The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has completed enhancements to the Purchase and Pennyrile Parkways, significantly improving connectivity and safety in the region.
Purchase Parkway Designated as Interstate 69 – In a two-year, $33.9 million project, 21 miles of the Julian Carroll-Purchase Parkway across Graves, Hickman, and Fulton counties have been upgraded to meet interstate standards. This segment has now been reclassified as Interstate 69, extending from Mayfield to Fulton, which improves traffic flow and enhances safety.
Key improvements included the widening of culverts, modernization of guardrails, enhancement of drainage systems, and reconstruction of bridges, overpasses, and exit ramps. A notable upgrade was the transformation of the KY 339 Exit 14 cloverleaf interchange into a diamond interchange with extended ramps for safer travel at interstate speeds. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has officially included this roadway in the National Highway System. Once the I-69 Ohio River crossing between Henderson and Evansville, Indiana, is completed, I-69 will provide a continuous route from Fulton to the Kentucky-Indiana border at Henderson.
Pennyrile Parkway Reclassified as Interstate 169 – A $14 million initiative has upgraded 34 miles of the Edward T. Breathitt-Pennyrile Parkway, linking the I-69 interchange in Hopkins County to Interstate 24 south of Hopkinsville in Christian County. This project, which began in 2023, involved enhancements such as upgrading bridges, increasing bridge clearances, redesigning ramps, rehabilitating road surfaces, and modernizing guardrails. These improvements have enabled the FHWA to reclassify the parkway as Interstate 169. The newly designated I-169 serves as a vital connection between I-24 and I-69, bolstering regional connectivity. It reduces the distance between the Indiana and Tennessee state lines by 44 interstate miles.