Interstate 69 in Kentucky

Interstate 69
Route information
Maintained by KYTC
Length:	148.090 mi (238.328 km)
Existed:	October 25, 2011 (2011-10-25) – present
History:	Signed into law in 2008 Calvert City to Nortonville signed on October 25, 2011 Nortonville to Henderson signed on November 16, 2015 Upgrades in progress on Fulton to Calvert City section.
Major junctions
South end:	Future I-69 / US 51 at Tennessee border in Fulton
	US 51 in Fulton US 45 in Mayfield I-24 between Calvert City and Eddyville Pennyrile Parkway / Western Kentucky Parkway near Nortonville US 41 in Madisonville
North end:	US 41 near Henderson
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Highways in Kentucky Interstate US State Parkways ← US 68 KY 69 →

Interstate 69 (I-69) is a 148.090-mile-long (238.328 km) freeway that overlaps I-24 from Calvert City to Eddyville, the Western Kentucky Parkway from Eddyville to the Pennyrile Parkway in Nortonville, the Purchase Parkway for its entire length, and the Pennyrile Parkway from the Western Kentucky Parkway to U.S. Route 41 (US 41) on the southern outskirts of Henderson. Eventually, I-69 will leave the Pennyrile Parkway just south of the Audubon Parkway (Future I-369) interchange north into Indiana. The proposed route for the remainder of I-69 in Kentucky travels about ten miles (16 km) utilizing a bridge into Indiana.

I-69 has been divided into three sections of independent utility (SIUs) through Kentucky. SIUs 5 and 6 encompass existing freeways. Federal legislation has designated the route for these sections and Kentucky is in the process of installing I-69 signs on the route. SIU 4 includes a new bridge over the Ohio River between Henderson and Evansville, Indiana, which is currently stalled due to lack of funding. The proposed funding formula calls for Kentucky to finance two-thirds of the projected $1.4 billion bridge, while Indiana would pay for the remaining third.

History

On May 15, 2006, Kentucky governor Ernie Fletcher announced that I-69 will encompass 130 miles (210 km) of existing parkways and a 17-mile-long (27 km) segment of I-24.^[1] To reflect this decision by state and federal officials, crews began erecting Future Interstate 69 signs along the following highway segments:

• Western Kentucky Parkway between I-24 and Pennyrile Parkway, 38 miles (61 km)
• Pennyrile Parkway between Western Kentucky Parkway and US 41, 41 miles (66 km)

Federal legislation

On May 2, 2008, the United States House of Representatives passed HR-1195 (SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008) which designates the Pennyrile Parkway from Henderson to Nortonville, and the Western Kentucky Parkway from Nortonville to I-24 at Eddyville as Future I-69. It further designates the Audubon Parkway as a future spur (I-X69) of I-69 once necessary upgrades are completed. President George W. Bush signed the bill on June 6, 2008 and Future I-69 signs began appearing on the parkways during the summer of 2008.^[2][3][4][5] This legislation applied the Future I-69 designation to the following roadways:

• Pennyrile Parkway from just south of the Audubon Parkway (possible future I-369) in Henderson to the Western Kentucky Parkway in Nortonville
• Western Kentucky Parkway from the Pennyrile Parkway to I-24 in Eddyville
• I-24 from Eddyville to the Purchase Parkway in Calvert City
• Purchase Parkway from I-24 to the US 51 interchange at the Tennessee state line

Signs on the Western Kentucky Parkway now read "I-69" and "Former Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway" from the Pennyrile Parkway to the interchange with the Western Kentucky Parkway at I-24 (as the photo of I-69 at Dawson Springs shows).^[6]

I-69 concurrent with Western Kentucky Parkway near Dawson Springs

Signage and mile marker posts were changed in mid-December 2012.^[7]

SIU 5

A 2007 engineering study for SIU 5 identified then-current conditions along the Pennyrile and Western Kentucky Parkways. The report identified seven overpasses that fell short of the 16-foot minimum vertical clearance necessary for Interstate Highways. An additional 28 mainline bridges were identified for not meeting the minimum horizontal clearance of 38 feet (12 m). Most – if not all – of the aforementioned bridges were built during construction of the parkways in the 1960s and are nearing the end of their serviceable lifespans and are due to be replaced. The main issues concerning the 16 interchanges in SIU 5 were short acceleration/deceleration lanes (the average is 615 feet (187 m) while Interstate standards mandate 1,200 feet (370 m)), and tight curve radii at interchanges with loop ramps.^[8] A particular challenge was reconfiguring the cloverleaf interchange between the Pennyrile and Western Kentucky Parkways in Nortonville to accommodate the future movement of traffic primarily between points north and points west.

According to the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet 2006 Six-Year Transportation Plan Executive Summary, the KYTC "recently completed a study of the parkway upgrade needs from Interstate 24 to Henderson" (SIU 5). The summary further stated that "Continuing work on Interstate 69 in Kentucky will depend upon the financial support that can be garnered for the project through federal reauthorization and appropriations processes." The Transportation Plan estimated that the cost of upgrading the parkways would be about $700 million.

Nonetheless, the required improvements may be performed on individual segments of the parkways when the existing road surfaces reach the end of their life-spans, in what are known as "Pavement Preservation Projects." During a pavement preservation project, the existing pavement is removed, repairs are made to the highway's sub-base, and the road is then resurfaced. During such a project bridges and overpasses may be rehabilitated or replaced, drainage systems are upgraded, and other modifications are made to improve safety on the road without completely reconstructing it, allowing it to remain at least partially open during construction.

Two projects on the Pennyrile Parkway and the Western Kentucky Parkway in Hopkins County were evidence that Kentucky is taking this approach. In 2007, work began on a $14.9 million project to replace 7 miles (11 km) of pavement on the Pennyrile Parkway segment slated for the I-69 designation. A similar $23 million project in 2005 replaced and upgraded 11 miles (18 km) of pavement on the Western Kentucky Parkway west of the interchange with the Pennyrile Parkway, which is also slated to become part of I-69.

Several public meetings were held in towns along the parkways in late November and early December 2007 where Kentucky officials provided detailed information on upgrading the Parkways including changes to the projected cost for the upgrades. The adjusted cost of upgrading the parkways in SIUs 5 and 6 was pegged at around $300 million, significantly lower than initial estimates of $700 million. Of that $300 million price tag, high-priority projects accounted for about half ($145 million) of the total cost. Kentucky transportation officials also raised the idea of applying for a waiver that would allow the parkways to immediately be signed as I-69, making the parkways eligible for federal Interstate Highway funds to complete the upgrades. Without the I-69 designation, the parkway sections slated to become I-69 would not be eligible for Interstate Highway funds for upgrades.^[9] Kentucky officials announced that no funding for I-69 was included in the 2008–2014 Transportation Improvement Plan, and many legislators believed that tolls would be required to finance upgrades to the parkways.^[10]

In January 2010, Governor Steve Beshear released the next draft Six-Year Plan for consideration by the Kentucky Legislature. The proposed plan included the reconstruction of several interchanges on the Pennyrile and Western Kentucky Parkways. The proposed work would upgrade the interchanges to Interstate standards as required to get the parkways signed as I-69. Pending approval and funding, the interchange work would begin in 2012 and be finished by 2015.

In 2014, work began on the required upgrades to the Pennyrile Parkway in anticipation of the I-69 designation. The cloverleaf interchange with I-69/Western Kentucky Parkway was modified to allow high-speed movements between points north and points west. During the same time frame, several interchanges along the Pennyrile were also reconstructed, and cable barriers were installed in the median. In April 2015, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet awarded a $3 million contract to install I-69 and US 41 signs on the Pennyrile Parkway. The work was completed on November 16, 2015.

SIU 6

From Eddyville, I-69 will follow I-24 for 17 miles (27 km), then turn southwest on the Purchase Parkway. I-69's designation along the Purchase Parkway from I-24 to the Tennessee state line at South Fulton, Tennessee was written into law with the fiscal year 2002 Transportation Appropriations Bill.^[11] However, many of the same issues that are being addressed in SIU 5 arise in SIU 6 as well, and the Commonwealth of Kentucky is upgrading the Purchase Parkway in a similar fashion. The massive interchange with US 45 and US 51 at the Tennessee state line in South Fulton is the main challenge for completing SIU 6, and has been broken out as a separate project from SIUs 6 and 7.

Kentucky is the only state that will be routing almost its entire portion of I-69 over existing freeways, allowing the state to avoid years of costly environmental studies, thereby enabling the KTC to upgrade the parkways to I-69 as soon as funding becomes available. Technically, the Commonwealth of Kentucky could request a waiver from the AASHTO that would allow the state to apply the I-69 designation to its parkways before upgrades are completed. This would only be done if adjoining segments in Tennessee or Indiana are completed first.

The Purchase Parkway has been designated as future I-69, but the route cannot be signed as I-69 until several interchanges, including the interchange with I-24, are upgraded to Interstate standards. As of December 2015, construction was ongoing on the northern portion of the parkway between Mayvield and I-24, including the reconfiguration of the KY 348 interchange at Benton from a toll-booth design (with opposing loop ramps) to a diamond interchange, the installation of cable barriers in the narrow parkway median, and resurfacing of the mainline to increase bridge clearances and lengthen merge lanes at other interchanges along this section. A $37 million contract to reconstruct the I-24/Purchase Parkway interchange was awarded to Jim Smith Contracting Company on November 20, 2015. Construction on the I-24/Purchase Parkway interchange is scheduled to begin in early 2016, with completion planned for July 2018.^[12] A similar contract to reconstruct the parkway interchanges at the south end of the Mayfield Bypass (exit 21) and KY 80 was let in February 2016. The last remaining "tollbooth" style interchange requiring reconfiguration, located at KY 339 in Wingo (exit 14), is currently in planning and is scheduled for construction in 2021 according to the 2016 Enacted Six Year Road Plan.

SIU 7

The interchange between the Purchase Parkway, US 45 and US 51 straddle the Tennessee state line between the cities of Fulton, Kentucky, and South Fulton, Tennessee. Officially part of SIU 7, the interchange was broken out from the environmental impact statement prepared by the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for SIU 7 at a time when Tennessee was moving forward with planning for the remainder of SIU 7 (all of which, except for a 1.5-mile (2.4 km) section of the Purchase Parkway approaching the Fulton–South Fulton interchange, lies within Tennessee). It was agreed upon by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), and TDOT to prepare a separate environmental essessment (EA)/EIS for the Fulton–South Fulton interchange when both states were ready to perform its reconfiguration to accommodate I-69. As Tennessee continues to make progress toward completing the unbuilt portion of SIU 7 to the south and Kentucky's upgrades to the Purchase Parkway from the north, both states indicated their intention to start work on reconfiguring the Fulton–South Fulton interchange. A joint EA/EIS will be prepared by KTC and TDOT and submitted to the FHWA for a record of decision (ROD) prior to right-of-way acquisition and construction. The 2016 Kentucky Six Year Road Plan includes $7.8 million in fiscal years 2019 through 2022 to complete environmental studies, ROW acquisition and utility relocation in anticipation of reconstructing the interchange thereafter.

SIU 4

SIU 4 is still in the planning stages, but Kentucky and Indiana had planned to finance a new bridge across the Ohio River with tolls.^[13] The preferred alternative for SIU 4 was to leave the Pennyrile Parkway near its north end and cross the Ohio River to the former I-164 near Evansville, Indiana, and then use the former I-164 to I-64; most of I-164 was redesignated as I-69 in 2014.^[14] But the Ohio River bridge plan had stalled in the late 2000s and early 2010s, due to lack of funding from both states.^[15] However, with the completion of SIU 5 in Kentucky, and with I-69 connected to Indianapolis via Indiana State Road 37 in Indiana, both states have made completing the Ohio River Bridge a top priority. On June 30, 2016, Indiana governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin announced an agreement to resume environmental studies and develop a funding strategy to complete the Ohio River Bridge and its approaches. Indiana will contribute $17 million to restart and lead the environmental studies that will culminate in an approved environmental impact statement (EIS) and record of decision (ROD) that will allow construction to begin. Environmental studies are expected to take about three years to complete, with right-of-way acquisition and construction expected to begin thereafter. Kentucky has committed over $43 million in its 2016 Six-Year Highway Plan for design and right-of-way acquisition for the bridge.^[16][17]

Tolls

The Pennyrile Parkway, Western Kentucky Parkway, and Purchase Parkway were all originally built as toll roads when they opened in the 1960s. As the parkways' construction bonds were paid off, the tolls were removed; the Western Kentucky Parkway became a freeway in 1987, and the other two roads became free in 1992. To fund over $700 million to upgrade substandard segments of the parkways and fund a new $800 million Ohio River crossing for I-69, Kentucky transportation officials had previously considered reinstating tolls on the parkway segments over which I-69 is routed, but ultimately opted to keep I-69 toll-free.

Exit list

The exit list includes exits from the Purchase Parkway, which has not yet been officially signed as I-69.

County	Location	mi[18]	km	Old exit	New exit	Destinations	Notes
Fulton	Fulton	0.000	0.000			I-69 south / US 51 south – Union City, Martin	Continuation into Tennessee
		0.300	0.483		0	KY 116 / KY 166 – Fulton, Hickman
		1.424	2.292		1	US 51 north – Clinton, Fulton	Northern end of US 51 concurrency
		2.442	3.930		2	KY 307 – Fulton
Hickman	No major junctions
Graves	Wingo	13.653	21.972		14	KY 339 – Wingo, Clinton
	Mayfield	21.285– 21.887	34.255– 35.224		21	US 45 Byp. south	Southern end of US 45 Bypass concurrency; signed as exit 21B northbound
		22.267	35.835		22	KY 80 – Fancy Farm, Mayfield
		23.701	38.143		24	KY 121 – Wickliffe, Mayfield
		24.713	39.772		25	US 45 / US 45 Byp. ends – Paducah, Mayfield	Northern end of US 45 Bypass concurrency
		27.461	44.194		27	KY 131 – Airport
Marshall	Benton	40.809	65.676		41	US 641 Spur south – Hardin, Murray
		42.555	68.486		43	KY 348 – Benton, Symsonia
	Draffenville	46.942	75.546		47	US 68 – Kenlake State Park, Kentucky Lake Recreation Area
	Calvert City	51.398	82.717		52 25	I-24 west / Purchase Parkway north to US 62 – Paducah, Fulton, Calvert City	Signed as exits 52A (east) and 52B (west); I-24 exits signed as exits 25A (south) and 25B (north)
		53.002	85.298		27	US 62 – Kentucky Dam
Livingston	​	57.166	92.000		31	KY 453 – Smithland, Grand Rivers	Serves Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area
Lyon	​	65.938	106.117		40	US 62 / US 641 – Eddyville, Kuttawa
	Eddyville	68.084	109.571	0	42 68	I-24 east – Nashville	Eastern end of I-24 concurrency; I-69 exits signed as exits 68A (east) and 68B (west)
		71.784	115.525	4	71	US 62 – Eddyville	Serves Mineral Mound State Park
Caldwell	Princeton	79.771	128.379	12	79	KY 91 / KY 139 – Marion, Princeton	Serves Lake Barkley State Resort Park
		81.189	130.661	13	81	KY 293 – Providence, Princeton
Hopkins	Dawson Springs	92.506	148.874	24	92	KY 109 – Dawson Springs, Providence	Serves Pennyrile Forest State Resort Park
	Nortonville	105.707– 106.767	170.119– 171.825	38 34	106	Western Kentucky Parkway east / Pennyrile Parkway south – Hopkinsville, Madisonville	Signed as exits 106A (south Pennyrile) and 106B(east WK)
	Mortons Gap	108.886	175.235	37	108	KY 813 – Mortons Gap
	Earlington	111.604	179.609	40	111	KY 2171 – Earlington, Madisonville
	Madisonville	114.254	183.874	42	114	KY 70 – Madisonville, Central City
		116.164	186.948	44	116	US 41 Alt. / KY 281 – Madisonville, Providence
		117.042	188.361	45	117	US 41 north – Madisonville	Northbound exit and southbound entrance only
	Hanson	120.818	194.438	49	120	KY 260 – Hanson
	Slaughters	125.906	202.626	54	125	KY 138 – Dixon, Calhoun
Webster	Sebree	134.461	216.394	63	134	KY 56 – Sebree, Owensboro
Henderson	Robards	140.195	225.622	68	140	KY 416 – Niagara, Robards
	Henderson	148.090	238.328	76	—	US 41 to US 60 – Morganfield	Signed as exit 148 A/B northbound, and as Exit 10 A/B southbound
Temporary northern terminus of I-69 at US 41. Follows US 41 north to I-69 in Indiana
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened

See also

• U.S. Roads portal
• Kentucky portal

References

Route map: Bing / Google

Interstate 69
Previous state: Tennessee	Kentucky	Next state: Indiana

(Future) Bridges of the Ohio River
Upstream Owensboro Bridge Unnamed Interstate 69 Bridge Downstream The Twin Bridges