KY 242

KYTC District 3's weekly summaries show a busy construction season across the 10-county region. The U.S. 31-W Bypass in northern Bowling Green (KY 234 to Park Street) is being widened to five lanes, with traffic narrowed to one lane each way until 2027. The I-165 Green River bridges in Butler County are being fully restored, with southbound traffic crossed over and a 55 mph limit through fall 2026. U.S. 68 is being realigned for 1.2 miles between KY 729 (Green County) and KY 745 (Metcalfe County) with a new bridge over Caney Fork Creek, and the U.S. 68/KY 70 intersection has been rebuilt slightly east of its old location. U.S. 79 is being widened from the Tennessee line to mile marker 3 and was closed overnight in Russellville for resurfacing. U.S. 231 (Main Street) in Butler County closed overnight for resurfacing, and lane closures began on I-165 near the I-65 interchange.

In Barren County, a nine-mile KY 90 safety corridor between Cave City and Glasgow is adding alternating passing lanes and turn lanes, and a U.S. 31-E Highway Safety Improvement Project (mile points 8–12) adds a four-foot centerline buffer to reduce head-on crashes, plus a turn lane at Windy Hills Road. Smaller items: a new 1.8-mile KY 185 alignment opened in northern Warren County (the old road became KY 3557), and lane assignments changed at KY 242 and U.S. 31-W to improve flow.

[Read Full Text]

On March 16, 2021, representatives from consulting group Michael Baker international, the Bowling Green-Warren County Metropolitan Planning Organization, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet conducted a virtual public meeting to discuss early planning for construction of a new interchange on I-65 in Southern Warren County. Such an interchange would fill a fourteen mile gap between the interchange at Exit 6 in Simpson County and the I-165 interchange at Exit 20 in Bowling Green. Three potential alternatives under consideration are at KY 240 (Woodburn Allen Springs Road), KY 242 (Richpond Road), or at Carter Sims Road. Improving connections with US 31W (Nashville Road) and KY 622 (Plano Road) are also being considered. Construction of any such interchange is believed to be eight to twelve years away.

More information:

• Bowling Green Daily News: Woodburn area grades best on I-65 interchange study (March 17, 2021) 
• I-65 Interchange Feasibility Study