Major Construction Project Underway on Chestnut Street in Louisville's LOUDMED District

Multimillion-dollar revitalization effort aims to improve walkability and safety for thousands of employees, students, and patients in the medical and education hub.

Mar. 30, 2026 at 11:05pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a crosswalk repeated in a tight grid pattern, conceptually representing the revitalization of a busy urban streetscape.A multimillion-dollar project to transform a busy stretch of Chestnut Street in Louisville's medical and education district aims to improve walkability and safety for the thousands who work, learn, and receive care in the area.Louisville Today

Construction has begun on a major project to transform a busy stretch of East Chestnut Street in downtown Louisville's LOUDMED (Louisville Medical and Education) district. The $6.7 million project will reduce the street from three lanes to one, widen sidewalks, add more trees, and install new curb extensions to slow traffic and create more space for pedestrians. The changes are part of an effort to make the corridor safer and more pedestrian-friendly for the thousands of employees, students, and patients who travel through the area daily.

Why it matters

The LOUDMED district is a major hub for Louisville's medical and educational institutions, attracting over 1.5 million visitors each year. This project is designed to improve walkability and safety in the high-traffic area, benefiting the thousands of people who work, learn, and receive care in the district on a daily basis.

The details

The first phase of construction is focused on the block in front of the LOUDMED Commons, a public park that opened last year. Workers will then move to the next three blocks between Preston and Clay streets, with the full project expected to be completed by the end of 2026. The changes include wider sidewalks, additional trees, and new curb extensions intended to slow traffic and create more space for pedestrians.

  • Construction on the Chestnut Street Improvement Project began in March 2026.
  • Phase 1, focused on the block in front of LOUDMED Commons, is expected to be complete by August 2026.
  • Crews will then move to the next three blocks between Preston and Clay streets, with work continuing through the end of 2026.

The players

LOUDMED

The Louisville Medical and Education District, a major hub for the city's medical and educational institutions.

Nadareca Thibeaux

The president and CEO of LOUDMED.

Katrina Soils

A worker in the LOUDMED district who says the construction will benefit employees and patients.

Louis Johnson

The executive vice president of Land Development at Gresham Smith, the firm overseeing the project.

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What they’re saying

“With thousands of employees and students navigating this district daily alongside 1.5 million visitors each year, this project prioritizes walkability and well-being for everyone who works, learns, and receives care here.”

— Nadareca Thibeaux, President and CEO of LOUDMED

“Construction is a part of downtown culture, and that's probably any city that you're in. It benefits the employees, which is going to translate over to the patients as well, because happy employees make even happier patients.”

— Katrina Soils, Worker in the LOUDMED district

“This is about safety. It's about comfort. It's about beautifying the streetscape in this district, but it's also about literally creating and delivering a project that's going to help make people healthier.”

— Louis Johnson, Executive Vice President of Land Development at Gresham Smith

What’s next

Phase 1 of the Chestnut Street Improvement Project is expected to be complete by August 2026, at which point crews will move on to the next three blocks between Preston and Clay streets, with work continuing through the end of the year.

The takeaway

This multimillion-dollar project to transform a busy stretch of Chestnut Street in Louisville's LOUDMED district highlights the city's commitment to improving walkability, safety, and overall well-being for the thousands of employees, students, and patients who frequent the area. By prioritizing pedestrian-friendly infrastructure and green spaces, the project aims to create a more vibrant and accessible medical and education hub.