Jefferson County, Kentucky

Project detail.
The reconstruction of the Kennedy Interchange in downtown Louisville, Kentucky, is the largest of six sections of the Louisville Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project (LSIORBP). This reconstructed junction of I-65, I-64, and I-71, which is estimated to cost $1.2 billion, will serve some 300,000 vehicles per day.  Lately, the Qk4 team has been looking for ways to reduce the cost of the interchange, but still improve safety and reduce congestion.

Examination of alternatives to define and evaluate impacts of options to address the region’s cross-river transportation demands was initiated in 1997. These investigations culminated in the Federal Highway Administration’s September 2003 Record of Decision (ROD) for the LSIORBP.

The ROD triggered the mid 2004 initiation of final design for the Kennedy section. Qk4 leads, as the prime consultant for the Kennedy Interchange Reconstruction 1 Design Team. Design has now advanced to completion of plans required to initiate acquisition of necessary right-of-way for project construction. 

Once completed, the 28 baseline miles of the Kennedy reconstruction will incorporate some 82 miles of paved travel lanes with 88 new bridges and over 3 miles of retaining walls. “Context Sensitive Design” was an Environmental/ROD mandate that will result in unique project construction elements for integration of the project into the adjacent business, historical, residential, and park communities. The design elements include common shape(s) and colors of bridges and walls, focused attention on pedestrian and bicycle demands, and extensive landscaping.