Interstate 165 marker

Interstate 165

I-165 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-65
Maintained by KYTC
Length70.2 mi[1] (113.0 km)
ExistedMarch 6, 2019–present
HistoryOpened in 1972 as the Green River Parkway
Redesignated I-165 in 2019[2]
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
South end I-65 / KY 9007 in Bowling Green
Major intersections
North end US 60 / US 231 in Owensboro
Location
CountryUnited States
StateKentucky
CountiesWarren, Butler, Ohio, Daviess
Highway system
  • Kentucky State Highway System
← KY 164→ KY 165

Interstate 165 (I-165) is a 70.2-mile-long (113.0 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in the US 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 completion of a project that brought the highway up to Interstate Highway standards.

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, and continues 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 traverses Warren, Butler Ohio, and Daviess Counties, bypassing 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] The idea of the upgrades was originally conceived in the 1990s as part of the I-66 Southern Kentucky Corridor Project. The parkway was originally assigned a "I-66 Spur" designation in 2008, but the cancellation of the I-66 project resulted in it being redesignated as "I-65 Spur" in 2015.[5] 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 (89 km/h). This work continued through the end of 2018. The US 231 interchange is currently under reconstruction, with it being converted from a standard cloverleaf to a parclo AB2, or folded diamond, interchange.[6] A new interchange may be constructed between the milemarkers 3.4 and 4, allowing access to Elrod Road in Bowling Green.[7]

The presumed number for the parkway was I-565,[8] but, on September 24, 2017, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)'s Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering approved the Natcher Parkway as I-165 instead.[9]

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,[10] thus officially bringing it to Interstate status.[11][12][13] 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.[14][15] 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.[16]

Exit list

CountyLocationmi[17]kmExitDestinationsNotes
WarrenBowling Green0.0000.0001
 KY 9007 south – Scottsville
I-65 – Louisville, Nashville		Southern terminus; I-65 exits 20A-B; signed as exits 1A (north) and 1B (south); freeway continues as KY 9007
3.5725.7493 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
​33.84554.46833 US 231 – Cromwell, Morgantown
Ohio​41.27066.41841 Western Kentucky Parkway – Elizabethtown, PaducahSigned as exits 41A (east) and 41B (west)
Hartford47.79676.92047 KY 69 – Beaver Dam, Hartford
DaviessOwensboro70.184112.95070
 US 60 (Wendell H. Ford Expressway) / US 231 to Audubon Parkway – Hawesville, Henderson, Owensboro		Northern terminus; US 60 exit 17; signed as exits 70A (east/north) & 70B (west/south); northbound only; to Ben Hawes Golf Course and Park
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. ↑ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  2. ↑ "William H. Natcher Parkway Officially Changing to I-165". Bowling Green, KY: WBKO-TV. March 6, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  3. ↑ "Kentucky Transportation Cabinet six year highway plan" (PDF). transportation.ky.gov. January 26, 2016. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  4. ↑ Vied, Steve (January 29, 2016). "Natcher Parkway upgrade to I-65 spur in road plan". Kentucky New Era. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  5. ↑ "I-66". Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Project to upgrade Interstate 165 Interchange expected to begin next week". WNKY 40 News. October 30, 2020. Retrieved February 25, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Natcher Parkway Interchange at Elrod Road". Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  8. ↑ 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.
  9. ↑ 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 from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
  10. ↑ 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.
  11. ↑ Eggers, Caroline (February 19, 2019). "Federal Restrictions Avoided in Natcher's Transition to I-165". Bowling Green Daily News.
  12. ↑ Embry, John (September 6, 2018). "Deal Reached on I-165 designation". Beech Tree News. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
  13. ↑ Mason, Charles A. (June 26, 2016). "State Freight Plan Puts Natcher Interstate Upgrade in Pipeline". Bowling Green Daily News.
  14. ↑ WBKO News Staff. "William H. Natcher Parkway Officially Changing to I-165". Bowling Green, KY: WBKO-TV. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
  15. ↑ Dyer, Diane (March 6, 2019). "William H. Natcher Parkway Visibly Designated as Interstate 165". Beech Tree News. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
  16. ↑ "18RS House Joint Resolution 146". Kentucky General Assembly. Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. 2018.
  17. ↑ 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.
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