Steve Beshear announced that the I-65 bridge in downtown Louisville will open to two-way traffic ahead of schedule.
An exact date for the opening of the new bridge will be determined closer to that date. Gov. Beshear said the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and crews with Walsh Construction are on budget and ahead of schedule. Officials are confident the bridge will be ready to carry traffic before Dec. 25.
When the new Downtown bridge opens in December, it will temporarily carry two-way traffic. Crews with lead contractor Walsh Construction Co. will then begin extensive improvements to the adjacent John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge. More than $22 million in improvements are planned, including building a new floor system. It’s expected to add decades of new life to the Kennedy Bridge.
All but one lane of the Kennedy Bridge will close when the new bridge opens to traffic. One lane will remain open for about a month to maintain access to I-64 and I-71 North. The entire Kennedy Bridge will then close for about six months. One lane of the Kennedy will reopen first, restoring access to I-64 East and I-71 North. Access to I-64 West will be restored a short time later. The entire Kennedy Bridge is expected to reopen in late 2016.
The revamped Kennedy Bridge will eventually carry six lanes of I-65 South traffic and the Downtown bridge will carry six lanes of I-65 North traffic.
The entire Downtown Crossing – the new cable-stayed bridge, the improved Kennedy Bridge and interstate connections on both sides of the river – is scheduled to be complete in December 2016.
