Roads of Lexington, Kentucky
Encyclopedia
The roads of Lexington, Kentucky
include Interstate 64
and Interstate 75
, as their junction is near the city. There are five U.S. highways serving the city. A beltway surrounds central Lexington, while numerous state routes and connector roads fill in the transportation gap. The zero milestone for Lexington is the intersection of East and West Main Streets and North and South Limestone Streets. A camel sculpture dating to 1926 marks the point for the AAA
.
Note: Lexington's urban services boundary is adjacent to the junction of I-64 and I-75. The city's downtown, however, is not served by any controlled-access facilities and traffic congestion during rush-hour along the arterial roadways is a relatively significant problem.
-quality highway would have connected the western fringe of downtown to the eastern edge, and have been located between High and Maxwell Streets. The plan also included a widened 2nd Street, which would have been a six-lane thoroughfare north of the central business district. Another proposal included a freeway in the Vine Street corridor after the removal of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
tracks. The design alternatives included a depressed, at-grade, and elevated highway. Each proposal was discarded as impractical, as each plan included insufficient ramp access, blockage of downtown traffic, and a necessity to renovate adjoining buildings to raise the floor levels.
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
include Interstate 64
Interstate 64
Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
and Interstate 75
Interstate 75
Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
, as their junction is near the city. There are five U.S. highways serving the city. A beltway surrounds central Lexington, while numerous state routes and connector roads fill in the transportation gap. The zero milestone for Lexington is the intersection of East and West Main Streets and North and South Limestone Streets. A camel sculpture dating to 1926 marks the point for the AAA
American Automobile Association
AAA , formerly known as the American Automobile Association, is a federation of 51 independently operated motor clubs throughout North America. AAA is a not-for-profit member service organization with more than 51 million members. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,...
.
Interstate highways
Interstate 64Interstate 64Interstate 64 is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. 40, and U.S. 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange with I-264 and I-664 at Bowers Hill in Chesapeake, Virginia. As I-64 is concurrent with...
runs east to CharlestonCharleston, West VirginiaCharleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
and west to LouisvilleLouisville, KentuckyLouisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
.
Interstate 75Interstate 75Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
routes north to CincinnatiCincinnati, OhioCincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
and south to KnoxvilleKnoxville, TennesseeFounded in 1786, Knoxville is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Tennessee, U.S.A., behind Memphis and Nashville, and is the county seat of Knox County. It is the largest city in East Tennessee, and the second-largest city in the Appalachia region...
.
Note: Lexington's urban services boundary is adjacent to the junction of I-64 and I-75. The city's downtown, however, is not served by any controlled-access facilities and traffic congestion during rush-hour along the arterial roadways is a relatively significant problem.
US Highways
US 25U.S. Route 25U.S. Route 25 is a north–south United States highway that runs for from Brunswick, Georgia to the Ohio state line in Covington, Kentucky.-Georgia:...
is known otherwise as Georgetown Road, Main Street, and Richmond Road.
US 27U.S. Route 27U.S. Route 27 is a north–south United States highway in the southern and midwestern United States. The southern terminus is at US 1 in Miami, Florida. The northern terminus is at Interstate 69 in Fort Wayne, Indiana...
is also known as Paris PikeParis PikeParis Pike is the local name for the 14 mile stretch of U.S. Routes 27/68 between Paris and Lexington, Kentucky.For years, this stretch of road had only two side-by-side lanes and no emergency breakdown lane...
, Broadway, Bolivar Street, South Upper Street, South Limestone, and Nicholasville Road.
is also known as Versailles Road, High and Maxwell Streets, Vine Street/Main Street, Midland Avenue, and Winchester Road.
enters as Harrodsburg Road before becoming Broadway and leaving as Paris PikeParis PikeParis Pike is the local name for the 14 mile stretch of U.S. Routes 27/68 between Paris and Lexington, Kentucky.For years, this stretch of road had only two side-by-side lanes and no emergency breakdown lane...
.
is also known as the Leestown Road from the west, then Main Street/Vine Street and finally Richmond Road.
Kentucky State Highways
KY 4, known locally as New Circle RoadNew Circle RoadNew Circle Road, also known as Kentucky Route 4, is a Kentucky state highway that serves as an inner beltway around Lexington, which is part of the consolidated city-county government with Fayette County....
, acts as a beltway around central Lexington. Three-fourths of the highway is limited-access, whereas the remainder is an urban principal arterial.
KY 418 is routed along Athens-Boonesboro Road is a four- and two-lane highway in southeast Lexington that traverses into Clark CountyClark County, KentuckyClark County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It was formed in 1793. The population was 35,613 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Winchester, Kentucky...
.
Locally known as Newtown Pike; KY 922 is an important highway in north Lexington that connects with I-75 and traverses into Scott CountyScott County, KentuckyScott County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The population was 47,173 in the 2010 Census. Its county seat is Georgetown.Scott County is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
.
KY 1425 is also known as Bryant Road and begins east of I-75 and Man o' War Boulevard.
KY 1723 is also known as part of Forbes Road.
KY 1927 (also known as Liberty Road and Todds Road) serves as a connector from central Lexington to the southern suburbs. Both roads are two-lane routes designed in an era when there were expansive farmlands surrounding the highway; they are now entangled with numerous subdivisions. Both are slated for widenening to three-lanes with curbs and sidewalks.
KY 1974 is known for most of its length as Tates Creek Road with other sections known as High Street, Euclid Avenue, and Avenue of Champions, proceeds from the University of KentuckyUniversity of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky...
campus to rural southeast Lexington.
City/County Routes
- Citation BoulevardCitation BoulevardCitation Boulevard, a four-lane divided highway, currently extends from just west of US 25 at the Norfolk Southern Railway to KY 922 in Lexington, Kentucky. Known as Phase I, it was completed in 2001 and included a bridge over Cane Run...
is a four-lane divided highway that will act as part of a northern arc from US 421 (Leestown Road) to KY 353 (Russell Cave Road). - Clays Mill Road is a former state route now under city control. Design work for a new interchange on New Circle RoadNew Circle RoadNew Circle Road, also known as Kentucky Route 4, is a Kentucky state highway that serves as an inner beltway around Lexington, which is part of the consolidated city-county government with Fayette County....
were planned beginning in the early 1980s, however, residential opposition nixed the project before the construction phase . Construction on the $4 million diamond interchange was to begin in 1986 . The state of Kentucky had agreed to improve Clays Mill Road from Man o' War BoulevardMan o' War BoulevardMan o' War Boulevard, named after the racehorse Man o' War, is a 17-mile urban arterial, circling Lexington, Kentucky to its south. Its western terminus is at US 60 Versailles Road at Keeneland Race Course's main entrance, from which the highway heads southeast, intersecting with US 68 , US 27 ,...
to Pasadena Drive, and later agreed to improve the road from Pasadena Drive to Harrodsburg Road and from the Jessamine CountyJessamine County, KentuckyJessamine County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is within the Inner Blue Grass region, which was the center of farming and blooded stock raising, including thoroughbred horses. It was formed in 1799. The population was 48,586 in the 2010 Census...
line to Man o' War Boulevard . The project would call for four-lanes north of New Circle and five-lanes to the south . - Hays Boulevard is a four-lane divided highway with bike lanes and widewalks that connects KY 418 (Athens-Boonesboro Road) to KY 1927 (Todds Road).
- Man o' War BoulevardMan o' War BoulevardMan o' War Boulevard, named after the racehorse Man o' War, is a 17-mile urban arterial, circling Lexington, Kentucky to its south. Its western terminus is at US 60 Versailles Road at Keeneland Race Course's main entrance, from which the highway heads southeast, intersecting with US 68 , US 27 ,...
acts as a southern beltway, however, it is a four-lane urban principal arterial with curbs and sidewalks. This was constructed with state funds but is under city control. - Polo Club Boulevard is a two and four-lane route that will connect KY 1927 (Todds Road) to KY 1425 to the east of Interstate 75Interstate 75Interstate 75 is a major north–south Interstate Highway in the Great Lakes and Southeastern regions of the United States. It travels from State Road 826 and State Road 924 in Hialeah, Florida to Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at the Ontario, Canada, border...
and Man o' War BoulevardMan o' War BoulevardMan o' War Boulevard, named after the racehorse Man o' War, is a 17-mile urban arterial, circling Lexington, Kentucky to its south. Its western terminus is at US 60 Versailles Road at Keeneland Race Course's main entrance, from which the highway heads southeast, intersecting with US 68 , US 27 ,...
. It is partially completed, with the remaining segments under construction. - Hume Bedford Pike is a two-lane pike that connects Lexington to ParisParis, KentuckyAs of the census of 2000, there were 9,183 people, 3,857 households, and 2,487 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 4,222 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 84.23% White, 12.71% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.16%...
.with one of the most scenic routes in the area.
Unbuilt
The East-West Expressway was a primary feature of the Wilbur Smith Plan of 1962. The interstateInterstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, , is a network of limited-access roads including freeways, highways, and expressways forming part of the National Highway System of the United States of America...
-quality highway would have connected the western fringe of downtown to the eastern edge, and have been located between High and Maxwell Streets. The plan also included a widened 2nd Street, which would have been a six-lane thoroughfare north of the central business district. Another proposal included a freeway in the Vine Street corridor after the removal of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway
The Chesapeake and Ohio Railway was a Class I railroad formed in 1869 in Virginia from several smaller Virginia railroads begun in the 19th century. Led by industrialist Collis P...
tracks. The design alternatives included a depressed, at-grade, and elevated highway. Each proposal was discarded as impractical, as each plan included insufficient ramp access, blockage of downtown traffic, and a necessity to renovate adjoining buildings to raise the floor levels.