Kentucky Route 80

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KY 80
Maintained by KYTC
Length: 464.936 mi[1] (748.242 km)
West end: KY 58 in Columbus
Major
junctions:		 US 45/KY 58/KY 121 in Mayfield
US 641 north of Murray
US 68 in Aurora
I-24 near Cadiz
Pennyrile Pkwy in Hopkinsville
US 79 in Russellville
Natcher Pkwy in Bowling Green
I-65 in Oakland
US 68 in Edmonton
I-75 in London
US 23/Corridor B in Watergap
East end: VA 80 east of Elkhorn City
Counties: Hickman, Carlisle, Graves, Calloway, Marshall, Trigg, Christian, Todd, Logan, Warren, Barren, Metcalfe, Adair, Russell, Casey, Pulaski, Laurel, Clay, Leslie, Perry, Knott, Floyd, Pike
Major cities: Columbus, Mayfield, Murray, Hopkinsville, Russellville, Bowling Green, Glasgow, Edmonton, Columbia, Russell Springs, Somerset, London, Hazard, Pikeville
Numbered highways in Kentucky
< KY 79 KY 81 >
Interstates - U.S. Highways - State Highways

Kentucky Route 80 (KY 80) is a 464.936 mile (748.242 km) long state highway in southern Kentucky. The route originates on the state's western border at Columbus in Hickman County, and stretches across the southern portion of the state, terminating southeast of Elkhorn City on the border with Virginia. It is the longest Kentucky State Highway, though the official distance as listed in route logs is much less due to multiple concurrencies with U.S. Route 68 and U.S. Route 23.

The route has been split into two segments since 2003.

Contents

[edit] Route description

From Columbus, the road passes through Hickman, Carlisle and Graves Counties before temporarily terminating in Mayfield. Before 2003, the road passed through Mayfield and into Marshall County before converging with U.S. Highway 68 in Aurora. The two-lane segment of former Highway 80 from Mayfield to Aurora now has two separate designations. From Mayfield to Brewers in Marshall County, the road retains its former co-designation as Kentucky Route 58. The segment from Brewers to Aurora is now designated as Kentucky Route 402.

Ground has been broken for a modern four-lane Highway 80 from Mayfield to U.S. Highway 641 in Calloway County north of Murray. At this point, it will join with a recently completed four-lane Kentucky 80 that runs roughly northeast from 641 through Calloway County and briefly into Marshall County before converging with U.S. Highway 68 near the eastern terminus of Kentucky 402 in Aurora.

From Aurora, it follows US 68 through Trigg, Christian, Todd, and Logan counties to Bowling Green (Warren County).

From Bowling Green to Somerset, Kentucky, Highway 80 is parallelled (and largely supplanted) by the Louis B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway, officially designated as the future route of Interstate 66. Highway 80 serves rural portions of Barren, Metcalfe (including the city of Edmonton), Adair, Russell, and Casey counties to Somerset (Pulaski County).

Between Somerset and London (Laurel County), Highway 80 is again the primary route. The state's Interstate 66 proposals call for Highway 80 to again be bypassed in this area, with the new road sharing only the crossing over the Rockcastle River gorge.[2] This proposal has met with controversy, with area residents preferring that the new Interstate be built on the existing Highway 80 right of way.[3]

From London to Hazard, Kentucky, Highway 80 is again supplanted, this time by the former Daniel Boone Parkway, renamed the Hal Rogers Parkway in 2003. Highway 80 serves rural portions of Clay, Leslie, and Perry counties before rejoining the Parkway near Hazard.

Highway 80 is a modern four-lane highway (though not controlled access) from Hazard through Knott County to Watergap, Kentucky in Floyd County where it converges with U.S. Highway 23. This section of Highway 80 was completely new construction, with the old highway's segments renamed with several designations, primarily Highway 550. Highway 80 continues with US 460 until reaching Belcher, Kentucky in Pike County and terminates at the Virginia border near Elkhorn City, Kentucky.

[edit] History

Originally, westbound Route 80 continued via ferry across the Mississippi River to Belmont, Missouri, where it connected with Missouri Route 80, which travels west to U.S. Route 61/62 near Sikeston. That ferry has since been long-discontinued.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Kentucky Transportation Cabinet - Division of Planning - Highway Information System Official Milepoint Route Log Extract. Retrieved on 2007-04-07.
  2. ^ Mills, Carol. "Officials approve I-66 route", The Sentinel-Echo (London, KY), 2007-07-31. Retrieved on 2007-11-30. 
  3. ^ Mills, Carol. "I-66 plan causes road rage", The Sentinel-Echo (London, KY), 2007-08-28. Retrieved on 2007-11-30. 

[edit] External links