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Louisville plans to rebuild Ninth Street (Roy Wilkins Avenue) between Main Street and Broadway, narrowing the existing six-lane thoroughfare as part of a broader effort to reconnect Downtown and West Louisville. The city’s current project page expects the Ninth Street corridor to be completed by fall 2028—not 2027. A separate city listing says “Open to Public: 2027,” but does not explain what that date refers to.
What is changing on Ninth Street?
The project’s confirmed direction is to replace the wide six-lane roadway with a narrower street intended to serve people walking, biking, riding transit, driving and moving freight. The city is in final design, where detailed plans are being developed around public feedback, utilities, traffic patterns and environmental considerations. The final lane layout and detailed corridor design were not specified in the city materials reviewed.
Louisville’s capital-project listing describes a range of complete-street elements under consideration. These are possibilities, not guarantees that every feature will be built.
- Fewer or narrower travel lanes, with possible turn-lane and signal changes.
- Sidewalks that could be expanded to as much as 20 feet.
- Curb extensions, pedestrian refuge islands, more visible crosswalks and pedestrian-scale lighting.
- Protected bike lanes.
- Bus shelters and real-time bus information; possible dedicated bus lanes or bus bulbs.
- Street trees, bioswales and storm-drainage improvements.
The eventual design will determine how these features fit together and how the street accommodates vehicle and freight access alongside walking, cycling and transit.
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Which part of Ninth Street is included?
The Ninth Street reconstruction covers the stretch between Main Street and Broadway. It is one part of Reimagine 9th Street, a broader Louisville Metro effort that also includes Muhammad Ali Boulevard and Chestnut Street/River Park Drive.
The city describes the project’s purpose as turning Ninth Street from a barrier between Downtown and West Louisville into a connection between the neighborhoods. Its stated aims also include safer and more accessible travel, economic vitality, opportunities for open space and recreation, and improved tree canopy and stormwater management. These are project goals, not measured outcomes.
Is Ninth Street construction happening in 2027?
The city’s current project page says construction on Ninth Street is expected to be completed by fall 2028. It lists final design from May 2025 through May 2026 and says construction bids will be sought after final design.
A separate city capital-project listing, last updated December 19, 2025, gives “Open to Public: 2027.” It does not explain whether that date means an opening target, an earlier schedule or a milestone for part of the broader program. The listing does not establish that Ninth Street construction will be finished in 2027.
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| City schedule reference | What it says | How to read it |
|---|---|---|
| Current project page | Expected completion of the Ninth Street corridor: fall 2028 | The city’s stated completion expectation for Ninth Street. |
| Separate capital-project listing | “Open to Public: 2027” | The listing does not define this milestone or reconcile it with the fall 2028 expectation. |
How does the project relate to the other street changes?
The planned two-way conversions on Muhammad Ali Boulevard and Chestnut Street/River Park Drive are related to Reimagine 9th Street, but are distinct work from rebuilding Ninth Street between Main Street and Broadway. In 2025, the city announced the conversion phase between Ninth Street and Southwestern Parkway and expected it to wrap in summer 2026. A June 2026 city newsletter advertised a public meeting about construction activity and timelines; the reviewed city sources do not confirm whether that work was complete by October 7, 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How is the project funded?
Louisville Metro says the broader Reimagine 9th Street effort has a total project cost of nearly $25 million. The city also says it received a $15.6 million U.S. Department of Transportation RAISE grant in 2022 to fund design and construction.
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How did Reimagine 9th Street reach final design?
- 2016: Louisville Metro finalized Move Louisville, its long-range transportation plan, which identified Reimagine 9th Street as a priority.
- 2018: The Reimagine 9th Street planning study was completed.
- 2022: The city received the $15.6 million federal RAISE grant.
- February 2024: Public kickoff meeting.
- June 2024: Concept designs were presented to the public.
- May 2025–May 2026: The city’s project page lists this as the Ninth Street final-design period.
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