November 2009

From the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Department of Highways:

Two Week Closure on US 231 at US 62 Intersection In Beaver Dam for Rail Crossing Repairs Starting Monday
Crossing upgrade cooperative effort of railroad, city, and state

BEAVER DAM, Ky. (November 10, 2009) — US 231/South Main Street will be closed for about two weeks near the 10 mile marker in Beaver Dam starting Monday, November 16th. The closure, authorized by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), is to allow Paducah and Louisville Railroad to upgrade two rail crossings near the US 231 Intersection with US 62/First Street.

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The Louisville Redevelopment Authority board unanimously approved the grant of $6 million to the $30 million project to relocate part of Crittenden Drive just south of the Watterson Expressway (I-264) in Louisville. The relocation project is intended to make space of expansion of the Louisville International Airport: Louisville Courier-Journal: Airport's Crittenden Drive relocation project gets $6 million (Nov. 9, 2009) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently awarded a contract to widen five miles of I-64 in Shelby County. Work is expected to be completed in the summer of 2011: Louisville Courier-Journal: Contract awarded to widen I-64 in Shelby County (Nov. 9, 2009) 

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s plan to permanently close an entrance ramp from Preston Highway (KY 61) to the Watterson Expressway has been put on hold indefinitely: Louisville Courier-Journal: Preston Highway ramp to I-264 closing uncertain (Nov. 4, 2009) 

Planning work for the construction of I-66 in Laurel and Pulaski counties has been halted due to lack of funding: Louisville Courier-Journal: Controversial I-66 construction project stalls as funding dries up (Oct. 19, 2009) , Associated Press: Funds Dry Up, Highway Work Halts (Oct. 20, 2009) 

A massive rock slide on KY 2009 in Leslie County forced the roads closure for several days. Crews have since opened one lane of the road to traffic: Lexington Herald-Leader: One-lane path cleared through Leslie rock slide on Ky. 2009 (Oct. 21, 2009) 

The final section of the newly construction four-lane route for KY 80 between Aurora and Mayfield will open soon. The new KY 80 runs further south than its original routing and crosses US 641 closer to Murray than the original route. KY 80's original route has been signed as KY 402 for several years. The opening of the new route will once again make KY 80 a continuous route.

More information: Associated Press: New highway stretch nearly done (Oct. 28, 2009) 

Gov. Steve Beshear and Louisville Mayor Jerry Abramson recently named members to a bi-state authority to oversee the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges Project: Louisville Courier-Journal: Bridge authority members named (Oct. 30, 2009) , Associated Press: 7 appointed to bridge panel (Oct. 30, 2009) 

Workers recently lifted a platform into place to connect the Big Four bridge to a pedestrian walkway. The abandoned railroad bridge over the Ohio River is being converted for pedestrian use: Louisville Courier-Journal: Big 4 platform to be lifted into place (Oct. 28, 2009) , Associated Press: Big Four Bridge project moving along (Oct. 31, 2009) 

The Courier-Journal reports that concrete and other material being removed from I-65 and I-264 Watterson Expressway projects in Jefferson County is being used in reclamation projects in area quarries. The material is unsuitable for direct recycling so it is being used as fill material: Louisville Courier-Journal: Road projects take fill back to nature; Material from I-264 and I-65 repairs going into Natural Products quarry (Oct. 31, 2009)