FAQs

The work is necessary to ensure sufficient interstate capacity for both motorists and freight to travel safely well into the future. Combining these interstate improvements into a single project will save money and time, keep traffic flowing for Kentucky residents and businesses, and allow better coordination during construction to minimize impacts on travelers.

The project will reduce congestion, increase safety and provide greater mobility that will fuel economic development and improve quality of life in the Greater Louisville region and throughout the Commonwealth. The corridor connects Kentucky’s economic hub to Northern Kentucky, Central Kentucky, Southern Indiana and other regions to support commerce.

By combining separate transportation projects into one, KYTC will save dollars and time. The bundled project approach reduces construction timeframe by many years over the traditional, one-piece-at-a-time approach.

Yes, this the largest interstate improvement project since the Ohio River Bridges Project. It’s a $180 million investment that will add capacity and improve safety along Interstate 265 (Gene Snyder Freeway), Interstate 71 and Interstate 64.

Each of these interstate improvements rank high in SHIFT (Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow), which means the project will be addressing high priority transportation projects in the Commonwealth.

1. Expanding I-265 from four lanes to six lanes: Relieve congestion on I-265 between KY 155 (Taylorsville Rd.) and I-71 by adding one lane of traffic in each direction.
2. Expanding I-71 to six lanes from I-265 to Kentucky 329: Relieve congestion along I-71 between I-265 and Kentucky 329 in Oldham County by adding one lane in each direction.
3. Modifications to I-265/I-71 Interchange: Adding a collector-distributor lane to I-71 South to improve ramp movements to and from I-265.
4. Rebuilding the I-265/I-64 Interchange: Improvements for I-64/I-265 interchange, including areas from Blankenbaker Parkway to the Gene Snyder Freeway and on the Snyder from Pope Lick Road to U.S. 60 interchange.

The entire project is estimated to be completed in 4 years. Elements of the project will be completed along the way.

Design-build projects give flexibility to the engineering and construction community to develop approaches that typically maximize efficiency and speed construction. The owner, in this case KYTC, sets out the basic requirements of the project and teams compete to present the best solution for those requirements.

Best value encourages contractors to find ways to do more work for taxpayers with the dollars they save in project efficiency. KYTC will identify smaller transportation needs in the areas near the project and give higher scores to teams that include additional work in their proposal. These are needed projects in the area that contractors may be able to efficiently tackle as part of this project and create more value for Kentucky taxpayers.

Currently, crews are working on all parts of the project. There is blasting on I-71 to make room for the additional lanes. Crews are also working on expanding the Gene Snyder north of Westport Road. Crews are working on reconfiguring the I-64/I-265 interchange to remove 2 cloverleaf ramps and replace them with flyover ramps.

Construction has begun and the entire project will be complete in the fall of 2024.