Click It or Ticket Campaign Begins May 20

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Click It or Ticket campaign, which is aimed at increasing the use of seat belts, will begin May 20 and run through June 2.

Adult seat belt use in the United States currently averages 82% among front seat occupants. In 2011, seat belts saved 11,949 lives nationwide.

In fatal crashes in 2011, 77% of passenger vehicles occupants were thrown from vehicles. 1% of crash victims, who were buckled up were killed and 31% of those were unbelted. Lastly, 75% are less likely to be killed in a rollover crash if they are buckled up.

In an effort to save more lives on roadways, state and local law enforcement agencies are teaming up to crack down on motorists who are not buckling up. For more information on the campaign, go to http://www.nhtsa.gov/nhtsa/2013ciot/index.html.

Louisville's Bike to Work Day is Friday!

 
In honor of Bike to Work month, Louisville's Bike to Work Day is this Friday. Rain or shine!
 
Six locations around town will be set up at 7 a.m. so commuters can meet up and ride with others. 
 
The Meet & Ride locations feature parking if you are driving and will allow you to ride with other riders and ride captains from the Louisville Bicycle Club! Riders must have a helmet. After work, ride back to the meet and ride locations from 4th Street Live!, leaving at 5:15pm.

Seneca Park: Meet at the basketball court parking lot just west of the tennis courts at 7am
Iroquois Park: Meet at the Amphitheater parking lot at 7am.
Shawnee Park: Meet at the Southwestern and Broadway entrance and bus stops along Market Street at 7am.
Southern Indiana: Meet at the Park and TARC at Illinois Ave and 9^th street at 7am.

Tyler Park: Meet at the tennis courts along Baxter Avenue at 7am

Clark Park: Meet in the parking lot at Thurston and Dixie at 7am

Then at lunch time go down to 4th Street Live! at noon to meet up with other commuters, learn more about bicycle commuting, visit with vendors and just celebrate the bicycle! And one of the lucky bike to work day registrants will win a new, fully-loaded Bianchi Metropoli, courtesty of Parkside Bike Shop-- no purchase necessary! They will also be giving out Louisville's printed bike map and drawing for other prizes!
 
For more information or to register for Bike to Work day, go to www.louisvilleky.gov/BikeLouisville/biketoworkday.htm

Expect Major Delays at South Hurstbourne and Linn Station Road

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 5 Office says that there will be lane closures on southbound KY 1747 (Hurstbourne Parkway) at the intersection with Linn Station Road (mile point 12.2) beginning today at 9 a.m. 

 

These lane closures will allow for water main installation as part of the I-64/Hurstbourne Parkway interchange improvement project.  Southbound Hurstbourne Parkway will be reduced to one lane at Linn Station Road 24 hours per day through 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, May 19.

Expect heavy delays on southbound Hurstbourne Parkway between US 60 and Interstate 64 during this phase of construction.  When possible, alternate routes should be considered.  MAC Construction and Excavating of New Albany, Ind. was awarded a contract in the amount of $4.5 million.  Work is scheduled for completion in late summer of 2013.

 The actual starting date and duration of this work may be adjusted if inclement weather or other unforeseen delays occur.  Dial 511 or log on to 511.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 at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5.

Closures Announced by KYTC

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 5 Office has announced the following closures:

Temporary lane closure on KY 864 (Poplar Level Road) for the Louisville Zoo’s “Throo the Zoo” 5K Run/Walk: Saturday from 7:30 -10:00 a.m. The right lane of northbound KY 864 (Poplar Level Road) will be closed between Russell Avenue and Trevilian Way (mile points 11.7 and 12.0).

Ramp closures on Interstate 71 in Jefferson County at Interstate 265/KY 841 (Gene Snyder Freeway):  The closures are a part of a pavement repair project.  Contract crews are performing concrete pavement repairs on I-265/KY 841 between KY 146 (LaGrange Road) and Interstate 71 (mile points 30.3 and 34.7). The exit ramp from I-71 North to I-265/KY 841 (Exit 9B) North will be closed from 8:00 p.m. tomorrow until 6:00 a.m. on Monday.  A signed detour will be posted via northbound I-71 to KY 329 (Exit 14).  Motorists can access southbound I-71 and proceed to northbound I-265/KY 841. Motorists can also detour via southbound I-265/KY 841 to KY 22 (Exit 34).  They can turn left at the bottom of the ramp and follow signs to northbound I-265/KY 841. 

Temporary ramp and road closures for the March of Dimes “March for Babies.” The following routes in Louisville will be closed on Saturday from 8:30- 11:00 a.m.:

• US 31E(Main Street) between Story Avenue and Preston Street (mile points 16.7 and 17.4)
• US 42 (Story Avenue) between Main Street and Frankfort Avenue (mile points 0.0 and 0.67)
• Exit ramp from eastbound Interstate 64 to Story Avenue (Exit 7)

Dial 511 or log on to 511.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 at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5.

 

 

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Kennedy Bridge Repairs Planned for Three Weekends

If you are traveling on the Kennedy Bridge the next few weekends, you might want to add some additional travel time.

 

Upcoming repairs on the Kennedy Bridge will require some weekend lane closures beginning Friday (May 10).  Two of the three southbound lanes of I-65 will be affected.  The work, which will be limited to three weekends, will begin at 9 p.m. on Fridays and continue through 5 a.m. on Mondays.

Walsh Contruction, design-build team building the Downtown Crossing, is doing the work as part of the Ohio River Bridges Project, which includes improvements to the Kennedy Bridge, says the right two lanes of I-65 South will be closed from just north of the Kennedy Bridge in Jeffersonville, Ind., to the far south end of the bridge in downtown Louisville. Southbound traffic will be limited to one lane. The entrance ramp from Court Avenue in Jeffersonville to southbound I-65 will be closed during the weekend work.

 All lanes and exit ramps at the south end of the Kennedy Bridge will remain open. The Exit 0 ramp from southbound I-65 to West Market Street in Jeffersonville will be open.

Walsh says the Crews are making structural steel repairs and adding new steel cover plates.  The new plates will be positioned and secured to the bridge using high strength bolts.  A hydraulic crane will be used to hoist the plates in place.

Work is scheduled for the weekends of May 10-13, May 17-20 and May 31-June 3.  No work is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend. 

 

Closures Expected For Thunder Over Louisville and Bridge Painting

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's Department of Highways District 5 Office has announced the following closures in association with the Kentucky Derby Festival’s Thunder Over Louisville event (which is Saturday):

Clark Memorial Bridge: closed to pedestrians and motorists from 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, April 18 until 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 21.

The 3rd Street exit ramp: Closing at 10pm tomorrow. The 2nd Street entrance ramp will be closing at 8am on Saturday. All will be open at 6:00 a.m. Sunday.

In addition, the cabinet has announced beginning April 21 The Clark Memorial Bridge will be undergoing a makeover.

In addition to the bridge being painted, there will also be structural steel and sidewalk repairs. The contract was awarded in December to G Force Consulting for $494,494 and should be completed by July 31, 2013.

Residents can expect lane closures from 8 p.m.-5 a.m. The closures will not be allowed until May 6 (due to Derby Festival event).

The duration of these projects may be adjusted due to weather or other unforeseen delays. Call 511 or go to www.611.ky.gov for details.

Ramp From Northbound Blankenbaker to Westbound I-64 Closed April 7-13

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's (KYTC) District 5 Office has announced the closure of the ramp from northbound KY 913/Blankenbaker Parkway to westbound I-64 beginning at 7 a.m. Sunday (April 7) through 7 a.m. April 13.

The closure will allow crews to replace a cracked concrete pavement on the ramp as a part of the Blankenbaker improvement project.

As a part of the closure, there are two detours being made available:

• Eastbound I-64 to northbound I-265 (Gene Snyder) to westbound I-64 or
• Bluegrass Parkway to WattersonTrail to southbound Blankenbaker Parkway to westbound I-64

KYTC has also announced that the exit ramp from eastbound I-64 to northbound Blankenbaker Parkway (Exit 17) is scheduled for closure April 14-20, weather permitting.

The Blankenbaker Improvement Project is being completed by Gohmann Construction Inc., for $1.76 million and will be completed by June 1.

The duration of the project may change due to weather or unforseen situations. To monitor these changes as well as traffic information, go to www.511.ky.gov or call 511. You can also keep up wih the information from the District 5 Facebook page at www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict5.