Interstate 165 (Kentucky)

Interstate 165 (I-165) is a 70.2-mile-long (113.0 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Kentucky. A spur route of I-65, it extends from I-65 in Bowling Green to U.S. Route 60 (US 60) and US 231 in Owensboro. It opened in 1972 as the Green River Parkway and was renamed the William H. Natcher Parkway in 1994. It was designated as I-165 in 2019, after a project commenced to bring the highway to Interstate Highway standards.

Interstate 165
I-165 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-65
Maintained by KYTC
Length70.184 mi[1] (112.950 km)
ExistedMarch 6, 2019–present
HistoryOpened in 1972 as the Green River Parkway
Redesignated I-165 in 2019[2]
Major junctions
South end I-65 / KY 9007 in Bowling Green
 
North end US 60 / US 231 in Owensboro
Location
CountiesWarren, Butler, Ohio, Daviess
Highway system
KY 164 KY 165

Route description

I-65 exit for I-165 and KY 9007

The Interstate highway begins at a cloverleaf interchange with I-65 (exit 20) near Bowling Green. The portion of the former William H. Natcher Parkway between US 231 and I-65 is not a part of the Interstate Highway System as per federal regulations, and is designated as Kentucky Route 9007 (KY 9007). I-165 travels along the west side of the city in a northwesterly direction, through rolling farmlands and near coal mines, for 70.2 miles (113.0 km) before meeting its northern terminus at an interchange with US 60 in Owensboro. At exit 41, the freeway intersects with the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway. I-165 bypasses the cities of Morgantown, Beaver Dam and Hartford.

History

US 60 exit for I-165 (I-165's northern terminus)

The highway that is now I-165 opened in 1972 as the Green River Parkway, and later became the William H. Natcher Parkway before receiving the I-165 designation. In early 2016, funding was set aside to rebuild and restore sections of the parkway to interstate standards.[3][4] From July to August 2017, construction consisting of shoulder widening, draining and repaving was completed. Additional work is underway along the entirety of the parkway. In July 2018, major modernization upgrades began in the Warren County section, consisting of ramp extensions, guardrail replacement, LED lighting updates and bridge wall replacement. Traffic flow was restricted to one lane, wide loads were prohibited and the speed limit set to 55 mph. This work continued through the end of 2018. The US 231 interchange (exit 7) will be partially or completely revamped, and several interchange designs are being considered, including a dual-roundabout system. A new interchange will likely be constructed between the mile markers 3.4 and 4, allowing access to Elrod Road in Bowling Green.[5]

The presumed number for the parkway was I-565,[6] but on September 24, 2017, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials' Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering approved the Natcher Parkway as I-165 instead.[7]

On September 5, 2018, it was announced that the entire parkway would be signed with I-165 shields by the end of 2019, even before completion of the parkway's upgrades,[8] thus officially bringing it to Interstate status.[9][10][11] On March 6, 2019, the resigning of the freeway began, thus officially designating it as I-165, with exit numbers reverting to the parkway's original exit numbers prior to its extension to US 231 in November 2011.[12][13] In 2018, Representative Suzanne Miles of Owensboro introduced a bill that would have given the highway an honorary designation of "William H. Natcher Expressway", but the bill did not make it out of committee.[14]

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
WarrenBowling Green0.0000.0001A-B KY 9007 south Scottsville
I-65 Louisville, Nashville
Southern terminus; I-65 exit 20; signed as exits 1A (north) and 1B (south); freeway continues as KY 9007; cloverleaf interchange.
3.5725.7494 US 31W Bowling Green, FranklinTo Western Kentucky University
4.9697.9975 US 68 / KY 80 Bowling Green, Russellville
7.42211.9457 US 231 Bowling Green, Morgantown
ButlerMorgantown26.14742.08026
US 231 Truck / KY 79 Truck begin / US 231 / KY 79 Morgantown
Southern end of US 231 Truck/KY 79 Truck concurrency
27.42844.14127
US 231 Truck / KY 79 Truck north / KY 70 (Veterans Way) Morgantown, Rochester
Northern end of US 231 Truck/KY 79 Truck concurrency
33.84554.46834 US 231 Cromwell, Morgantown
OhioBeaver Dam41.27066.41841 Western Kentucky Parkway Elizabethtown, PaducahSigned as exits 41A (east) and 41B (west)
Hartford47.79676.92048 KY 69 Beaver Dam, Hartford
DaviessOwensboro70.184112.95070 US 60 (Wendell H. Ford Expressway) / US 231 to Audubon Parkway Hawesville, Henderson, OwensboroNorthern terminus; US 60 exit 17; signed as exits 70A (east/north) & 70B (west/south); trumpet interchange.
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

  •  U.S. Roads portal
  •  United States portal

References

  1. Division of Planning. "Official Milepoint Route Log Extract". Highway Information System. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Archived from the original on April 30, 2007. Retrieved April 8, 2007.
  2. "William H. Natcher Parkway Officially Changing to I-165". Bowling Green, KY: WBKO-TV. March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  3. http://transportation.ky.gov/Program-Management/Documents/2016RecommendedProjectListing.pdf
  4. Vied, Steve (January 29, 2016). "Natcher Parkway upgrade to I-65 spur in road plan". Kentucky New Era. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  5. "Natcher Parkway Interchange at Elrod Road". Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  6. Kentucky's FY 2016 – FY 2022 Highway Plan 'Connections to the Future' June 2016 (PDF). Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. June 17, 2016. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  7. Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (September 24, 2017). "Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 3, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  8. Beane, Darby (March 12, 2019). "What You Need to Know About Natcher Parkway Becoming Interstate 165". Bowling Green, KY: WBKO-TV. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  9. Eggers, Caroline (February 19, 2019). "Federal Restrictions Avoided in Natcher's Transition to I-165". Bowling Green Daily News.
  10. Embry, John (September 6, 2018). "Deal Reached on I-165 designation". Beech Tree News. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  11. Mason, Charles A. (June 26, 2016). "State Freight Plan Puts Natcher Interstate Upgrade in Pipeline". Bowling Green Daily News.
  12. WBKO News Staff. "William H. Natcher Parkway Officially Changing to I-165". Bowling Green, KY: WBKO-TV. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  13. Dyer, Diane (March 6, 2019). "William H. Natcher Parkway Visibly Designated as Interstate 165". Beech Tree News. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  14. "18RS House Joint Resolution 146". Kentucky General Assembly. Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 2018.

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