Should I-65 be buried/ tunneled around U of L? (Louisville: transplants, neighborhoods)

[censusdata]

Does anyone else think it would be a good idea to put a small section of I-65 (maybe 1/2 mile) under ground at U of L's Belknap Campus?

I-65 is very noisey and creates a diffecult barrier for bike and pedestrians to cross from U of L to St Joseph neighborhood. Instead of the awful I-65 ramps, U of L could have a beautiful and very simply at grade intrance to campus

[emanresu]

I'm not sure about I-65, but it would be nice if the railroad tracks were underground.

[johnsonkk]

If noise is the only issue, those cement barriers could be put up to reduce the noise. About the easier bike routes, can't help you on that one.

If you ever drive on I-65 thru the Nashville, you'll see that most stretches on the north part of town have those cement barriers - similiar to what is along the Snyder near Dixie Hwy.

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

If noise is the only issue, those cement barriers could be put up to reduce the noise. About the easier bike routes, can't help you on that one.

If you ever drive on I-65 thru the Nashville, you'll see that most stretches on the north part of town have those cement barriers - similiar to what is along the Snyder near Dixie Hwy.

The problem with the sound barriers is U of L (well, Tom Jurich & Jimbo Ramsey) like I-65 the way it is because campus is highly visible from it.

Let me say right off the bat that there will NEVER be a U of L tunnel, I just like to stir the pot occcasionly. Having biking from campus up to that Subway on Warnock Street I can tell you the sidewalks are absolutly atrocious, and ramp traffic getting on I-65 rarely stop for pedestrians - at least not live ones

[censusdata]

Originally Posted by emanresu

I'm not sure about I-65, but it would be nice if the railroad tracks were underground.

I actually enjoy the train tracks. Nothing like setting in the basement of the Student Center and watching the trains go by

[Hey_Hey]

Originally Posted by censusdata

Does anyone else think it would be a good idea to put a small section of I-65 (maybe 1/2 mile) under ground at U of L's Belknap Campus?

I-65 is very noisey and creates a diffecult barrier for bike and pedestrians to cross from U of L to St Joseph neighborhood. Instead of the awful I-65 ramps, U of L could have a beautiful and very simply at grade intrance to campus

It wouldn't be on the same scale, but Boston's Big Dig has created a serious aversion to these types of projects. For the cost of putting even a half mile of I-65 underground you could probably have a couple light rail lines on existing highways in Louisville.

[Peter1948]

Agreed. This is a pipe dream. You are smarter than that Census! What Louisville really needs is mass transit! The city needs something to distinguish itself from its peers too. Perhaps building an urban bourbon distillery tour and restaurant along with live bluegrass music bars downtown would help too. I have recently met some transplants who have moved here from similarly sized midwest cities, Milwaukee one of them, and they chose to live in the burbs here largely because they didn't have a clue about all the hip areas that exist inside I-264.

[censusdata]

It is a pipe dream. Anyone hoping for mass improvements around U of L is probably smoking something in a pipe

I never understood why Jurich and Ramsey can't wait to take $60 million out of ENDOWMENT to expand a stadium that is perfectly adequite while refusing to spend $10 million to buy and move the Silos factory site.

$60 mil could buy and develop all those abandoned factories along Floyd Street into Las Vegas Blvd. Personally I'd love to see mixed use commerical/ student housing placed along Floyd Street with a mini arberetum (basically a mass expansion of Churchill Park) flanking I-65.

[DeMiKansIanNati]

I agree with you guys, Louisville can't afford a big project like an interstate tunnel under U of L. That isn't neccasary and a waste of money. They could be spending that money on other things Louisville could improve on, like fixing up some run down neighborhoods and putting in better sidewalks around some of the residential areas. They could cut that cost in half or more by the sound barriers which work extremely well. Indianapolis has those sound barriers on the north side off of I-65 where more of the wealthier areas are in the city. I-465 has some of those too in some sections, but the problem with the sound barriers are that you couldn't see the U of L campus from I-65 which could attract more people to go to U of L, but then again, it would be very annoying to have the traffic noise of 65 when your doing school activities outside or even when your trying to sleep!

[frankmaraschino]

Originally Posted by censusdata

I never understood why Jurich and Ramsey can't wait to take $60 million out of ENDOWMENT to expand a stadium that is perfectly adequite while refusing to spend $10 million to buy and move the Silos factory site.

Because U of L is an athletics department with a school attached to it.