U.S. Route 231 in Kentucky
U.S. Route 231 (US 231) in Kentucky runs 86.465 miles (139.152 km) from the Tennessee state line near Adolphus to the William H. Natcher Bridge on the Ohio River (Indiana state line) near Rockport, Indiana. It crosses the state mainly in the west-central region, traversing Allen, Warren, Butler, Ohio, and Daviess Counties.
U.S. Route 231 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
US 231 in Kentucky highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by KYTC | ||||
| Length | 114.717 mi[1] (184.619 km) | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |   US 231 / US 31E at the Tennessee state line | |||
US 31E in Scottsville I-65 at Bowling Green US 31W in Bowling Green  US 68 / KY 80 in Bowling Green  KY 70 / KY 79 in Morgantown I-165 (3 times).svg.png.webp){kind=small}  Future I-569 / Western Kentucky Parkway in Beaver Dam US 62 in Beaver Dam US 60 in Owensboro | ||||
| North end | US 231 at the Indiana state line near Rockport | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Kentucky | |||
| Counties | Allen, Warren, Butler, Ohio, Daviess | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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Route description
Running concurrently with U.S. Route 31E for its first 8.607 miles (13.852 km) in Kentucky, US 231/31E enters the state from Sumner County, Tennessee, and into Allen County. The two routes separate on the west side of Scottsville after the KY 100 junction. US 231 turns northwestward onto a four-lane highway on its way into Warren County, and into Bowling Green. Just before entering the city, US 231 crosses the southern terminus of KY 9007, a short connector providing access to I-65 and I-165. US 231 crosses I-65 in the Greenwood neighborhood of Bowling Green, US 31W and US 68 within city limits, and I-165 on the northwestern edge of the city.[2]
US 231 reaches Butler County to cross I-165 for a second time, and runs concurrently with KY 79 on the southern end of Morgantown. On the northern end of Morgantown, KY 70 joins in on the concurrency as US 231, KY 79, and KY 70 cross the Green River. Both state routes separate from US 231 in the Aberdeen area before crossing the I-165 for a third time before entering Ohio County. US 231 meets U.S. Route 62 in the Beaver Dam/Hartford area after crossing the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway on the south side of Beaver Dam.[3]
US 231 goes further north into Daviess County to join up with US 60 (Wendell H. Ford Expressway) to bypass Owensboro. US 60 splits from US 231 before leaving the state via the William H. Natcher Bridge going into Spencer County, Indiana.[4]
Alternate names
U.S. 231 has several alternate names throughout its course in Kentucky. They include:
- Scottsville Road (Allen/Warren County line to US 231 Bus/KY 880)
- Campbell Lane (Bowling Green, from US 231 Bus/KY 880 to US 68/80)
- Vietnam Veterans Boulevard (US 68/KY80 to US 231 Bus)
- Morgantown Road (Warren County, US 231 Bus/US 68 to Butler-Warren County line)
- Bowling Green Road (Butler County south of Morgantown)
- South Main Street (Morgantown)
- G.L. Smith Street (Morgantown)
- Beaver Dam Road (Aberdeen to Butler-Ohio County line)
- New Hartford Road (Daviess County, from Ohio County line to US 60)
History
Kentucky Route 71
Kentucky Route 71 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Scottsville-Owensboro, Kentucky |
| Existed | 1929–1952 |
In Kentucky, US 231 was originally signed as Kentucky Route 71, one of many charter routes of Kentucky's statewide system of highways when it was established in 1929.[5] KY 71 originally ran from downtown Scottsville to downtown Owensboro. Prior to 1936, KY 71 followed the present-day KY 403 from Morgantown to Cromwell via Logansport and a ferry crossing.[6] In 1936, KY 71 was rerouted to Aberdeen in order to accommodate the alignment KY 70 and KY 105 (now KY 79) via another ferry crossing between Morgantown and Aberdeen.[7] A bridge over the Green River between the two cities opened around 1952, replacing the Morgantown-Aberdeen Ferry. In 1952, US 231 replaced the designation of KY 71 in its entirety as the U.S. route was extended from Montgomery, Alabama into Kentucky and Indiana via Huntsville, Alabama and Murfreesboro, Tennessee.[8][9]
Modern-day realignments (1990-present)
In August 1999, US 231 in Bowling Green was rerouted onto KY 880 (Campbell Lane) from the Scottsville Road intersection to the Morgantown Road intersection on the northwest side of town. The former alignment of US 231 into downtown Bowling Green was redesignated as U.S. 231 Business.
In 2002, US 231 in Daviess County was rerouted from downtown Owensboro onto the then-new William H. Natcher Bridge north of Maceo. It previously followed the current KY 2155 and KY 2262 onto the Owensboro Bridge in downtown Owensboro into Spencer County until the opening of the Natcher Bridge.[10][11]
Widening of Morgantown's South Main Street
The stretch of US 231 from the Natcher Parkway (now I-165) interchange to Bell Street in Morgantown was widened to include a center lane for left-turning in 2013–2014.[12][13][14]
Scottsville Road speed limit increase
In late May 2017, the KYTC raised the speed limit of US 231 from near Scottsville to the near the Drakes Creek bridge south of Bowling Green from the original 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) to 65 miles per hour (105 km/h).[15] This makes this stretch of US 231 the second section of a four-lane divided highway with unlimited access in the region with a 65 mph speed limit, the first being US 68/KY 80 from I-24 in Trigg County to the Natcher Parkway Exit 7 (now I-165 Exit 5) interchange at Bowling Green.
Major intersections
| County | Location | mi[1] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumner | | 0.000 | 0.000 |  US 231 south / US 31E south – Westmoreland, Gallatin, Nashville | Continuation into Tennessee |
| Allen | Adolphus | 2.129 | 3.426 |     KY 482 west (Andrew Jackson Highway) to KY 3521 south | Eastern terminus of KY 482 |
| Petroleum | 3.737 | 6.014 |   KY 1147 south to KY 3500 | Northern terminus of KY-1147 | |
| Scottsville | 7.415 | 11.933 |  KY 100 – Franklin, Scottsville Business District | ||
| 8.607 | 13.852 |    US 31E north / KY 980 east – Glasgow, Downtown Scottsville | Western terminus of KY 980; End concurrency with US 31E | ||
| 8.836 | 14.220 |  KY 3241 north (Old Bowling Green Road) | Southern terminus of KY-3241 | ||
| | 14.114 | 22.714 |  KY 1332 – Halifax | ||
| Allen Springs | 17.130 | 27.568 |  KY 240 west (Woodburn-Allen Springs Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 240 | |
| Warren | Alvaton | 20.471 | 32.945 |  KY 961 east (New Cut Road) | Western terminus of KY 961 |
| Bowling Green | 23.808 | 38.315 |   KY 9007 north to I-65 / I-165 – Bowling Green, Owensboro | Southern terminus of KY 9007; at-grade intersection | |
| 25.061 | 40.332 |  KY 622 south – Plano | Northern terminus of KY-622 | ||
| 26.028 | 41.888 |  KY 2158 north (Cumberland Trace Road) | Southern terminus of KY 2158 | ||
| 26.209– 26.253 | 42.179– 42.250 | I-65 to I-165 – Nashville, Louisville | I-65 Exit 22 | ||
| 26.633 | 42.862 |  KY 884 south (Three Springs Road) | Northern terminus of KY 884 | ||
| 27.631 | 44.468 |   US 231 Bus. north (Scottsville Road) / KY 880 east (Lovers Lane) | US 231 turns left onto Campbell Lane | ||
| 30.218 | 48.631 | US 31W (Nashville Road) to I-165 – Western Kentucky University, Kentucky State Police, Woodburn, Franklin | |||
| 31.058 | 49.983 | US 68 (Russellville Road) / KY 80 / US 68 Bus. to I-165 – Russellville, Western Kentucky Univ. | Begin concurrency with US 68; Western terminus of US 68 Business | ||
| 32.57 | 52.42 |  US 68 east (Veterans Memorial Boulevard) / US 231 Bus. south (Morgantown Road) to I-65 north | Western terminus of US 231 Business; US 231 turns left onto Morgantown Road | ||
| 33.500– 33.556 | 53.913– 54.003 | I-165 to I-65 – Nashville, Scottsville, Owensboro | I-165 Exit 7 | ||
| 34.653 | 55.769 |   KY 3191 north to KY 2665 | Southern terminus of KY 3191 | ||
| | 35.450 | 57.051 |  KY 2632 west | Western terminus of KY-2632 | |
| Hadley | 40.300 | 64.857 |  KY 626 west (Jackson Bridge Road) – Quality | Begin concurrency with KY 626 | |
| 41.373 | 66.583 | KY 626 east | End concurrency with KY 626 | ||
| Butler | Needmore | 46.038 | 74.091 |  KY 1083 south – Sugar Grove | Northern terminus of KY 1083 |
| | 47.829 | 76.973 |  KY 1435 south – Bowling Green | Northern terminus of KY-1435 | |
| | 50.071 | 80.581 |  KY 403 north (Woodbury Loop) – Woodbury | Southern terminus of KY 403 | |
| 52.81 | 84.99 | KY 79 south – Russellville | Begin concurrency with KY 79 | ||
| Morgantown | 53.25 | 85.70 |  KY 1468 north (Gardner Lane) to KY 70 | Southern terminus of KY 1468 | |
| 53.535 | 86.156 |  I-165 south – Bowling Green | Exit 26 on I-165 southbound, and ramps to I-165 south | ||
| 53.549 | 86.179 |  I-165 north / US 231 Truck north / KY 79 Truck north – Owensboro | Exit 28 on I-165 northbound, and ramps to I-165 north, southern terminus of US 231 Truck/KY 79 Truck | ||
| 55.486 | 89.296 | KY 403 south – Woodbury | Begin concurrency with KY 403 | ||
| 55.554 | 89.405 |  KY 2161 north (North Main Street) | Southern terminus of KY 2161 | ||
| 55.832 | 89.853 |  KY 2162 (Old Logansport Road) | |||
| 56.124 | 90.323 | KY 70 west (Veterans Way) / KY 403 north / US 231 Truck south / KY 79 Truck south to I-165 – Industrial District, Charles Black City Park, Rochester | End concurrency with KY 403; begin concurrency with KY 70; northern terminus of US 231 Truck/KY 79 Truck | ||
| | 56.868– 57.148 | 91.520– 91.971 | Bridge over Green River | ||
| Aberdeen | 57.937 | 93.241 | KY 79 north (Caneyville Road) – Caneyville | End concurrency with KY 79 | |
| 58.184 | 93.638 |  KY 1328 east (Aberdeen-Jetson Road) | Western terminus of KY-1328 | ||
| | 58.895 | 94.782 | KY 70 east (Brownsville Road) – Roundhill, Brownsville, Mammoth Cave National Park | End concurrency with KY 70 | |
| | 61.347 | 98.728 |  KY 1118 north (Gilstrap Road) | Southern terminus of KY 1118 | |
| | 62.39– 62.446 | 100.41– 100.497 | I-165 – Owensboro, Bowling Green | I-165 Exit 33 | |
| Ohio | Cromwell | 65.267 | 105.037 |  KY 505 north (Baizetown Road) | Southern terminus of KY 505 |
| 65.654 | 105.660 | KY 403 south | Northern terminus of KY 403; dead end | ||
| | 69.227 | 111.410 |  KY 269 south – Reed's Ferry, Logansport | Northern terminus of KY 269 | |
| Beaver Dam | 70.167 | 112.923 |  Western Kentucky Parkway east to I-165 – Owensboro, Elizabethtown | Exit 75 on WK Parkway eastbound, and ramps to WK Parkway east | |
| 70.188 | 112.957 |  Western Kentucky Parkway west – Paducah | Exit 75 on WK Parkway westbound, and ramps to WK Parkway west | ||
| 70.315 | 113.161 |  KY 2718 north (Applehouse Road) | Southern terminus of KY 2718 | ||
| 72.849 | 117.239 |  KY 369 south – Rochester, Rochester Ferry | Northern terminus of KY 369 | ||
| 73.456 | 118.216 | US 62 west (First Street) – Central City, McHenry, Rockport | Begin concurrency with US 62 | ||
| 73.85 | 118.85 |  KY 273 west (Goshen Road) | Eastern terminus of KY 273 | ||
| 74.315 | 119.598 | US 62 east (Louisville Road) – Rosine, Leitchfield | End concurrency with US 62 | ||
| Hartford | 76.516 | 123.141 |  KY 69 north to I-165 – Fordsville | Begin concurrency with KY 69 | |
| 77.533 | 124.777 |  KY 69 south / KY 1543 south | Northern terminus of KY 1543; end concurrency with KY-69 | ||
| 79.126 | 127.341 |  KY 136 west – Livermore, Calhoun | Eastern terminus of KY 136 | ||
| | 79.949 | 128.665 |  KY 1737 north | Southern terminus of KY 1737 | |
| | 84.544 | 136.060 |  KY 1414 east (Taffy Road) | Western terminus of KY 1414 | |
| Pleasant Ridge | 87.946 | 141.535 |  KY 2115 north | Southern terminus of KY-2115 | |
| Daviess | Pleasant Ridge | 89.874 | 144.638 |  KY 764 east | Eastern terminus of KY 764 |
| | 90.041 | 144.907 |  KY 140 west | Eastern terminus of KY-140 | |
| | 93.536 | 150.532 |  KY 142 north – Philpot | Southern terminus of KY 142 | |
| | 97.221 | 156.462 |  KY 298 north (Old Hartford Road) | Southern end of KY 298 concurrency | |
| | 97.463 | 156.851 | KY 298 south | Northern end of KY 298 concurrency | |
| Owensboro | 99.057 | 159.417 |  KY 3143 east | Western terminus of KY 3143 | |
| 99.565 | 160.234 |  KY 2117 north – Owensboro Community College | Southern terminus of KY 2117 | ||
| 99.872 | 160.728 |  US 60 west (Wendell H. Ford Expressway) to Audubon Parkway | Begin concurrency with US 60; Exit 16 of US 60/Wendell Ford Expressway | ||
| 100.908 | 162.396 | I-165 south – Hartford, Beaver Dam, Bowling Green, Nashville | US 60 Exit 17; northern terminus of I-165, exits 70A-B northbound; trumpet interchange. | ||
| 102.098 | 164.311 |  KY 54 (Leitchfield Road) – Owensboro, Leitchfield | US 60/231 Exit 18 | ||
| 103.056 | 165.853 |  KY 603 north | US 60/231 Exit 19; southern terminus of KY 603 | ||
| 105.372 | 169.580 |  KY 144 – Downtown Owensboro | US 60/231 Exit 21 | ||
| | 107.626 | 173.207 | Hawes Boulevard | End of Expressway; US 60 and US 231 continues | |
| | 111.120 | 178.830 | US 60 east – Lewisport, Hawesville | End concurrency with US 60 | |
| | 113.816– 114.710 | 183.169– 184.608 | William H. Natcher Bridge over the Ohio River and Indiana State Road 66 | ||
| Spencer | Rockport | 114.717 | 184.619 | US 231 north – Rockport, Jasper, Lafayette, Chicago | Continuation into Indiana |
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- Commonwealth of Kentucky. "Official DMI Route Log". Retrieved July 5, 2016.
- DeLorme (2010). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (4th ed.). Yarmouth, ME: DeLorme. pp. 81 and 64.
- DeLorme (2010). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (4th ed.). Yarmouth, ME: DeLorme. pp. 63.
- DeLorme (2010). Kentucky Atlas & Gazetteer (Map) (4th ed.). Yarmouth, ME: DeLorme. pp. 32 & 45-46.
- Kentucky Department of State Highways (September 15, 1939). Road Map of Kentucky (PDF) (Map). c. 1:760,320. Frankfort: Kentucky Department of State Highways.
- Gulf Refining Company (1935). "Road map of Kentucky and Tennessee" (Map). 1935 Official Road Map of Kentucky and Tennessee. 1:1400000. Chicago: Rand McNally & Company. § C6.
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (1937). Butler County Highway Map (PDF) (Map). 1:62500. Frankfort: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
- Kentucky Department of Highways (1957). Kentucky Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). c. 1:760,320. Frankfort: Kentucky Department of Highways.
- "H.B.'s Fun Facts About Kentucky Highways". Archived from the original August 27, 2002. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (2001). Kentucky Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Frankfort: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
- Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (2003). Kentucky Official Highway Map (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Frankfort: Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
- Jobe, Jeff (July 28, 1999). "Patton's word is good: State approves its portion of $12M US 231 project". Butler County Banner-Republican., page 1.
- Terry, Sam (February 2, 2013). "Highway 231 Dream Realized". Butler County Banner-Republican., pages 1 and 16.
- Terry, Sam (February 2, 2013). "Widening efforts begun on US 231 in Butler County". Butler County Banner-Republican., page 1.
- French, Jackson (May 23, 2017). “State increases speed limit to 65 mph on U.S. 231.” Bowling Green Daily News, May 23, 2017, pages 1A and 6A. Retrieved May 25, 2017.