LANE CLOSURES SCHEDULED FOR KENNEDY BRIDGE REPAIRS

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has announced lane closures on the Kennedy Bridge beginning at 9 p.m. tonight.

Work began Monday evening to replace bridge bearings at the piers on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge. While jacking up the bridge slightly to accommodate this work, contract crews experienced difficulty with lifting one of the expansion joints at Pier 3, the second pier in the water from the Kentucky shore. This joint will not move due to accumulation of roadway debris.

In order to replace the bridge bearing underneath this locked joint, the expansion joint must be removed. Lane and ramp closures at the bridge will be necessary during this work. Interstate 65 across the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge will be reduced to one lane in each direction tonight (May 29th) and tomorrow (May 30th) from 9:00 p.m. each evening until 5:00 a.m. the following morning.

The ramp from eastbound I-64 to northbound I-65 will be closed from 9:00 p.m. on today (May 29th) until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow (May 30th). Motorists should follow the signed detour via eastbound Interstate 264 (Watterson Expressway) to northbound I-65.

Daytime lane closures are also needed to complete this work. The left lane only will be closed in each direction on tomorrow (May 30th) from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.

All ramps to and from the bridge will remain open during this phase of construction.

Due to the jacking of the bridge, vehicles weighing in excess of 15 tons are prohibited from crossing the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge. This weight restriction began at midnight on Monday evening, May 28th and will continue through midnight on Friday evening, June 1st. Law enforcement officers are in place to detour these vehicles around the construction zone.

For southbound I-65, 15-ton or greater vehicles will need to follow the signed detour via westbound I-265 to eastbound I-64, crossing the Sherman Minton Bridge and then access I-65 in downtown Louisville.

For northbound I-65, these same vehicles will need to follow the signed detour via westbound I-264 to westbound I-64, crossing the Sherman Minton Bridge, follow to eastbound I-265 and then access I-65 in southern Indiana.

The major bridge construction will begin in mid-June with the bridge being reduced to two lanes in each direction. The John F. Kennedy Bridge carries an average of 136,000 vehicles per day.

Lane closures will also be in place during the overnight hours on Interstate 64 between I-65 and I-71 (mile points 5 and 6) for preparatory work ahead of the bridge construction. Lane closures are possible in the weeknights from 8:00 p.m. each evening until 5:00 a.m. the following morning through June 6th. These lane closures will allow for installation of work platforms and debris containment.

MAC Construction and Excavating, of New Albany, Indiana, is the contractor on this $18.2 million construction project. Work is scheduled to be completed by Aug. 15, 2012.

For construction and traffic updates, visit http://transportation.ky.gov/District-5/Pages/I-65-Construction.aspx. Traffic information for all eight counties in District 5 is also available at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5. Dial 511 or log on to 511.ky.gov for the latest in traffic and travel information across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.