Massive $130M road project to impact busy Watterson Expressway interchange

Work to widen and improve one of Louisville's busiest interchanges is slated to begin this week.

Related lane closures could impact traffic flow between rush hours.

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There will be nightly closures on both lanes of Interstate 264 (Watterson Expressway) between KY Highway 1447 (Westport Road) and Interstate 71.

The closures will go from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m., and began Monday night.

Later this week, there will be ramp closures from the Watterson to I-71 North and South. A time for those has not been specified yet.

Gov. Andy Beshear announced on Monday a $130 million project to increase capacity on I-264, I-71, and U.S. Highway 42 (Brownsboro Road).

This project is about making life better for Kentucky families," Beshear said in a news release. "By improving one of Louisville's busiest interchanges, we're going to make travel safer, reduce congestion and support long-term growth for this area of the city. Investments like this are building a stronger foundation for our New Kentucky Home – one that's safer, more connected and ready for the future.

The project is expected to take approximately three years to complete.

It will reconstruct the I-264/U.S. 42 interchange into a single-point urban interchange. There will also be widening and pavement upgrades on I-264 between Westport Road and I-71.

The Brownsboro Road bridge that runs over I-264 will also be rebuilt and widened from Rudy Lane to Glenview Avenue.

The interchange will be reconstructed to a single-point urban interchange (SPUI).

This graphic shows what that looks like.

The design allows left-turning vehicles coming from opposing directions to turn simultaneously, without crossing paths. Kentucky Transportation Department says this enhances safety by reducing the number of places where vehicles cross paths and improves efficiency by allowing more vehicles to pass through the intersection during a signal cycle.

There will also be three new ramps added as part of the project:

• Two-lane ramp from I-264 to I-71 northbound
• Two-lane ramp from I-264 westbound to Westport Road
• Two-lane on-ramp added at Brownsboro Road to I-264

Once completed, I-264 from Westport Road to the I-264/I-71 interchange will feature three lanes in each direction. The goal is to improve mobility and reduce congestion.

During construction, two lanes in each direction of I-264 will remain open for travel during peak hours. Drivers should expect changes in traffic patterns, lane shifts, and periodic lane closures.

Work on this project is scheduled to be finished by the fall of 2027.

If you would like regular updates from KYTC on this project, you can sign up to receive their weekly newsletter here A spokesperson for KYTC said they will be posting road closures and openings, as well as project updates.

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