Kennedy Interchange
Encyclopedia
The Kennedy Interchange, unofficially, though universally, referred to as Spaghetti Junction
, is the intersection of Interstates 64
, 65
and 71
at the northeastern edge of downtown Louisville, Kentucky
, USA. It is named for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge
located immediately to the north of the interchange
(which carries I-65).
, a member of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce in 1958, lobbied in Frankfort
to Highway Commissioner Ward Oates to have I-65
(and other interstates) routed through downtown Louisville
. At that time, Henry Ward, who would later become the state Highway Commissioner from 1960 to 1967, stated that "downtown Louisville felt it would be disastrous for it to be bypassed by the interstate." There was tremendous pressure from both sides to push the interstate highway system through downtown. Later on in 1996, he reflected back and stated that, "... it was a mistake. I think downtown Louisville would have been better off if Interstate 65 had not been located where it is."
However, traffic was not as bad then as it is now. The projections for traffic was nowhere close to 300,000, or what passes through the Kennedy Interchange that was only designed for a maximum capacity of 100,000.
In 1996, the Ohio River Major Investment Study suggested rebuilding the Kennedy Interchange at a cost of $120.5 million. It stated that during rush hour, traffic congests at the interchange causing pollution and creating potential accidents since it has a high crash rate. From 1996 to 1998, there were 261 crashes for every 100 million miles traveled within the Kennedy Interchange, 172% higher than the state average. The study recommended that two new bridges be constructed, one downtown and one linking the two segments of I-265
. In 1997, U.S. Representatives
Anne Northup
and Lee H. Hamilton
, two local politicians, secured $40 million for an environmental impact study (EIS) that was completed in 2002. This allowed design of the new junction and bridges to commence.
was completed from this interchange to the Watterson Expressway
in 1968 and I-64
was completed to the Watterson Expressway in 1970, this interchange has served as the junction for almost all interstate highway traffic entering, exiting, and passing through Downtown Louisville
. Some of the ramps do not conform to modern interstate standards (such as merge ramps entering into the left-hand lane as opposed to the right-hand lane). Although the I-65
Kennedy Bridge
was restriped for narrower northbound lanes in the 1990s (for a total of seven lanes — four northbound, three southbound), the bridge continues to operate beyond its intended capacity. Some complications at the interchange include the facts that westbound traffic from I-64 cannot exit to I-71 and that southbound traffic from I-71 cannot exit to eastbound I-64.
The states of Kentucky
and Indiana
have approved a multi-year project, namely the Ohio River Bridges Project
, to completely reconfigure the interchange.
, I-65
and I-71
junction and relocating numerous off-ramps that serve the downtown, waterfront and the Butchertown neighborhood. This is part of the $2.46 billion Ohio River Bridges Project
that will build a parallel I-65 span and a new I-265
crossing by 2020.
The new downtown span and the redesigned interchange will be a vast change from the existing setup.
Changes slated for the Spaghetti Junction, Downtown Bridges Project:
The new Kennedy Interchange project will take 15 years to complete as more than 90 overpasses will need to be constructed. Along with that, three new sections of interstates that carry a very high volume of traffic will need to be reconstructed. Engineers will be required to maintain traffic through the junction.
Downtown access points will change considerably as well. Instead of the current interchange configuration at Third Street, it will be relocated to an exit at River Road near Witherspoon Street and Mellwood. This will considerably reduce the number of traffic lanes over Waterfront Park. Currently, seven lanes stretch for 154 feet over the Great Lawn; the preliminary plans call for 12 lanes over the Great Lawn totaling 318 feet.
Coming up:
Spaghetti Junction
"Spaghetti Junction" is a nickname sometimes given to a complicated or massively intertwined road traffic interchange that resembles a plate of spaghetti. The term is believed to have been coined by a journalist at the Birmingham Evening Mail in the 1970s to refer to the Gravelly Hill Interchange...
, is the intersection of Interstates 64
Interstate 64 in Kentucky
In the U.S. state of Kentucky, Interstate 64 travels for passing by the major towns and cities of Louisville, Frankfort, Lexington and Ashland. It has several major junctions within the state: Interstate 65, Interstate 71, Interstate 264 and Interstate 265 in Louisville, and Interstate 75 in...
, 65
Interstate 65 in Kentucky
In the U.S. state of Kentucky, Interstate 65 enters the state five miles south of Franklin. It passes by the major cities of Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, and Louisville before exiting the state.- Route description :...
and 71
Interstate 71
Interstate 71 is an Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64 and Interstate 65 in Louisville, Kentucky. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 in Cleveland,...
at the northeastern edge of downtown Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, USA. It is named for the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge
John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge is a seven-lane, single-deck cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 65 across the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. The main span is and the bridge has a total length of...
located immediately to the north of the interchange
Interchange (road)
In the field of road transport, an interchange is a road junction that typically uses grade separation, and one or more ramps, to permit traffic on at least one highway to pass through the junction without directly crossing any other traffic stream. It differs from a standard intersection, at which...
(which carries I-65).
History
The Kennedy Interchange was designed by Barstow, Mulligan and Vollmer, a New York firm. Construction began in the spring of 1962 and when it was complete, the design was adequate to handle the traffic needs of the time. Henry WardHenry Ward (Kentucky)
Henry Ward was a Democrat who held posts in Democratic state administrations in Kentucky and was the Democratic nominee for Governor of Kentucky in 1967. Ward lost the general election to Louie B. Nunn...
, a member of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce in 1958, lobbied in Frankfort
Frankfort, Kentucky
Frankfort is a city in Kentucky that serves as the state capital and the county seat of Franklin County. The population was 27,741 at the 2000 census; by population it is the 5th smallest state capital in the United States...
to Highway Commissioner Ward Oates to have I-65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
(and other interstates) routed through downtown Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. At that time, Henry Ward, who would later become the state Highway Commissioner from 1960 to 1967, stated that "downtown Louisville felt it would be disastrous for it to be bypassed by the interstate." There was tremendous pressure from both sides to push the interstate highway system through downtown. Later on in 1996, he reflected back and stated that, "... it was a mistake. I think downtown Louisville would have been better off if Interstate 65 had not been located where it is."
However, traffic was not as bad then as it is now. The projections for traffic was nowhere close to 300,000, or what passes through the Kennedy Interchange that was only designed for a maximum capacity of 100,000.
In 1996, the Ohio River Major Investment Study suggested rebuilding the Kennedy Interchange at a cost of $120.5 million. It stated that during rush hour, traffic congests at the interchange causing pollution and creating potential accidents since it has a high crash rate. From 1996 to 1998, there were 261 crashes for every 100 million miles traveled within the Kennedy Interchange, 172% higher than the state average. The study recommended that two new bridges be constructed, one downtown and one linking the two segments of I-265
Interstate 265
Interstate 265 is an Interstate Highway ringing the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area, which includes southern Indiana, although the Indiana and Kentucky segments remain separate at the present time. In Kentucky it only runs through Jefferson County, from Interstate 71 in northeastern...
. In 1997, U.S. Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
Anne Northup
Anne Northup
Anne Meagher Northup is an American Republican politician from the state of Kentucky. From 1997 to 2007, she represented the Louisville-centered 3rd congressional district of Kentucky in the United States House of Representatives, where she served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee...
and Lee H. Hamilton
Lee H. Hamilton
Lee Herbert Hamilton is a former member of the United States House of Representatives and currently a member of the U.S. Homeland Security Advisory Council. A member of the Democratic Party, Hamilton represented the 9th congressional district of Indiana from 1965 to 1999...
, two local politicians, secured $40 million for an environmental impact study (EIS) that was completed in 2002. This allowed design of the new junction and bridges to commence.
Need for improvements
Since I-71Interstate 71
Interstate 71 is an Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64 and Interstate 65 in Louisville, Kentucky. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 in Cleveland,...
was completed from this interchange to the Watterson Expressway
Interstate 264 (Kentucky)
The Henry Watterson Expressway, also known as the Georgia Davis Powers/Shawnee Expressway west of US 31W, is one of two Interstate Highways in the United States designated as Interstate 264 . It is 22.93 miles in length, and runs an open circle around central Louisville, Kentucky...
in 1968 and I-64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
was completed to the Watterson Expressway in 1970, this interchange has served as the junction for almost all interstate highway traffic entering, exiting, and passing through Downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville
Downtown Louisville is the largest central business district in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and the urban hub of the Louisville, Kentucky Metropolitan Area. Its boundaries are the Ohio River to the north, Hancock Street to the east, York and Jacob Streets to the south, and 9th Street to the west...
. Some of the ramps do not conform to modern interstate standards (such as merge ramps entering into the left-hand lane as opposed to the right-hand lane). Although the I-65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
Kennedy Bridge
John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge is a seven-lane, single-deck cantilever bridge that carries Interstate 65 across the Ohio River, connecting Louisville, Kentucky and Jeffersonville, Indiana. The main span is and the bridge has a total length of...
was restriped for narrower northbound lanes in the 1990s (for a total of seven lanes — four northbound, three southbound), the bridge continues to operate beyond its intended capacity. Some complications at the interchange include the facts that westbound traffic from I-64 cannot exit to I-71 and that southbound traffic from I-71 cannot exit to eastbound I-64.
The states of Kentucky
Kentucky
The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...
and Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
have approved a multi-year project, namely the Ohio River Bridges Project
Ohio River Bridges Project
The Ohio River Bridges Project is a controversial Louisville metropolitan area transportation project involving the reconstruction of the Kennedy Interchange , the completion of two new Ohio River bridges and the reconstruction of ramps on Interstate 65 between I-264 and downtown.One bridge will be...
, to completely reconfigure the interchange.
Redesign and reconstruction plans
On October 27, 2005, plans for a redesign for the Kennedy Interchange were revealed by the QK4 engineering firm. The $1.1 billion project entails rebuilding the entire I-64Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
, I-65
Interstate 65
Interstate 65 is a major Interstate Highway in the United States. The southern terminus is located at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 , U.S. Route 12, and U.S...
and I-71
Interstate 71
Interstate 71 is an Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes/Midwestern and Southeastern region of the United States. Its southern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 64 and Interstate 65 in Louisville, Kentucky. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with Interstate 90 in Cleveland,...
junction and relocating numerous off-ramps that serve the downtown, waterfront and the Butchertown neighborhood. This is part of the $2.46 billion Ohio River Bridges Project
Ohio River Bridges Project
The Ohio River Bridges Project is a controversial Louisville metropolitan area transportation project involving the reconstruction of the Kennedy Interchange , the completion of two new Ohio River bridges and the reconstruction of ramps on Interstate 65 between I-264 and downtown.One bridge will be...
that will build a parallel I-65 span and a new I-265
Interstate 265
Interstate 265 is an Interstate Highway ringing the Louisville, Kentucky metropolitan area, which includes southern Indiana, although the Indiana and Kentucky segments remain separate at the present time. In Kentucky it only runs through Jefferson County, from Interstate 71 in northeastern...
crossing by 2020.
The new downtown span and the redesigned interchange will be a vast change from the existing setup.
Changes slated for the Spaghetti Junction, Downtown Bridges Project:
- I-64 will feature two lanes in each direction rather than being funneled into one lane.
- Dedicated lanes for I-64 will allow motorists a sweep through the junction rather than having to take an exit from the highway.
- Left-lane exit ramps will be eliminated. The new junction will use flyover ramps.
- There will be no weaving segments of the redesigned junction.
- Crossing multiple lanes of traffic to switch from I-71 to, for example, I-65, will be eliminated with new dedicated lanes.
- Widening the shoulders to 12 feet.
- 94 bridges will be rebuilt.
- Improve over 28 miles of interstate highway.
- Converting Mellwood and Story Avenues from one-way to two-way streets. This will slow traffic at these new development hot-spots.
- Constructing a full interchange at Mellwood Avenue, which will be the new entrance into downtown LouisvilleLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
. There is currently a half-interchange at Mellwood Avenue. Mellwood Avenue would also be widened to the south, costing $20 million and demolishing several businesses. Widening would not occur to the north due to historic shotgun residences. - Removing the 3rd Street exit ramp from I-64 to reduce the number of highway lanes over Waterfront ParkLouisville Waterfront ParkLouisville Waterfront Park is a municipal park adjacent to the downtown area of Louisville, Kentucky and the Ohio River. Specifically, it is adjacent to Louisville's wharf and Riverfront Plaza/Belvedere, which are situated to the west of the park....
. - Constructing exits onto River Road near Witherspoon Street to act as a new access point for downtown.
- Building new I-65 overpasses in the downtown at Brook, Floyd and Chestnut streets to make the spaces beneath brighter and more attractive to pedestrians and bikers. New landscaping would also be placed.
- Adding a new interchange along I-71 for Frankfort Avenue, creating a new access point for Butchertown.
The new Kennedy Interchange project will take 15 years to complete as more than 90 overpasses will need to be constructed. Along with that, three new sections of interstates that carry a very high volume of traffic will need to be reconstructed. Engineers will be required to maintain traffic through the junction.
Downtown access points will change considerably as well. Instead of the current interchange configuration at Third Street, it will be relocated to an exit at River Road near Witherspoon Street and Mellwood. This will considerably reduce the number of traffic lanes over Waterfront Park. Currently, seven lanes stretch for 154 feet over the Great Lawn; the preliminary plans call for 12 lanes over the Great Lawn totaling 318 feet.
Coming up:
- Spaghetti Junction project (Section 1, Kennedy Interchange) will be eight sequential construction phases spanning 17 years.
- Right-of-way acquisition plans are to be complete by late 2006.
- Minimizing the impacts on Waterfront Park, Extreme Park and historic neighborhoods such as ButchertownButchertownButchertown is a neighborhood just east of downtown Louisville, Kentucky, USA. The first homes in the area were laid out in the 1820s along the newly completed Louisville to Lexington turnpike, referred to in that stretch as Story Avenue.- History :...
and Phoenix HillPhoenix HillPhoenix Hill is a neighborhood just east of Downtown Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. Its boundaries are Market Street to the north, Preston Street to the west, Broadway to the south, and Baxter Avenue to the east. The area was originally known as Preston's Enlargement, part of the land...
.