LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Drivers in downtown Louisville should brace for major traffic changes this weekend as a section of southbound Interstate 65 near the Kennedy Bridge—known as “Hospital Curve”—will close for several days.
Starting at 8 p.m. this Friday, July 18, the left three lanes of I-65 South on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge will close as crews work to replace bridge joints and install high-friction surface treatment in "Hospital Curve," the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said last week.
At the same time, the ramps to I-65 South from Interstates 71 South, 64 East and 64 West will also close. Southbound I-65 drivers will be required to exit onto Interstate 71 or Interstate 64 during the closure.
Southbound I-65 drivers will be required to exit onto I-71 or I-64 during the closure. In addition, ramps from I-71 south and I-64 east and west to I-65 south will also be closed the weekend of July 19, 2025.
Southbound traffic getting into Hospital Curve will be shut off entirely, pushing all drivers coming across the Kennedy bridge onto I-71 and I-64.
The closure comes after multiple crashes involving semi trucks in the area, including one that left a truck dangling over the side of the interstate and two tractor-trailer wrecks in the area on Kentucky Derby weekend.
Truck driver Steve Dean, who uses the route daily, said while he’s not nervous about the closure, he is frustrated.
“It’s already a nightmare anyway, like traffic is in Louisville,” Dean said. “They just need to shut it down, get it done, and be done with it ... because it’s not going to get any better.”
But some businesses downtown are hoping the closure will actually bring a boost in foot traffic from rerouted drivers.
“Hopefully they’ll be able to find another route coming through downtown, which will, hopefully, be in our best interest to get some different customers,” said Caitlin Rhodes, a worker at a restaurant on Whiskey Row. “A lot of people may not know we are here if they are just passing through.”
The closure will continue through the weekend until the morning of Monday, July 21, when one lane of I-65 South at Hospital Curve will open. The interstate is scheduled to fully open at 5 a.m. Wednesday, July 23, KYTC said.
The closures will allow crews to address the areas of the interstate impacted by recent semitruck crashes as well as makes "unrelated repairs" near the Kennedy bridge. The high-friction surface treatment, which will be installed from the end of the Kennedy bridge to the overpass over Witherspoon Street, protects the concrete and increases friction for drivers when the roadway is wet. KYTC said.
Work on the northbound side will be scheduled for another upcoming weekend, the state said.
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