lot of small businesses on both sides of the street, pretty much from Blue Lick down to Moore High School, and if people can't get to businesses I am worried about them," he said.

The first rough draft of a potential project is expected sometime in February 2025.

"There is transit on the corridor, there is a lot of commercial activity on the corridor, lots of people live on the corridor and we want to know where people are having issues," Dewitte said.

KYTC will continue hearing feedback and taking comments through Tuesday, June 18. They can be mailed to the KYTC District 5 Office at 8310 Westport Road, Louisville, KY, 40242. Input can also be given via email to kytc.openrecords@ky.gov through an online survey by clicking here.

To read more about the planning study, click here.

Last year, after 18 months of public feedback, the city of Louisville finalized its own Preston Corridor Plan. The improvements to the corridor are in an effort to "decrease the number of severe and fatal crashes" on the roadway and "improve the number and availability of useful transportation options along the corridor," the city said. It also calls for a transformation of certain intersections, like Preston and Broadway, Preston and Eastern Parkway, and Preston at the Outer Loop.

A study conducted by city officials found nearly 50,000 residents live within a 10-minute walk of Preston Street, or Preston Highway, so the improvements would impact a large population.

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