A practice closure of the MSD floodwall on Dixie Highway near Depot Lane/Kosmosdale Lane in southwestern Louisville will affect traffic in both directions on October 3 and October 4.
Crews will construct and dismantle half of the wall on one side of the highway on Friday, and the other half on Saturday. This work is expected to take approximately 8 to 12 hours each day.
Traffic Alert:
October 3: Work will begin on the south side of Dixie Highway at approximately 6:30 AM. Northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane near Depot Lane/Kosmosdale Lane.
October 4: Work will commence on the north side of Dixie Highway at approximately 6:30 AM. Both southbound and northbound traffic will be reduced to one lane near Depot Lane/Kosmosdale Lane for 8 to 12 hours. Traffic will return to normal once the work is completed that day.
These floodwall closures are critical during flood events as they keep the Ohio River from overflowing onto roadways and properties. The Dixie Highway closure is one of the largest in Louisville’s flood protection system.
Last April, Louisville experienced the eighth-largest flood in the city’s recorded history on the McApline upper gauge and 11th largest on the lower gauge. The closure is part of the southern extension of the original flood protection system completed in 1989. This closure is activated when the lower gauge of the Ohio River reaches a depth of 76.4 feet.
It has not been used during a flood event since it’s completion, though it came close in 1997 when the river reached a depth of 70.47 feet on the lower gauge.
Since 1987, MSD has been responsible for Louisville Metro's Ohio River Flood Protection, which safeguards more than 200,000 people, protects 87,000 homes, and preserves $24 billion in property throughout 110 square miles of Louisville Metro. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers constructed the flood control system following the city’s two highest recorded floods in 1937 and 1945. The Army Corps requires that the Metropolitan Sewer District practice floodwall closures on a three-year rotation.
