SHELBYVILLE, KY (WAVE) - Growing pains will begin next week along part of I-64 in Shelby County.
The state said that 45,000 vehicles a day drive around part of I-64 each day in Shelby County.
The news that it will be widened from four lanes to six form mile markers 28 to 33 is welcome news to many drivers.
"You get some of these trucks on there and it slows down traffic quite a bit. You get people who are staying in the left lane and won't move over and it just really bottlenecks at some places," one driver said.
Another driver commented, "Those lanes always narrow and you got to get back in those two lanes sometime."
The state plans to expand about a five mile portion of the road.
While the nearly $38 million project comes as welcome news to many, some wish it wouldn't stop there.
"I'm hoping that someday they'll be all the way three lanes farther down the interstate all the way to Frankfort and Lexington," one driver said.
The following is from the Kentucky State Transportation Cabinet:
Wwork will begin the week of August 12th to widen the roadway to three lanes in each direction. The new lanes will be constructed in the interstate median.
In addition to the roadway widening, the construction project includes reconstruction of the interchange at KY 55. The entrance and exit ramps will be lengthened as needed to meet federal standards for acceleration and deceleration. The KY 55 bridge over I-64 will be widened.
Two lanes of traffic will be maintained in each direction on I-64 during the majority of the construction. Lane closures will be necessary during the mobilization and demobilization of the project and will occur during overnight hours. Lane closures are possible Sunday - Friday from 7:00 p.m. each evening until 5:00 a.m. the following morning and on Saturdays from 10:00 p.m. until 5:00 a.m. the following morning.
The speed limit in the work zone will be reduced to 55 MPH for the duration of the project. The project will be signed as a double fine work zone.
Louisville Paving Company was awarded the contract for this project in the amount of $37.5 million. Construction is scheduled for completion by April 30, 2014.
Copyright 2012 WAVE News. All rights reserved.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WAVE, a Raycom Media Station. 