I-64 KY: Major widening coming to Shelby County

[jnewkirk77]

KYTC will begin a 3-year project this summer to widen about 6 miles of I-64 between KY 55 (Exit 32) and the Shelbyville weigh station from 4 to 6 lanes.

As part of the project, the KY 53 interchange (Exit 35) will also be reconstructed, as will three overpasses. Additionally, the current dual bridges over Clear Creek (at MP 33.2) will be rebuilt as a single bridge.

More details from KYTC here.

[froggie]

Interesting that they're going to replace the 5-ramp par-clo at KY 53 with a standard diamond...

[wriddle082]

Interesting that they're going to replace the 5-ramp par-clo at KY 53 with a standard diamond...

If you look at the KY 55 interchange in Google Maps satellite view, you can see evidence that it was once a parclo before they widened that section of I-64.  I guess they just feel the current traffic volumes don't justify the additional ramps.

[webny99]

Is it in the long range plans to widen all of I-64 between Louisville and Lexington?

[wriddle082]

Is it in the long range plans to widen all of I-64 between Louisville and Lexington?

I believe it is, but the Frankfort area will be challenging.  Between US 127 and the Kentucky River crossing, both carriageways lie in deep blasted canyons for close to a mile, so they will have to be blasted even further for widening.

Here is a westbound example:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yto9gLP92HeADZLi7

[webny99]

Is it in the long range plans to widen all of I-64 between Louisville and Lexington?

I believe it is, but the Frankfort area will be challenging.  Between US 127 and the Kentucky River crossing, both carriageways lie in deep blasted canyons for close to a mile, so they will have to be blasted even further for widening.

Here is a westbound example:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Yto9gLP92HeADZLi7

Wow. I've driven between Lexington and Exit 58 (US 60) but I never would have guessed that this existed just west of there. Fortunately, that section is probably the lowest priority for widening anyways since the majority of Frankfort traffic in both directions wouldn't be using that stretch.

Though I haven't looked up the traffic volumes, I did think it seemed like a widening would be warranted east of US 60, even back when I drove it over 10 years ago.

[seicer]

Widening between US 127 and US 60 may take place between 2027 and 2028.

I‐64 Widening Study Franklin County, KY Item 5‐551 October 2023 | Final Report

During the mid-1990s, design efforts under Item No. 5-56 were completed to widen I-64 to six lanes between the Frankfort exits: at US 127 (milepoint [MP] 53.110) and at US 60 (MP 57.960). This Item No. 5-551 study represents a fresh look at the previous effort, intended to explore additional build concepts, incorporate current design standards, technologies, and best practices, and update cost estimates to current year dollars.

The purpose of the 5-551 project is to improve safety and mobility along I-64 in Franklin County, between the US 127 and US 60 interchanges. Projected future traffic volumes will approach the capacity of the four-lane facility. Steep grades surrounding the Kentucky River create long climbing sections that introduce variable travel speeds, especially for large trucks. Existing rock cuts are subject to erosion with fallen rocks restricting clear zones and requiring routine maintenance. Elevated crash trends characterize the facility: 358 crashes during 2018-2022 on mainline I-64 and 85 on ramps with the majority single vehicle crashes (45%) and rear ends (33%).

Seven build concepts were developed, summarized in Table ES-1, including three Common Median (CM) options and variations on the four 1997 designs from Item 5-56. Construction cost estimates in 2023 dollars are presented assuming asphalt pavement. No new right-of-way and minimal utility impacts are anticipated.

[webny99]

Widening between US 127 and US 60 may take place between 2027 and 2028.

I‐64 Widening Study Franklin County, KY Item 5‐551 October 2023 | Final Report

That's great to see.

I was about to say it's still probably one of the lowest priority segments for widening in the Louisville-Lexington corridor. But then I looked up the volumes, and it's actually the highest east of Shelbyville.

That's really surprising to me. I guess I was vastly overrating Frankfort as a traffic generator, and vastly underrating it as a place that local traffic in the area wants to avoid.

In other words, there is a lot more traffic using that particular section to get around/past/through Frankfort, than there is traffic coming and going from Frankfort using the segments east and west of there.

Also, about half of Frankfort area-Lexington area traffic wouldn't be using I-64 at all. And by extension, about half of Lexington area traffic to points west, including Louisville, would be *entering* I-64 at Frankfort.

[froggie]

I was about to say it's still probably one of the lowest priority segments for widening in the Louisville-Lexington corridor. But then I looked up the volumes, and it's actually the highest east of Shelbyville.

That's really surprising to me. I guess I was vastly overrating Frankfort as a traffic generator, and vastly underrating it as a place that local traffic in the area wants to avoid.

In other words, there is a lot more traffic using that particular section to get around/past/through Frankfort, than there is traffic coming and going from Frankfort using the segments east and west of there.

One should consider that the Kentucky River crossing and the grades on either side also represent a capacity constraint.

[hbelkins]

Interesting that they're going to replace the 5-ramp par-clo at KY 53 with a standard diamond...

If you look at the KY 55 interchange in Google Maps satellite view, you can see evidence that it was once a parclo before they widened that section of I-64.  I guess they just feel the current traffic volumes don't justify the additional ramps.

Yep. I remember that well.

[wriddle082]

Widening between US 127 and US 60 may take place between 2027 and 2028.

I‐64 Widening Study Franklin County, KY Item 5‐551 October 2023 | Final Report

That's great to see.

I was about to say it's still probably one of the lowest priority segments for widening in the Louisville-Lexington corridor. But then I looked up the volumes, and it's actually the highest east of Shelbyville.

That's really surprising to me. I guess I was vastly overrating Frankfort as a traffic generator, and vastly underrating it as a place that local traffic in the area wants to avoid.

In other words, there is a lot more traffic using that particular section to get around/past/through Frankfort, than there is traffic coming and going from Frankfort using the segments east and west of there.

Also, about half of Frankfort area-Lexington area traffic wouldn't be using I-64 at all. And by extension, about half of Lexington area traffic to points west, including Louisville, would be *entering* I-64 at Frankfort.

That's right, if you're on the south end of Lexington and need to get to Louisville (which I've done before), it's better to take US 60 west through Versailles and get on I-64 at Frankfort, and vice versa.  As a result, the section of I-64 from east of Frankfort through Midway to I-75 has lower traffic volumes and doesn't seem to need a six lane widening at this time.

[dvferyance]

They should widen the part between 71 and 264 before this. My main issue with KYdot is they have this obsession on widening rural freeways while neglecting urban ones.

[froggie]

They should widen the part between 71 and 264 before this. My main issue with KYdot is they have this obsession on widening rural freeways while neglecting urban ones.

As has been said NUMEROUS times on this forum, the Cochran Hill Tunnel is a major impediment to widening that section of 64.  KYTC has much bigger fish to fry with the ongoing problems on the Sherman Minton Bridge.

[seicer]

More of a FYI, but the Sherman Minton Bridge project has wrapped up. The full-scale rehab means no work is needed for at least 30 more years.

[froggie]

The full-scale rehab means no work is needed for at least 30 more years.

[dvferyance]

They should widen the part between 71 and 264 before this. My main issue with KYdot is they have this obsession on widening rural freeways while neglecting urban ones.

As has been said NUMEROUS times on this forum, the Cochran Hill Tunnel is a major impediment to widening that section of 64.  KYTC has much bigger fish to fry with the ongoing problems on the Sherman Minton Bridge.

Even if the tunnel is such an issue that still doesn't stop them from widening everything else around the tunnel. They can at least extend the 3rd lane between Story Ave and Grinstead Dr. And that's not all there is also New Circle Road which they have neglected as well.

[wriddle082]

They should widen the part between 71 and 264 before this. My main issue with KYdot is they have this obsession on widening rural freeways while neglecting urban ones.

As has been said NUMEROUS times on this forum, the Cochran Hill Tunnel is a major impediment to widening that section of 64.  KYTC has much bigger fish to fry with the ongoing problems on the Sherman Minton Bridge.

Even if the tunnel is such an issue that still doesn't stop them from widening everything else around the tunnel. They can at least extend the 3rd lane between Story Ave and Grinstead Dr. And that's not all there is also New Circle Road which they have neglected as well.

I-71 will eventually be widened from Spaghetti Junction to I-264, so that can act as a bypass for the part of 64 that will never be widened.

And New Circle Road has been getting some attention in the NW quadrant, and will eventually be six lanes for the entire length of the freeway section.

[Rothman]

They should widen the part between 71 and 264 before this. My main issue with KYdot is they have this obsession on widening rural freeways while neglecting urban ones.

As has been said NUMEROUS times on this forum, the Cochran Hill Tunnel is a major impediment to widening that section of 64.  KYTC has much bigger fish to fry with the ongoing problems on the Sherman Minton Bridge.

Even if the tunnel is such an issue that still doesn't stop them from widening everything else around the tunnel.

DOTs tend to not want to create safety issues.

[hbelkins]

They should widen the part between 71 and 264 before this. My main issue with KYdot is they have this obsession on widening rural freeways while neglecting urban ones.

As has been said NUMEROUS times on this forum, the Cochran Hill Tunnel is a major impediment to widening that section of 64.  KYTC has much bigger fish to fry with the ongoing problems on the Sherman Minton Bridge.

The Sherman Minton is actually Indiana's responsibility, although the states pretty much share maintenance costs.

[dvferyance]

They should widen the part between 71 and 264 before this. My main issue with KYdot is they have this obsession on widening rural freeways while neglecting urban ones.

As has been said NUMEROUS times on this forum, the Cochran Hill Tunnel is a major impediment to widening that section of 64.  KYTC has much bigger fish to fry with the ongoing problems on the Sherman Minton Bridge.

Even if the tunnel is such an issue that still doesn't stop them from widening everything else around the tunnel. They can at least extend the 3rd lane between Story Ave and Grinstead Dr. And that's not all there is also New Circle Road which they have neglected as well.

I-71 will eventually be widened from Spaghetti Junction to I-264, so that can act as a bypass for the part of 64 that will never be widened.

And New Circle Road has been getting some attention in the NW quadrant, and will eventually be six lanes for the entire length of the freeway section.

There is also I-265 south of I-64.