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Only tree debris from weekend storm accepted
Beginning May 29, 2024, Jefferson County residents may drop off storm tree debris for free at the Storm Debris Drop-Off Sites listed below.
This free service is for Jefferson County residents only, and residents will be asked to show driver’s license and their license plate will be documented.
Eight sites have been made available to accommodate initial demand. However, site participation/demand will be monitored daily to determine whether a given site should continue to stay open. Any site determined to be closed due to low demand will be communicated to our residents through our website, social media, and our e-newsletter.
All sites open Monday - Friday 2 p.m. - 7 p.m., Saturday 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Closed Sundays.
- Shawnee Park, 4501 West Broadway
- Waste Reduction Center, 636 Meriwether Avenue
- Public Works Yard, 595 N. Hubbards Lane
- E.P. Tom Sawyer Park, (enter from Tom Sawyer Drive near the softball fields)
- Charlie Vettiner Park, (enter from Mary Dell Road)
- Fern Creek Park, 8703 Ferndale Road
- Near Fairdale Elementary, 10618 West Manslick Road
- Public Works Yard, 10500 Lower River Road (enter from Bethany Lane)
Contractors and businesses who are hauling debris may use the Waste Reduction Center for the usual fee. Visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/public-works/waste-reduction-center for details.
PROJECT INCLUDES NEW TURN LANES, TRAFFIC SIGNALS, SIDEWALK WORK
Reconstruction of KY 1819 (Billtown Road) from north of Colonnades Place to south of Easum Road in Jefferson County is now underway to enhance the state highway’s capacity, functionality, and overall safety. Preliminary work began this week. Contractors expect to start major road work, including lane restrictions, next week.
In 2007, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet planning study examined Billtown Road from Ruckriegel Parkway to the Gene Snyder Freeway (Interstate-265). The planning study focused on 14 intersections and corridor improvement concepts to prioritize short- and long-term improvement options for the area.
Short-term projects were mostly located at the individual intersections, and included improvements such as new traffic signals, signal optimization, turn lanes, storage lanes, etc., varying by intersection based on existing conditions and future traffic projections for the location.
Public feedback informed the project team of local priorities. The study considered level of service, delay, signal warrants, safety, environmental impacts, public input, property impacts, and costs during the prioritization process.
Three sections of Billtown Road will undergo the following improvements:
- Easum Road through Mary Dell Lane
- Add a two-way, left-turn lane from Easum Road through Mary Dell Lane, transitioning into dedicated left-turn lanes approaching intersections.
- Widen lanes from 9- to 11-foot-wide travel lanes.
- Improve drainage through ditch widening.
- Minor realignment of Easum Road intersection with Billtown Road to the south.
- Add left-turn lane from southbound Billtown Road to Easum Road.
- Realignment of Lovers Lane intersection with Billtown Road to the south.
- Add left-turn lane from northbound Billtown Road to Lovers Lane.
- Add right-turn lane from southbound Billtown Road to Lovers Lane.
- Add right-turn lane from Lovers Lane to Billtown Road.
- Add oversize signs and pedestrian activated flashing beacons at Mary Dell Lane.
- Add sidewalk ramps to connect to the existing crosswalk at Mary Dell Lane and Billtown Road.
- Michael Edward Drive through Fairground Road
- Add left-turn lane from northbound Billtown Road to Michael Edward Drive.
- Add left-turn lane from northbound Billtown Road to Fairground Road.
- Add right-turn lane from southbound Billtown Road to Fairground Road.
- Add right-turn lane from Fairground Road to southbound Billtown Road.
- Add traffic signal at Billtown Road and Fairground Road intersection.
- Rebuild sidewalk on south side of Fairground Road and west side of Billtown Road, between Fairground Road and Monticello Forest.
- Shady Acres Lane through Colonnades Place
- Add left-turn lane from southbound Billtown Road to Vintage Creek Drive.
- Add left-turn lane from northbound Billtown Road to Colonnades Place.
- Add right-turn lane from southbound Billtown Road to Colonnades Place.
- Keep existing right-turn lane from Colonnades Place to southbound Billtown Road.
- Improve drainage through ditch widening along the north side of Shady Acres Lane near its intersection with Billtown Road.
- Improve drainage through curb and gutter along the west side of Billtown Road.
- The west side sidewalk is also being rebuilt throughout this section.
Once work is fully underway, daily lane closures are possible from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. as construction progresses. Flynn Brothers Contracting, Inc., was awarded a $5.1 million contract for the work. The project is anticipated to be complete by the summer of 2025.
Project Information can be found online at https://transportation.ky.gov/DistrictFive/Pages/KY-1819-Billtown-Road-Reconstruction---Project-05-8203.aspx.
For information about dedicated left and right-turn lanes, see the KYTC’s SAFERoad Solutions page at https://transportation.ky.gov/saferoadsolutions/Pages/DedicatedLeftAndRightTurnLanes.aspx
We've had 18 separate budget hearings as of today with at least six more to go (there are also times set aside for call-backs of various departments if necessary). The budget hearings scheduled for next week are below. As a reminder, you can click here to view the mayor's proposed budget and here to comment on it.
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Monday - Public Health & Wellness (4-5 p.m.), Technology Services (5-6 p.m.), and the Office of Philanthropy (6-7 p.m.)
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Tuesday - Metro Animal Services (4:15-5:15 p.m.), Louisville Zoo (5:15-6:15 p.m.), and TARC (6:15-7:15 p.m.)
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Wednesday - Budget Call-Backs (4-7 p.m.)
All shows are free to attend and run from 6-10pm. Bring a cooler, picnic basket or grab some food from Spinelli's Pizzeria and Highview Ice Cream and Coffee.
You are encouraged to bring a chair or blanket to enjoy the show.
Highview Park is located at 7201 Outer Loop. Please enter through Briscoe Lane.
Remaining Shows:
June 14 The Brass Pack (70s and 80s Rock/Pop) with POJO (Police and Journey Tribute)
June 28 Radiotronic (Pop/Rock) with Bee Gees Tribute
July 12 The Sheryl Rouse Band (Pop/Rock/Soul) with Jordan Wilson Coalition (Blues/Funk/Rock’N’Soul)
July 26 An Evening with the Monarchs (Oldies)
August 9 Dave Meland Band (Classic Rock) with JacknLindsey (Pop/Rock)
Sponsorship and Vendor Packages Available
Sponsorship packages and vendor space to fit any budget is available. Contact John Grantz at john@mediaeventsusa.com for more information
Two new Australians are making their way to Louisville — say “G’day y’all” to Dharuk and Telowie! The two male koalas will be coming from the San Diego Zoo in California. Dharuk and Telowie join the Louisville Zoo family indefinitely as part of an agreement with the Australian government. They will arrive later this June.
Dharuk, a 2-year-old, is named after an extinct Aboriginal language of the blue mountains, pronounced “da’ rook.” Meanwhile, 4-year-old Telowie (“tell ou-ee”), is named for the saltbush plant in Australia and means “old man saltbush by the waterhole.”The two will take up residence at the foot of Glacier Run alongside fellow Australian species. Their abode is a renovated habitat near Lorikeet Landing that previously housed snowy owls and later, the Zoo’s red panda.
Louisville Zoo Director, Dan Maloney, previously served at the Melbourne Zoo in Australia and is excited to bring koalas back to Louisville. Koalas were temporarily featured at the Zoo during the 1980s and again in the early 2000s."Koalas are fantastic ambassadors for Australia, representing a truly unique species,” Maloney said. “I am excited to see families experience our friends from the ‘Land Down Under’!”
Following their arrival, the two koalas will go undergo a standard 30-day quarantine period in their prepared space, enabling them to be on exhibit sooner than the usual duration. Once on exhibit, they will be housed separately, as koalas are territorial and solitary in the wild.Zoo guests will likely see the two new residents sleeping most days. Koalas almost exclusively eat eucalyptus leaves. This plant provides low-quality nutrition that takes time for koalas to process for energy. The eucalyptus that Dharuk and Telowie consume will be from one of just two eucalyptus farms in the U.S., both dedicated to supplying zoos.
The word “koala” is believed to originate from the Dharug language, spoken by Aboriginal people in Australia. “Koala” means “no drink,” which may be a reference to the marsupial’s low water intake. These animals stay hydrated through the water content in the eucalyptus leaves that form the bulk of their diet.The International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened species lists koalas as decreasing in the vanishing wild. The two main threats for koalas are human development and subsequent habitat destruction.
Zoo Hours
The Zoo is open daily year-round. Spring/summer hours are 10 a.m. ─ 5 p.m. (stay until 6 p.m.). The Zoo is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. The Zoo will close early on Friday, June 7, enter 10 a.m. – 2p.m. (exit by 3 p.m.). Visit louisvillezoo.org for more info.
 The Louisville Independent Business Alliance (LIBA) will host its annual Buy Local Fair on Saturday, June 8 from 11:00 a.m. until 5 p.m. at Lynn Family Stadium in the Fan Zone. The event will include booths from local retailers, organizations, and artists, as well as music, food, and libations. Admission is free, though parking is $15, a portion of which supports LIBA and the Buy Local cause. Click here for more details.
For further information on Councilman Robin Engel or District 22 please visit https://louisvilleky.gov/government/metro-council-district-22
You can also reach out directly by phone at 502.574.1122 or by email at robin.engel@louisvilleky.gov.
601 West Jefferson Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Follow Councilman Engel on Facebook
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