Build in the mid 1960s, theBlue Grass Parkway is a vital link across central Kentucky. Itparallels US 62 from Elizabethtown to Versailles. Along with theWesternKentucky Parkway, itoffers a southwest-to-northeast corridor across the middle of thestate. Collecting traffic from I-65(Nashville, Bowling Green) and the WesternKentucky Parkway(Madisonville, Hopkinsville, Paducah), the Blue Grass Parkwayconnects I-65to US 60. Although the parkway ends at US 60 in Woodford County,traffic can use US 60 east to access Lexington, and I-64and I-75.This route should be extended to connect to I-64somewhere west of I-75in Fayette or Scott counties, but the NIMBY horse farm owners inWoodford County have repeatedly blocked efforts to build this badly-needed connector. Completion of the Blue Grass Parkway toI-64would relieve traffic on US 60, as well as KY 4 (New Circle Road) andKY 922 (Newtown Pike) in Lexington. These highways are used byeastbound BG Parkway traffic to connect to the interstatehighways.
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Louisville | ||
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To Western Kentucky Parkway | Exit 1B | |
Paducah | ||
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Owensboro Hopkinsville | ||
If I-75 is Kentucky's Main Street, then I-65 is the commonwealth's Broadway. This major north-south interstate links Chicago and Mobile, serving intermediate cities of Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville, Birmingham and Montgomery. In Kentucky, I-65 connects Louisville, Elizabethtown and Bowling Green. Here, I-65 north heads toward Louisville and offers access to Elizabethtown via US 62 and KY 61. Southbound I-65 offers the connection to the Western Kentucky Parkway and Paducah, along with the through route to Bowling Green and Nashville. |
Exit 8 | | |
Lyons Station | ||
This partial exit was completed in 1997. It offers access only from the eastbound BG Parkway, and traffic can enter the parkway only headed west to Elizabethtown. It allows residents of Hardin, Larue and Nelson counties who live in the area to use the parkway to drive to Elizabethtown, rather than forcing them to use US 62/KY 61. |
Exit 10 | | | Exit 10 |
Boston | Boston | ||
This exit was where the first toll booth was located. KY 52 ends at US 62/KY 61 at Boston, west of this exit. Taking KY 52 east leads to New Haven, at an intersection with US 31E, and on to Lebanon. |
Exit 21 | | | Exit 21 |
Hodgenville | Bardstown | ||
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Kentucky Railway Museum | Kentucky Railway Museum | ||
US 31E offers north-south traffic between Louisville and Nashville a more rural alternative than either I-65 or US 31W. Taking US 31E north at this exit leads to downtown Bardstown. From there, it is multiplexed with US 150 through Mt. Washington to Louisville. Following US 31E south leads to New Haven and Hodgenville, then on through the south-central Kentucky countryside to Glasgow and Scottsville, and on into Tennessee. |
Exit 25 | | | Exit 25 |
Springfield | Bardstown | ||
Makers Mark Distillery National Historic Landmark | Makers Mark Distillery National Historic Landmark | ||
US 150 is an important northwest-to-southeast link across central Kentucky. Going west on US 150 takes you to Bardstown, and then a US 31E/US 150 multiplex goes to Mt. Washington and to Louisville. An eastward journey on US 150 leads through Springfield, Perryville, Danville, Stanford, and finally to a connection with I-75 at Mt. Vernon. US 150 is being improved in various locations between Louisville and Mt. Vernon, and it offers a shortcut for traffic leaving Louisville to Lexington, then south on I-75. This exit was originally built as a partial interchange. Traffic could only leave going westbound on the parkway, and could only enter going eastbound. It was expanded to a full interchange in the early 1980s. |
Exit 34 | | | Exit 34 |
Bloomfield | Springfield | ||
Taylorsville Lake State Park | | ||
KY 55 is a major north-south route through the central part of Kentucky. A northbound trip on this route leads to Bloomfield, Taylorsville, and I-64 at Shelbyville. Heading south, you'll go through Springfield, Lebanon, Campbellsville and Columbia, where the route intersects the Cumberland Parkway. The second toll booth was located at this exit |
Exit 42 | | | Exit 42 |
Lebanon | Lebanon | ||
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This route was constructed after the BG Parkway was built. It offers a high-speed link from the parkway south to Springfield and Lebanon, where following the US 68/KY 55 corridor leads on to Campbellsville, Greensburg, and Columbia. Parts of the route overlap the former route of KY 53; indeed, parts of the route used to be numbered KY 53. Now, KY 555 leads all the way to Springfield. |
Exit 48 | | | Exit 48 |
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KY 53 is something of a "little brother" route to KY 55. Although the road is a primary link between I-64 and I-71 near Shelbyville and LaGrange, it is not of such importance at this exit. Here, the road primarily serves local traffic in western Anderson and northeastern Washington counties. Taking KY 53 south goes to Willisburg, then on to Springfield via KY 555. Northbound, the highway leads to US 62 and KY 44 before heading toward Shelbyville. |
Exit 59 | | | Exit 59 |
Lawrenceburg | Harrodsburg | ||
State Capitol Danville | State Capitol Danville | ||
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Few roads in Kentucky have received the attention in recent years that US 127 has. The highway has been identified as a major north-south corridor in the central part of the state. Due in large part to the efforts of former Gov. Wallace Wilkinson, a native of US 127 community Liberty (Casey County), this road has been slated for major upgrading throughout the state. From this exit, taking US 127 north leads to Lawrenceburg, Frankfort (and I-64), Owenton, and finally links with I-71 near Glencoe for traffic heading north to Cincinnati. The entire road is either improved or slated for construction in the next few years. Taking US 127 south leads to Harrodsburg, Danville, Liberty, the Lake Cumberland area (where it intersects the Cumberland Parkway) and finally Albany. At the Kentucky-Tennessee state line, the route intersects with TN 111, an Appalachian Regional Commission corridor which leads southwest to I-40 at Cookeville. |
Exit 68 | | | Exit 68 |
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Originally built as a partial exit serving only traffic heading east on the parkway, the exit was expanded to a full interchange in recent years. KY 33 north leads to Versailles. Following the highway south leads to US 68, where the roads are multiplexed through the Kentucky River Palisades. Near Shakertown, the highways split and KY 33 continues south to Danville, while US 68 runs southwest to Harrodsburg. |
Exit 72A | | |
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Exit 72B | | |
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The BG Parkway ends at US 60, a couple of miles east of Versailles and just a few miles west of Lexington. Following US 60 east provides access to I-64 and I-75 at Lexington, where traffic can head for Cincinnati, Ashland, and Paintsville/Prestonsburg/Pikeville (via the Mountain Parkway). Westbound traffic on US 60 can bypass downtown Versailles, then can take US 60 on to Frankfort or US 62 east to Midway and Georgetown. |
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Thispage created May 28, 1998
Last modified Jan. 7, 1998
© 1998, H.B. Elkins