TRAFFIC ADVISORY: Weekend Closure of Interstate 65 South in Downtown Louisville Beginning Friday, July 25
Contract crews to replace bridge joints and install high-friction surface treatment
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (July 23, 2025) – As part of Team Kentucky’s commitment to safety, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) announces the awarding of a contract for bridge joint replacements on the section of Interstate 65 in Louisville locally known as “Hospital Curve.” Work will require a temporary interstate closure the weekend of July 25.
While in-house repairs to joints and surrounding pavement have maintained this area, full replacement of expansion joints will improve safety, help prevent recurring potholes, and reduce the need for future maintenance closures. The project will replace the joints on both the southbound and northbound lanes of I-65 at mile point 135.6, about 1 mile south of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge.
The project includes work that cannot be done alongside traffic for safety reasons, which will require a full closure of southbound I-65 at the repair site.
Beginning at 8 p.m. Friday, July 25, and continuing through 5 a.m. Monday, July 28, crews will close the left three lanes of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge, limiting access to I-65 South. Motorists should detour by continuing on I-65 South to I-64 East, I-64 West, or I-71 North. Additionally, the I-64 East and West ramps to I-65 South and the I-71 South ramp to I-65 South will close beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 25.
Once the interstate reopens on the morning of Monday, July 28, I-65 South will be reduced to one lane through this corridor through Wednesday, July 30, at 5 a.m., as work continues.
The Transportation Cabinet will also take advantage of the interstate closure to make unrelated repairs near the Kennedy Bridge, with a goal of improving safety there by installing a high-friction surface treatment (HFST) from the end of the Kennedy to the bridge over Witherspoon Street. HFST increases pavement friction, particularly when wet weather makes roadways slick, and also helps protect concrete surfaces.
Additional weekend lane closures will be scheduled at a later date to complete joint replacements on I-65 North. KYTC will provide further updates as those closures are confirmed.
Hall Contracting of Kentucky, Inc. has been awarded the project under a contract valued at approximately $1 million.
The date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur. Visit goky.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. You can also get traffic information for the District 5 counties on Facebook and X (formerly known as Twitter).
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