Louisville residents already feeling the impacts of the I-65 Central Corridor Project

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — In just two weeks, Interstate 65 will shut down for two months, and thousands of Louisville drivers will deal with a gridlock all over the city. But those who live near the interstate are already feeling the impacts of the construction.

Five miles of I-65 will close from Interstate 264 northward so crews can repair three aging bridges along the highway. Construction has already started around the bridges, and it's impacting those who live nearby.

"I get the process. It'll be great after," said Christopher Lee, who lives in Old Louisville. "But we're having to like take detour after detour to get back. I'm going on some streets that I guess haven't been rode on. And I ran over a bolt. Luckily, it had a washer on it, so it kept the air in, but I still I had to get it fixed."

Most of the work is happening in Old Louisville and Shelby Park, which is Metro Councilman JP Lyninger's district. He said people have called him claiming their homes are being damaged, leaving debris everywhere. They also complained about the overnight noise.

"We can understand that is necessary, that it has to happen, that this is a safety issue," Lyninger said Monday. "But it can't come at the total expense of the people who live here."

Mindy Peterson, a spokesperson for the I-65 Central Corridor closure, said she's been in contact with those neighbors to discuss the noise and debris. Crews were in the neighborhoods over the weekend cleaning debris.

"The overnight noise is something that is going to be a nuisance and a challenge but a short-term one," Peterson said. "But that has to happen to maintain a two-month closure schedule."

The planned detour takes drivers around the city on I-264, the Georgia Davis Powers Expressway in the western part of town, back to I-65 at the I-264 interchanges.

As we get closer to June 1, Peterson warned people — whether the live near the construction or in the Louisville area in general — now is the time to prepare.

"Get the information," she said. "Think about talking to your employer about flexibility. Think about carpooling with friends or colleagues and then get those mapping apps and start thinking about alternate routes."

The construction is expected to begin around 12:01 a.m. June 1. To learn more about the project or to follow along for updates, click here.