Feds greenlight plans to improve safety of Spaghetti Junction ramp in Louisville

An interstate ramp in Louisville's so-called Spaghetti Junction that has been the site of numerous rollovers and spills over the years is getting some new safety improvements, according to state transportation officials.

Jordan Smith, a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet spokeswoman, said the Federal Highway Administration has given the green light to the cabinet's plans for "additional safety improvements" on the ramp from I-71 South and I-64 West to I-65 South in downtown Louisville.

Crews will begin work on the ramp by Nov. 1, Smith told the Courier Journal in an email.

A final cost estimate and timeline on when the work could be completed were not available, but Smith said the cabinet will alert people before construction begins if traffic will be impacted. 

"Some of the features to improve the visibility of the curve include new overhead signage, interstate logos on the surface of the road, new striping, raised pavement markers along both edge lines, curve warning and truck rollover signs and LED enhanced chevrons," Smith said.

The ramp to I-65 South has had its fair share of auto-related incidents and overturned tractor-trailers over the years.

Previously:110 pigs die after truck overturns on I-65 ramp at Spaghetti Junction

In 2017, a truck filled with glue overturned and spilled the sticky substance on the ramp.

A month later, a tractor-trailer carrying pigs overturned and then caught fire on the ramp, with some pigs running loose on the ramp before being corralled and others dying.

A nearly identical incident on the I-65 South ramp to I-71 North and I-64 East left more than 100 pigs dead this past July. 

The 2017 incidents prompted the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to take a closer look at the Spaghetti Junction ramps and roadways, the Courier Journal previously reported.

An agency spokesperson told the Courier Journal in August 2017 that it would review Louisville Metro Police Department crash reports, install new arrow markings on the pavement on one particular ramp and conduct a mechanical analysis on all of the curves.

The speed limit at the Spaghetti Junction interchange is 55 mph, with "curve advisories" of 40 mph for the I-64 West to I-65 ramp and 45 mph for the I-71 South to I-65 ramp, Smith said.

Two years later, officials hope the latest safety improvement efforts will result in fewer accidents and smoother drives.

Previously:Drivers forced to cross river due to overturned semi at Spaghetti Junction

Reach Billy Kobin at bkobin@courierjournal.com or 502-582-7030. Support strong local journalism by subscribing today: courier-journal.com/subscribe.