Major construction on and around the north/south Interstate 65 in Louisville has been going on for several months now. Highway exit ramps have been closed off, local streets connecting the city’s east and west have been blocked by construction crews and the repairs (which are definitely needed) have added a lot of time and confusion to daily routines.

But the worst is yet to come:

Interstate 65 is closing between the Watterson Expressway (I-264) and downtown Louisville (Jefferson Street) from June 1 through July 31.

This is how bad it’s going to get:

(Just for the record, you should go to the I-65 Central Corridor website to “Ask anything.” Click here to ask your question.)

What does this mean for people who live in our area?

1. Second and Third streets are one-way streets that only handle two lanes of traffic. Second Street is already a pain to drive through because cars park on both sides, so imagine having two 18-wheelers driving parallel. Cars are going to be hit.
2. Third Street not only has parking on both sides, but also has a bike lane, one of the few clearly designated in the city. (I’ve expressed my frustration with Louisville bike lanes in this post.)
3. Both streets run through the University of Louisville, a major pedestrian area.
4. We already have a problem with big trucks running through our area. When I take my daily five-mile walk, I see signs in front of houses asking the city to do more to eliminate that traffic.
5. Many Louisville drivers (in my opinion) lack common sense. I’ve had to wave and shout at drivers who are driving the wrong way on a one-way street, and I’ve barely escaped being run over a few times at pedestrian crossings.
6. Want to see how bad it is? Check out this post: Parts is parts, or does anybody know how to drive here?

One thing highway drivers “should” do, is use bypass highway I-264, the Watterson Expressway, which will connect to other major highways, including I-71, I-75 and I-64, or bypass downtown Louisville all together using I-265, the Gene Snyder Freeway.

This is going to be two months of pedestrian and commuter hell.