LOUISVILLE — The state will interview more than a dozen artists who are interested in painting a much-maligned mural inside an interstate tunnel.

        The murals will be painted inside the Interstate 64 tunnels at Louisville. They would be the first such tunnel art in Kentucky and perhaps the first in any major tunnel in the country, said Terri Giltner, spokeswoman for the state Transportation Cabinet, which conceived the idea.

        The proposal has drawn its share of public criticism.

        “Why would you want to do it?” said Jacqueline Klein, who lives in a residential area near the tunnel. “People have enough trouble getting through the tunnel at 55 or 65 mph. Why create a distraction?”

        Keith Eiken, executive director of Scenic Kentucky, which campaigns against roadside “visual pollution,” said his agency would oppose the murals.

        “It would be just another form of billboard and serve as a diversion for drivers,” Mr. Eiken said.

        Ms. Giltner said the murals will “enhance the driving experience.” Mac Yowell, the Transportation Cabinet's chief highway engineer, said the design of the murals isn't set yet, “but they will ease the driver, and not be a distraction.”

        Ms. Giltner said the murals won't be designed so people have to slow down or turn around and see. She said 17 artists, all Kentuckians, will be interviewed by state highway officials in about two weeks. A handful will be asked to submit conceptual drawings.

        State officials will get input from representatives of the Louisville arts community before picking the artist, probably by April 1. She said she didn't know how much the murals might cost but that some private donations may be sought.

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