Louisville Loop Master Plan loopmasterplan_draft_041813sm_0 | Page 37

retail services, and other destinations internal to the Loop. Finally, due to the reality
of much of the corridor lying adjacent to industrial properties, there will be a need to
soften the landscape with tree plantings, landscaping, and other means to provide
a more welcoming facility for all users.
Opportunities: Future connections to adjacent areas will be possible through the
implementation of the greenway and trail network planned in the 2012 South and
Southwest Greenway Master Plan. The connection to the Loop from these trails
and greenways will provide new economic opportunities at nodes such as Ashby
Lane, Johnsontown Road, and Watson Lane, among possible others in this region.
These efforts support the vision of creating southwest Louisville as a destination
for recreation and cultural pursuits. The community will also have alternative trans-
portation options to arrive at worksites along the corridor, including Riverport and
Rubbertown industrial parks.
Knobs/Shale Lowlands
Length: 13-20 miles (conceptual)
Physiographic Region: Knobs/Shale Lowlands
Character: Pastoral, Forest, Agricultural, Village
Highlights: Jefferson Memorial Forest, Pond Creek, Fairdale village, scenic land-
scape
The Knobs/Shale Lowlands segment will continue the Loop alignment away from
the Ohio River Valley as it transitions into the unique landscape around the Jeffer-
son Memorial Forest, at 6,218 acres the largest urban forest in the United States.
The Pond Creek corridor, the Forest, ponds/wetlands, and pastoral farms provide
a scenic experience for the community. The trail routing developed as part of the
takes advantage of these landscapes. This region will move from low, flat terrain
near the river to the hills and topography near the forest and into the low wetlands
north of the forest. Along the way, the Loop will provide direct connections to the
Jefferson Memorial Forest, the retail services and amenities of Fairdale, the future
worksites of the Renaissance Zone, and several schools and parks.
Description: Upon leaving the Ohio River Valley region heading east from Watson
Lane at Dixie Highway, the Loop user will enter one of Louisville’s most unique re-
gions. This region is home to a variety of landscapes with the combination of farm-
land, forested hillsides, streamside, and wetlands. The 2012 Pond Creek Corridor
Shared-Use and Ecological Restoration Plan considered several potential routing
options as part of Metro Park’s study of the region. They recognized four zones for
potential alignment of the Loop through the region. Zone 1 is considered as part of
the Ohio River Valley Region starting from Watson Lane and ending around Blevins
Gap Road. It is near Blevins Gap Road where the Knobs region begins. Zone 2
includes the area from Blevins Gap Road to Stonestreet Road. Zone 3 includes
Stonestreet Road to Penile Road/Blevins Gap Road (eastern section), and Zone 4
is from Fairdale Road east to National Turnpike. The Plan identifies multiple route
options in each of the zones in order to provide information necessary to determine
a preferred alignment as the projects from planning to design.
Destinations: Jefferson Memorial Forest will be the feature destination for this
region with its vast acreage of natural settings for active and passive recreation
as well as environmental education programs. Fairdale, an unincorporated area
of Louisville Metro and directly adjacent to the Forest, provides a variety of retail
services, parks, schools, library, churches and residential neighborhoods. The
final alignment of the path has not been determined, however, all possible routes
considered in the Pond Creek Corridor plan indicate that these two resources will
be central to the Loop.
Community Facility Destinations w/in 1 Mile of Knobs/Shale Lowlands seg-
ment:
• Small Communities and Neighborhoods: Auburndale, Fairdale, Hollyvilla,
Valley Station
• 7 schools
• 1 Hospital (Jewish Hospital Southwest)
• 4 public parks
Challenges: Crossing at major roadways and railroads is one of the Loop’s great-
est routing challenges in this segment. Existing grade-separated or signalized
crossing locations would typically provide the best opportunity for overcoming these
barriers and will influence the choice of the preferred route. Several tunnel under-
passes at the Gene Snyder Freeway will aid in mitigating this challenge. Other
roadways that will require special attention include Stonestreet Road and New Cut
Road. Each carries a significant traffic volume (18,300 vehicles for Stonestreet
Road and 11,400 for New Cut Road). The Louisville Loop Design Guidelines
provide AASHTO derived treatments to ensure safe crossings at intersections along
these types of roadways.
Like other segments of the Loop, residential and commercial driveways will provide
safety concerns due to increased risk for bike/pedestrian and automobile con-
flicts. Other challenges in the corridor identified mostly in the Pond Creek Corridor
Shared-Use and Ecological Restoration Plan include potential land acquisition,
Lousville Loop Master Plan
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