LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Motorists planning nighttime travel in and around Louisville’s east end and southern Indiana take note. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has announced overnight closings of the East End Tunnel during the last weeks of October.

What You Need To Know

  • Closures are scheduled for East End Tunnel

  • Roadwork will happen overnight

  • Both southbound and northbound tunnel entrances will be impacted

  • Project begins Monday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m.

Specifically, the tunnel’s northbound opening will be closed from 9 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 17, to 5 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, and again from 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18, to 5 a.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19. 

The resulting road closures for this will be on KY 841 North, just after the U.S. 42 interchange. That means exit 37 for Prospect, the last off-ramp before the bridge on the Kentucky side. Traffic affected by the northbound closure should detour using Interstate 71 South to Interstate 65 North to cross the Ohio River into Indiana.

The tunnel’s southbound opening will be closed from 9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 19, to 5 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, and again from 9 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 20, to 5 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 21. The road closed on this side of the tunnel will be the Indiana State Road 265 East, just after the Old Salem Road interchange. 

This closure targets exit 11 for Utica and River Road, the last off-ramp before the bridge. Traffic affected by this closure should detour using Interstate 65 South to cross the Ohio River into Kentucky.

During these tunnel closings, engineers from HDR consulting and KYTC will conduct a biennial inspection. Traffic Response and Incident Management Assisting the River Cities (TRIMARC) will also take advantage of this period. Simultaneously, the group will perform routine maintenance of its traffic monitoring system.

According to KYTC, bad weather or other unforeseen difficulties could alter the timing and duration of this project.  

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