Interstate 264

Interstate264

This bypass of Louisville wasbasically built in two sections. Originally, it was built as US 60from Dixie Highway around to Shelbyville Road in the 1950s, and Ibelieve it was Kentucky's first limited-access highway. When theinterstate system was built, the route was signed as I-264, and itoffered connections with I-71, I-64east, and I-65(the Kentucky Turnpike). It was named the Watterson Expressway inhonor of famous Louisville newspaper editor Henry Watterson. Thewestern section, from Dixie Highway to I-64west, was built later and is sometimes called the Shawnee Expressway.In the late 1980s, the US 60 designation was removed from theWatterson and routed through downtown again, leaving only the I-264signage. During the 1990s, the Watterson has undergone a facelift.The 1950's-vintage freeway was completely upgraded to modernstandards and widened. Now it provides a fast and safe, if sometimescrowded, bypass around Louisville with interchanges at most majorintersecting roads. The western section from I-64to I-65is the preferred through route for I-64east to I-65south traffic, or for I-65north to I-64west traffic.

I-64 / US 150 East
Exit 0A

Louisville
Lexington

I-64 / US 150 West
Exit 0B

New Albany
St. Louis

I-64 runs from St. Louis to Norfolk, linking Evansville, Louisville, Lexington, Ashland-Huntington, Charleston and Richmond. West of this exit, it crosses the Ohio River on the Sherman Minton Bridge into Indiana. To the east, it runs along the river and serves downtown Louisville. I-264 provides a bypass around downtown, although traffic on the Watterson can be as bad as traffic on I-64. I-64 intersects the Watterson again on the east side of town.

Exit 1

Bank Street
N W Parkway

This partial exit allows access only from eastbound I-264, and allows entry only to westbound I-264. All traffic entering the Watterson here must exit onto I-64.

Exit 2
River Park Dr.
Muhammed Ali Blvd. River Park Dr.
Muhammed Ali Blvd.
Exit 2

This exit provides access to the west side of Louisville, as well as downtown. US 31W, US 60, and US 150 (Broadway) are easily reached from here, as well.

Exit 3
Dumesnil St.
Virginia Ave. Dumesnil St.
Virginia Ave.
Exit 3

This exit also provides eaxy access to the west side of Louisville,and to downtown. Part of Dumesnil Street east of this exit actually becomes US 31W for a short distance.

Exit 4
Bells Ln. Bells Ln.
Algonquin Pkwy.
Exit 4

This route is KY 2056, but the notation is not made on the exit signs.

Exit 5A
Cane Run Rd. North
Ralph Ave. Cane Run Rd.
Ralph Ave.
Exit 5

Exit 5B
Cane Run Rd. South

This is KY 1934, but you won't see that on the exit signs. Cane Run Road is a major north-south street in the western part of Jefferson County.

Exit 8A
US 31W South / US 60 West (Dixie Hwy.) US 31W South / US 60 West (Dixie Hwy.)
Exit 8A

Ft. Knox Ft. Knox

Exit 8B
US 31W North / US 60 East (Dixie Hwy.) US 31W North / US 60 East (Dixie Hwy.)
Exit 8B

Shively Shively

This busy route brings traffic from southwestern Jefferson County, and outlying areas of Meade and Hardin counties. At this point, US 60 used to join the Watterson Expressway and run east to Shelbyville Road, but several years ago, the US 60 designation was removed and rerouted through downtown. Exit 8A goes to Fort Knox, where the routes split. US 31W continues south to Radcliff and Elizabethtown, while US 60 turns west toward Brandenburg, Irvington, Hardinsburg, Hawesville, and Owensboro.

Exit 9
KY 1865 KY 1865
Exit 9

Taylor Blvd. Taylor Blvd.

Churchill Downs
Kentucky Derby Museum
Next 2 Exits

This exit takes eastbound traffic to the home of the Twin Spires and America's most famous horse race, since Churchill Downs lies between Taylor Blvd. and Southern Parkway. This route ends just north of this exit at Alternate US 60.

Exit 10
KY 1020 KY 1020
Exit 10

Southern Parkway
Third Street Southern Parkway
Third Street

Churchill Downs
Kentucky Derby Museum
Next 2 Exits

The westbound exit for Churchill Downs.

Exit 11
Crittenden Drive Crittenden Drive
Exit 11

Airport
Fair/Expo Center
Gates 2-3-4 Airport
Fair/Expo Center

Kentucky Kingdom Kentucky Kingdom

This exit is the main exit for Louisville's airport (which I've always known as Standiford Field, but which has recently changed its name to Louisville International Airport or something like that), and also for the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center. Located at KFEC are Freedom Hall and the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park.

Exit 12
I-65 / To KY 61 I-65 / KY 61
Exit 12

Nashville
Indianapolis Nashville
Indianapolis

Fair/Expo Center
Downtown Louisville Preston Hwy.
Downtown Louisville

I-65 links Chicago with Mobile, serving Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and Birmingham in between. It offers several exits for downtown Louisville before crossing the Ohio River into Indiana. Southbound, I-65 passes Shepherdsville, Elizabethtown and Bowling Green before entering Tennessee. Its link with the Western Kentucky Parkway offers access to the Paducah area. KY 61 (Preston Highway) parallels the interstate from Louisville to Elizabethtown before turning to the southeast to pass through Hodgenville, Greenville, Columbia and Burkesville in the south-central part of Kentucky.

Exit 14
KY 864 (Poplar Level Road) KY 864 (Poplar Level Road)
Exit 14

Louisville Zoo Louisville Zoo

The zoo is located north of the Watterson. KY 864 intersects most major east-west highways between I-264 and I-265.

Exit 15
KY 1703 (Newburg Road) KY 1703 (Newburg Road) North
Exit 15A

Bellarmine College Bellarmine College

KY 1703 (Newburg Road) South
Exit 15B

This route runs from a northwest-to-southeast direction, connecting Bardstown Road and Old Shepherdsville Road.

Exit 16
US 31E / US 150 (Bardstown Road) US 31E / US 150 (Bardstown Road)
Exit 16

Sullivan College Sullivan College

Farmington Farmington

This route brings traffic from Mt. Washington and Bardstown. At Bardstown, the two routes split. US 31E provides a leisurely route south through a mostly-rural setting, passing through Hodgenville, Glasgow and Scottsville before entering Tennessee. US 150 is a high-volume route that cuts through central Kentucky from northwest to southeast. After leaving Bardstown, it serves Springfield, Danville and Stanford before ending at Mt. Vernon. Many sections of US 150 are scheduled to be improved in future years to bring it up to modern standards. When this happens, it will become a shortcut from Louisville to I-75, and will give traffic a more direct route and an opportunity to avoid Lexington.

Exit 17A
KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) South KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) South
Exit 17A

Jeffersontown Jeffersontown

Exit 17B
KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) North KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) North
Exit 17B

KY 155 is an improved road to serve the rapidly-growing Taylorsville and Spencer County area. J-town and I-265 lie between the Watterson and Taylorsville.

Exit 18A
KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) South KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) South
Exit 18A

Exit 18B
KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) North KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) North
Exit 18B

"Breckenridge" or "Breckinridge?" That's a question that is often asked. You'll see it spelled both ways. A Louisville Courier-Journal column once discussed the spelling difference, but I forget what it said. Anyway, this route connects US 42 (Brownsboro Road), US 60 (Shelbyville Road), I-265, and US 31E / US 150 (Bardstown Road).

Exit 19A
I-64 East I-64 East
Exit 19A

Lexington Lexington

Exit 19B
I-64 West I-64 West
Exit 19B

Louisville Louisville

NOTE: Westbound traffic on I-264 must use Exit 20 to access the I-64 ramps at Exit 19.

The second interchange between I-264 and I-64 was recently rebuilt to handle the heavy volume of traffic. Taking I-64 westbound offers access to Cannons Lane, Grinstead Drive, Mellwood Avenue, and I-65. I-64 east leads to Shelbyville, Frankfort, Lexington, and on into eastern Kentucky and eventually Virginia.

Exit 20A
US 60 (Shelbyville Road) East US 60 (Shelbyville Road) West
Exit 20A

Middletown Middletown

Exit 20B
US 60 (Shelbyville Road) West US 60 (Shelbyville Road) West
Exit 20B

St. Mathews St. Mathews

NOTE: Westbound traffic on I-264 must use Exit 20 to access the I-64 ramps at Exit 19.

Years ago, this was the point where US 60 left the Watterson when US 60 was co-signed with I-264. Shelbyville Road westbound continued as Business US 60 (and US 460, until that road was decertified west of Frankfort in the early 1970s). Two major shopping malls are located at this exit. Access is also available to KY 146, LaGrange Road, which serves several Oldham County towns. Eastbound US 60 parallels I-64 all the way to Charleston, W. Va., from this point.

Exit 22
US 42 (Brownsboro Road) US 42 (Brownsboro Road)
Exit 22

Prospect

US 42 is the parallel route to I-71. It serves several suburbs in northeastern Jefferson County, is the end point for the Gene Snyder Freeway, and also offers a link to KY 22, which serves Oldham and Henry counties to the east.

Exit 23A
I-71 North

Cincinnati

Exit 23B
I-71 South

Louisville

I-71 is the major link between Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. Its access points to Louisville, however, are not numerous. There is only one exit (Zorn Avenue) between the Watterson and I-71's end at I-64 near downtown. I-64 and I-65 provide plenty of access points, however. Northbound, I-71 allows access only to the Gene Snyder Freeway before leaving Jefferson County. To the northeast, the route passes the Oldham County bedroom communities of LaGrange, Buckner, Pewee Valley, and also allows access to New Castle, Eminence, Carrollton, Owenton and Warsaw before it joins I-75 north toward Cincinnati.

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	I-64 / US 150 East	Exit 0A
	Louisville Lexington
	I-64 / US 150 West	Exit 0B
	New Albany St. Louis
I-64 runs from St. Louis to Norfolk, linking Evansville, Louisville, Lexington, Ashland-Huntington, Charleston and Richmond. West of this exit, it crosses the Ohio River on the Sherman Minton Bridge into Indiana. To the east, it runs along the river and serves downtown Louisville. I-264 provides a bypass around downtown, although traffic on the Watterson can be as bad as traffic on I-64. I-64 intersects the Watterson again on the east side of town.

Exit 1
Bank Street N W Parkway
This partial exit allows access only from eastbound I-264, and allows entry only to westbound I-264. All traffic entering the Watterson here must exit onto I-64.

Exit 2	River Park Dr. Muhammed Ali Blvd.	River Park Dr. Muhammed Ali Blvd.	Exit 2
This exit provides access to the west side of Louisville, as well as downtown. US 31W, US 60, and US 150 (Broadway) are easily reached from here, as well.

Exit 3	Dumesnil St. Virginia Ave.	Dumesnil St. Virginia Ave.	Exit 3
This exit also provides eaxy access to the west side of Louisville,and to downtown. Part of Dumesnil Street east of this exit actually becomes US 31W for a short distance.

Exit 4	Bells Ln.	Bells Ln. Algonquin Pkwy.	Exit 4
This route is KY 2056, but the notation is not made on the exit signs.

Exit 5A	Cane Run Rd. North Ralph Ave.	Cane Run Rd. Ralph Ave.	Exit 5
Exit 5B	Cane Run Rd. South
This is KY 1934, but you won't see that on the exit signs. Cane Run Road is a major north-south street in the western part of Jefferson County.

Exit 8A	US 31W South / US 60 West (Dixie Hwy.)	US 31W South / US 60 West (Dixie Hwy.)	Exit 8A
	Ft. Knox	Ft. Knox
Exit 8B	US 31W North / US 60 East (Dixie Hwy.)	US 31W North / US 60 East (Dixie Hwy.)	Exit 8B
	Shively	Shively
This busy route brings traffic from southwestern Jefferson County, and outlying areas of Meade and Hardin counties. At this point, US 60 used to join the Watterson Expressway and run east to Shelbyville Road, but several years ago, the US 60 designation was removed and rerouted through downtown. Exit 8A goes to Fort Knox, where the routes split. US 31W continues south to Radcliff and Elizabethtown, while US 60 turns west toward Brandenburg, Irvington, Hardinsburg, Hawesville, and Owensboro.

Exit 9	KY 1865	KY 1865	Exit 9
	Taylor Blvd.	Taylor Blvd.
	Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby Museum Next 2 Exits
This exit takes eastbound traffic to the home of the Twin Spires and America's most famous horse race, since Churchill Downs lies between Taylor Blvd. and Southern Parkway. This route ends just north of this exit at Alternate US 60.

Exit 10	KY 1020	KY 1020	Exit 10
	Southern Parkway Third Street	Southern Parkway Third Street
		Churchill Downs Kentucky Derby Museum Next 2 Exits
The westbound exit for Churchill Downs.

Exit 11	Crittenden Drive	Crittenden Drive	Exit 11
	Airport Fair/Expo Center Gates 2-3-4	Airport Fair/Expo Center
	Kentucky Kingdom	Kentucky Kingdom
This exit is the main exit for Louisville's airport (which I've always known as Standiford Field, but which has recently changed its name to Louisville International Airport or something like that), and also for the Kentucky Fair and Exposition Center. Located at KFEC are Freedom Hall and the Kentucky Kingdom amusement park.

Exit 12	I-65 / To KY 61	I-65 / KY 61	Exit 12
	Nashville Indianapolis	Nashville Indianapolis
	Fair/Expo Center Downtown Louisville	Preston Hwy. Downtown Louisville
I-65 links Chicago with Mobile, serving Indianapolis, Louisville, Nashville and Birmingham in between. It offers several exits for downtown Louisville before crossing the Ohio River into Indiana. Southbound, I-65 passes Shepherdsville, Elizabethtown and Bowling Green before entering Tennessee. Its link with the Western Kentucky Parkway offers access to the Paducah area. KY 61 (Preston Highway) parallels the interstate from Louisville to Elizabethtown before turning to the southeast to pass through Hodgenville, Greenville, Columbia and Burkesville in the south-central part of Kentucky.

Exit 14	KY 864 (Poplar Level Road)	KY 864 (Poplar Level Road)	Exit 14
	Louisville Zoo	Louisville Zoo
The zoo is located north of the Watterson. KY 864 intersects most major east-west highways between I-264 and I-265.

Exit 15	KY 1703 (Newburg Road)	KY 1703 (Newburg Road) North	Exit 15A
	Bellarmine College	Bellarmine College
		KY 1703 (Newburg Road) South	Exit 15B
This route runs from a northwest-to-southeast direction, connecting Bardstown Road and Old Shepherdsville Road.

Exit 16	US 31E / US 150 (Bardstown Road)	US 31E / US 150 (Bardstown Road)	Exit 16
	Sullivan College	Sullivan College
	Farmington	Farmington
This route brings traffic from Mt. Washington and Bardstown. At Bardstown, the two routes split. US 31E provides a leisurely route south through a mostly-rural setting, passing through Hodgenville, Glasgow and Scottsville before entering Tennessee. US 150 is a high-volume route that cuts through central Kentucky from northwest to southeast. After leaving Bardstown, it serves Springfield, Danville and Stanford before ending at Mt. Vernon. Many sections of US 150 are scheduled to be improved in future years to bring it up to modern standards. When this happens, it will become a shortcut from Louisville to I-75, and will give traffic a more direct route and an opportunity to avoid Lexington.

Exit 17A	KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) South	KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) South	Exit 17A
	Jeffersontown	Jeffersontown
Exit 17B	KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) North	KY 155 (Taylorsville Road) North	Exit 17B
KY 155 is an improved road to serve the rapidly-growing Taylorsville and Spencer County area. J-town and I-265 lie between the Watterson and Taylorsville.

Exit 18A	KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) South	KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) South	Exit 18A
Exit 18B	KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) North	KY 1932 (Breckenridge Lane) North	Exit 18B
"Breckenridge" or "Breckinridge?" That's a question that is often asked. You'll see it spelled both ways. A Louisville Courier-Journal column once discussed the spelling difference, but I forget what it said. Anyway, this route connects US 42 (Brownsboro Road), US 60 (Shelbyville Road), I-265, and US 31E / US 150 (Bardstown Road).

Exit 19A	I-64 East	I-64 East	Exit 19A
	Lexington	Lexington
Exit 19B	I-64 West	I-64 West	Exit 19B
	Louisville	Louisville
			NOTE: Westbound traffic on I-264 must use Exit 20 to access the I-64 ramps at Exit 19.
The second interchange between I-264 and I-64 was recently rebuilt to handle the heavy volume of traffic. Taking I-64 westbound offers access to Cannons Lane, Grinstead Drive, Mellwood Avenue, and I-65. I-64 east leads to Shelbyville, Frankfort, Lexington, and on into eastern Kentucky and eventually Virginia.

Exit 20A	US 60 (Shelbyville Road) East	US 60 (Shelbyville Road) West	Exit 20A
	Middletown	Middletown
Exit 20B	US 60 (Shelbyville Road) West	US 60 (Shelbyville Road) West	Exit 20B
	St. Mathews	St. Mathews
			NOTE: Westbound traffic on I-264 must use Exit 20 to access the I-64 ramps at Exit 19.
Years ago, this was the point where US 60 left the Watterson when US 60 was co-signed with I-264. Shelbyville Road westbound continued as Business US 60 (and US 460, until that road was decertified west of Frankfort in the early 1970s). Two major shopping malls are located at this exit. Access is also available to KY 146, LaGrange Road, which serves several Oldham County towns. Eastbound US 60 parallels I-64 all the way to Charleston, W. Va., from this point.

Exit 22	US 42 (Brownsboro Road)	US 42 (Brownsboro Road)	Exit 22
	Prospect
US 42 is the parallel route to I-71. It serves several suburbs in northeastern Jefferson County, is the end point for the Gene Snyder Freeway, and also offers a link to KY 22, which serves Oldham and Henry counties to the east.

Exit 23A	I-71 North
	Cincinnati
Exit 23B	I-71 South
	Louisville
I-71 is the major link between Louisville, Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland. Its access points to Louisville, however, are not numerous. There is only one exit (Zorn Avenue) between the Watterson and I-71's end at I-64 near downtown. I-64 and I-65 provide plenty of access points, however. Northbound, I-71 allows access only to the Gene Snyder Freeway before leaving Jefferson County. To the northeast, the route passes the Oldham County bedroom communities of LaGrange, Buckner, Pewee Valley, and also allows access to New Castle, Eminence, Carrollton, Owenton and Warsaw before it joins I-75 north toward Cincinnati.