As a professional truck driver, staying ahead of major road disruptions is key to keeping your runs safe, efficient, and on schedule. If your upcoming routes take you through Kentucky, you need to be aware of a massive, long-term construction project right in the heart of Louisville.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has completely closed a major stretch of Interstate 65 between Jefferson Street and Interstate 264 (the Watterson Expressway). This critical three-lane corridor normally handles over 125,000 vehicles a day, meaning its closure is heavily impacting regional freight and traffic patterns.

While this total shutdown creates an immediate bottleneck, officials chose this aggressive approach to get the heaviest construction done all at once, saving at least a full year of partial restrictions and prolonged delays down the road.

Here is what you need to know to plan your route, adjust your trip planning, and avoid getting caught in the gridlock.

The Timeline & Restrictions

While the heaviest, full-closure work is happening over a tight two-month window, this is part of a larger infrastructure overhaul that will impact the area for a couple of years:

• Southbound Partial Reopening (July 1): A portion of the southbound lanes between University Boulevard and the Watterson Expressway has reopened.

• The Main Target (August 1): Traffic in both directions is scheduled to reopen to a limited capacity. At that point, two lanes will be open in each direction.

• Long-Term Impact: Expect off-peak lane closures and ongoing construction impacts through the area until the project reaches its full, official reopening in late 2027.

Why the Sudden Shutdown?

The I-65 Central Corridor project is tackling three elevated bridge sections built in the late 1950s that have fallen into “poor” and “serious” structural condition. Located in the Old Louisville and Saint Joseph neighborhoods, these spans cross over:

• Kentucky and Brook streets

• The convergence of Hill Street, a rail line, and Burnett Avenue

• Bradley Avenue near the Kentucky Exposition Center

Crews are completely removing these outdated spans and building entirely new foundations, piers, beams, earthen embankments, and fresh pavement to ensure the corridor can safely handle heavy freight for decades to come.

Official KYTC Detours for Regional & OTR Drivers

Local traffic will be relying heavily on Louisville city streets, which means local lanes will be incredibly congested. For over-the-road regional trucks passing through the area, KYTC has established a 16-mile official detour to keep heavy traffic moving around the city center:

• Southbound Detour: Drivers crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky should take Interstate 64 West to I-264 East, where you can eventually rejoin I-65 heading south toward Bullitt County.

• Northbound Detour: Drivers heading north toward Indiana should take I-264 West to I-64 East, allowing you to rejoin I-65 right before crossing back over the Ohio River into southern Indiana.

Pohl Driver Reminders

• Pre-Plan and Commute Early: Check your routing before dispatch, build extra time into your logs for the Louisville market, and expect secondary delays on I-264 and I-64 as they absorb the extra volume.

• Watch for Shifting Patterns: Because lanes will be restricted to two lanes in each direction starting in August, construction zones will remain highly dynamic with shifting patterns until 2027. Stay alert, watch the overhead digital message boards, and maintain a safe following distance.

Safety is always our number one priority. Let’s look out for each other, watch out for the four-wheelers trying to navigate the detours, and keep ’em rolling safely!