The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is in the design phase of a
project to build a new interchange on Interstate 65 in Bullitt County. The
proposal is to construct a new interchange on I-65 between the existing
interchanges at KY 245 (Exit 112) and KY 480 (Exit 116). The new interchange,
located near mile point 114, and its east-west crossroad would connect KY 61
west of I-65 and Ohm Drive and Alpha Way east of I-65. This project will improve
access for the growing commercial development in the area.
Twelve east-west roadway alternates were studied between KY 61 and Ohm Drive
in the Cedar Grove Business Park. The two most promising routes were developed
as conceptual stage plans. Both alternates are designed as three-lane roadways
with one travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane.
The Northern Connector begins at KY 61 slightly north of the southern
intersection of Cooper Run Road with KY 61. Traveling east, the roadway crosses
Cooper Run Road, ascends to cut through a north-south oriented ridge, crosses
I-65 on an interchange bridge, continues east by passing north of a cell tower
knob and skirts the south side of a large warehouse/distribution center planned
by Browning Investments and an LG&E transmission tower. The road connects to
Ohm Drive east of the Alpha Way intersection.
The Southern Connector has more of a southwest to northeast orientation. It
begins at KY 61 approximately 400 feet south of the Mary Foster Road
intersection. The roadway passes south of the East Kentucky Power Cooperative
substation, turns and ascends toward the northeast and cuts through a saddle of
a ridge between two knobs. The road crosses I-65 at a skew, passes north of the
cell tower knob, stays south of the Browning building and LG&E electric
tower. It connects to Ohm Drive east of Alpha Way.
A public meeting was held on Thursday, June 2, 2016 to present this
information to area residents and motorists. Approximately 150 people attended
this meeting at the Paroquet Springs Conference Centre in Shepherdsville.
The public meeting displays, handout and questionnaire are provided to the
right under Supporting Documents. A
video of the traffic simulation shown at the public meeting can be found on our
YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/KYTCDistrict5.
PROJECT UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2016
The
project team met in August 2016 to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of
the proposed alternatives and to review comments from the public meeting held on
June 2, 2016. Taking all of this information into consideration, the project
team chose the Northern Connector as the preferred alternative for the
new I-65 interchange and connector route near mile point 114. This alternate was
chosen for the following reasons:
·
It has fewer impacts to streams and bat
habitat.
·
It has the fewest parcels to be cleared for
right-of-way acquisition.
·
It is the least costly of the built
alternatives.
·
It has the least amount of excavation needed for
roadway construction.
·
It does not prevent planned developments in the area
from progressing.
The
environmental document for this project will be finalized this fall and final
design is scheduled to begin in December 2016. The current highway plan contains
funding for the future phases of right-of-way acquisition, utility relocation
and construction. No timeline has been established yet for these
phases.
Please contact the project manager,
Chuck Berger, if you have any questions (502-210-5411 or chuck.berger@ky.gov ). Thanks in advance
for your help.
