Traffic Armageddon is Coming to Louisville

Traffic Armageddon is right around the corner. The four horsemen will be the only ones riding along I-65 in Louisville next summer for this apocalyptic event.

The city of Louisville is losing one of its main arteries for travel. I-65 will be shut down from the Watterson Expressway to I-64 in June and July 2026. That means all northbound and southbound traffic through Kentucky’s largest city will be rerouted along the Watterson Expressway bypass.

State officials announced the $150 million I-65 Central Corridor project will begin preparations next month. They chose to completely shut down this busy road for two months to expedite the process that would otherwise take a year to replace.

Three interstate bridges must be completely replaced at Kentucky and Brook, one that runs over a CSX rail line, and one over Bradley Avenue near the Kentucky State Fairgrounds. Those three bridges were built in the 1950s and are in poor condition. The one near Brook Street is in “serious” condition with major defects. Ed Green, a project spokesperson, said these are “the worst of the bridges in this corridor and the ones in most need of repair.” 

The construction project will not end in the summer of 2026. There are expected to be lane closures on the interstate through mid-2027.

How many people will be affected by the I-65 road closure? An estimated 125,000 vehicles travel on this stretch of highway every single day. One Hundred Twenty Five Thousand. All of those cars gotta go somewhere.

It’s going to turn the Watterson Expressway into a traffic nightmare. Travelers who plan on vacationing from Indiana and Michigan to the Gulf will get hit with this lengthy detour. It’s not going to be fun, not one bit.

The I-65 closure will be an inconvenience, to say the least, but it’s work that needs to be done. I think we can all agree that it’s much better than an interstate bridge collapse. Keep that in mind when you’re trying to navigate through the city of Louisville in the summer of 2026.

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