KYTC starts overhaul of I-165 bridge in Butler County
Published 6:00 am Friday, May 2, 2025
Changes are on the way to the Interstate 165 bridge over Green River in Butler County as the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has begun work on a nearly $19 million project that will rehabilitate the 53-year-old bridge.
Wes Watt, public information officer for KYTC District 3, told the Daily News that even though work will be done on much of the bridge, it is still safe to travel on.
“It’s inspected every two years, just as all bridges across the state are, but the bridge is getting older,” he said. “It was built in 1972 so it’s more than 50 years old, and it’s time for the bridge to be upgraded in a lot of the areas.”
Bridge decks will be removed and replaced along with the bridge walls on both the northbound and southbound sides.
While traffic will still flow, long-term lane closures will be put in place while crews build temporary crossovers at the site. Once these crossovers are built, drivers will switch to the opposite site of the road while driving through the area.
Watt said the bridge measures 780 feet long, and a 55 mph speed limit is in effect for the entire project area.
“It is a very big project, it’s a very challenging undertaking (but) it’s a very important project,” Watt said. “These projects are very important to ensure that our bridges, particularly on the interstate, remain open and there’s no disruption of traffic flow.”
Scott & Murphy, Inc. will handle the project, which is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2026. Crews began work this week.
Watt said even though the bridge is safe, the work being done is about taking care of potential problems before they arise.
“We want to go ahead and and overhaul it and restore it before there is a problem with it,” he said. “These projects take a long time to get funded and a long time to get done, so we have to do these ahead of time.”
KYTC is working on two other bridge projects across District 3, although they pale in comparison to the I-165 project.
Watt said crews are looking at a rehabilitation project in Monroe County which will replace a low water crossing with a bridge on Ky 678 and in Edmonson County, a full bridge replacement on Ky 238.
Watt said the Edmonson County project is taking place on a rural road with a bridge much smaller than the project in Butler County.
About Jack Dobbs
Jack covers city government for the Daily News. Originally from Simpson County, he attended Western Kentucky University and graduated in 2022 with a degree in journalism.
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