As I‑65 Reopens, a Transformed Kentucky Exposition Center Comes into View
I‑65 reopened July 29, revealing two months of construction progress on the Kentucky Exposition Center just days before the Street Rod Nationals returns to Louisville.
Interstate 65 through Louisville reopened ahead of schedule on July 29, allowing drivers to get their first look in two months at the progressive transformation underway at the Kentucky Exposition Center. A five‑mile stretch of I‑65 closed on June 1 for much-needed bridge replacements near the Exposition Center. While traffic was diverted, Team Kentucky continued Phase I of Kentucky Venues’ $460 million expansion project; the largest‑ever capital investment in the facility’s history.
“For the past two months the progress being made wasn’t as visible to the public, but our crews never slowed down,” said Michael E. Berry, Interim President & CEO of Kentucky Venues. “With I-65 reopening ahead of schedule, people are going to see a building that looks completely different from what it did in the spring. This building is an investment in agriculture, in tourism and in economic development, and it’s going to serve Kentuckians in all 120 counties for generations to come.”
The I-65 reopening comes just days before the 57th annual Street Rod Nationals, one of the nation’s largest street rod events, returns to the Kentucky Exposition Center Aug. 6–9, bringing thousands of classic and custom vehicles to Louisville. Additionally, visitors will get another opportunity to see the progress when the 122nd Kentucky State Fair returns to the grounds Aug. 20–30.
Progress by the Numbers:
June 2026
· Installed 11,400 feet of sanitary piping
· Installed 300 utility floor boxes in the exhibit hall floor
· Reconstructed 2,903 parking spaces
· Installed more than 40,000 concrete masonry units (CMU) to date
· Averaged 240 workers on site each day
· Logged 41,536 total labor hours in May (reported in June)
July 2026
· Installed more than 2,800 sprinkler heads
· Began installing limestone from Brodhead, Kentucky, at the front entrances
· Averaged roughly 300 workers on site each day
· Installed more than 8,500 individual ceramic restroom tiles to date
· Installed two miles of ductwork
· Logged 51,838 total labor hours in June (reported in July)
Phase I Expansion and Renovation Information
Phase I is a $180 million investment that will include a 350,000‑square‑foot multi‑purpose facility, roughly the size of six football fields, built to host livestock competitions, equine events, sporting tournaments, trade shows and conventions. It is the centerpiece of a broader $460‑plus million transformation of the Kentucky Exposition Center, one of the nation’s largest exposition centers.
Phase I remains on schedule, with substantial completion expected by Dec. 31, 2026. The facility is scheduled to host major events starting in 2027.