Interstate 264 Kentucky
Overview
Interstate 264 is an urban loop encircling central Louisville. Following the Shawnee Expressway west of U.S. 31W/60 at Shively and the Henry Watterson Expressway east of Dixie Highway to St. Matthews and Indian Hills, I-264 provides an alternate route for I-64.
History
HistoryInterstate 264 was one of two routes approved by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) for the Kentucky statewide urban Interstate numerology on November 10, 1958. The other was I-471 at the Covington-Newport urban area, which was redesignated from I-271.
Named because it runs through the Shawnee neighborhood of Louisville, the Shawnee Expressway opened to traffic in 1970. The Watterson Expressway, named after Henry Watterson, a journalist and editor of the local paper, began as a stretch of freeway between Dixie Highway and Shelbyville Road in 1948. Completion of the route to Interstate 71 followed by 1974.
Route Information
East End – Northfield, KY
West End – Louisville, KY
Mileage – 22.93
Cities – Louisville, Shively, St. Matthews
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
I-264 Annual Average Daily Traffic (AADT)
Source: 2017 to 2019 AADT – KYTC Interactive Statewide Traffic Counts Map
2009 count between I-64/U.S. 150 and Exit 1.
 Photo Guides
 Photo GuidesEast End 
– Northfield, Kentucky
East at 
Traffic partitions along Interstate 264 eastbound for I-71 north of U.S. 42 by the city of Northfield. 09/08/20
Two lanes default onto Interstate 71 south (Exit 23B) between Glenview and Indian Hills to central Louisville. I-71 travels northeast 88 miles to Covington. 09/08/20
South at
Interstate 71 weaves between a number of subdivisions and home rule-class cities including Spring Valley on the two mile approach to I-264 (Henry Watterson Expressway). 09/08/20
Crossing over U.S. 42 (Brownsboro Road) at Glenview Manor, I-71 advances one mile to Interstate 264. 09/08/20
Southbound traffic enters the directional T interchange (Exit 5) with Interstate 264 (Watterson Expressway) west to St. Matthews and Louisville International Airport (SDF). 09/08/20
North at
Interstate 71 curves away from the parallel Ohio River between Indian Hills and Glenview ahead of I-264 (Watterson Expressway). 09/08/20
One mile ahead of the directional T interchange (Exit 5) with Interstate 264 along I-71 north at the Poplar Hill Court overpass. 09/08/20
Northbound I-71 proceeds with two lanes toward the split with I-264 west. A second lane opens for both the Watterson Expressway south to St. Mathews and the continuation of I-71 toward Covington. 09/08/20
Interstate 71 north at I-264 (Henry Watterson Expressway) west. 09/08/20
East End Throwback
East at
I-264 converges with U.S. 42 (Brownsboro Road) between the cities of Windy Hills, Indian Hills and Northfield one mile south of Interstate 71 (Exit 23). Photo by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
Construction in 2012/13 added a third eastbound lane leading into the exchange with I-71. Photo by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
Replaced overheads at Exit 23A/B. Photo by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
South at
These guide signs for Exit 5 along I-71 south were replaced by 2007. Photo by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03). Photos by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
North at
Photos by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
West End 
– Louisville, Kentucky
West at 
I-264 navigates through an S-curve between the Shawnee and Portland neighborhoods north to Interstate 64 and U.S. 150 at Exit 0. 09/08/20
Entering the three-wye interchange (Exit 0) with I-64 and U.S. 150, the Shawnee Expressway mainline defaults onto eastbound toward Downtown Louisville. 09/08/20
Exit 0B connects with the Sherman Minton Bridge upper level to New Albany, Indiana. 09/08/20
East at
I-65/U.S. 150 cross the Ohio River on the Sherman Minton Bridge ahead of the exchange with Interstate 264 (Shawnee Expressway). Built in 1962, the double deck through arch bridge closed for four months due to emergency repairs in 2011. Starting in 2021, a $90 plus million renovation project will add 30 years to the bridge life span.1 09/08/20
Curving east across the Kentucky state line, I-64/U.S. 150 proceed with three eastbound lanes to Interstate 264 east at Exit 1. 09/08/20
Construction rebuilt the flyovers at the three-wye interchange with I-264 (Shawnee Expressway) in 2009/10. I-264 initially heads south to the city of Shively before turning east to the Wyandotte and Beechmont neighborhoods in Louisville. 09/08/20
West at
U.S. 150 leads north through the Russell and Portland neighborhoods west of Downtown Louisville to I-64 at Exit 3. U.S. 150 combines with Interstate 64 west from 22nd Street along the Ohio River to I-264 and the Sherman Minton Bridge. 09/07/20
Exit 1 departs I-64/U.S. 150 west for Interstate 264 to the city of Shively just ahead of the Sherman Minton Bridge into New Albany, Indiana. 09/07/20
West End Throwback
Previous overheads for I-64/U.S. 150 at the west end of Interstate 264. Photo by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
I-64/U.S. 150 cross the Sherman Minton Bridge southeast from Spring Street in New Albany, Indiana to I-264 at Portland in Louisville. Photo by Chris and Amber Lokken (01/28/10).
The overhead for I-264 posted 1.50 miles east of Exit 1 at U.S. 150 was removed. Photo by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
I-64/U.S. 150 reduce to two through lanes at Left Exit 1 for Interstate 264 (Shawnee Expressway) east. Photos by Chris Patriarca (05/26/03).
Sources:
- “Sherman Minton Bridge project: What to know about closures and tolls.” Courier Journal (Louisville, KY), October 1, 2018.
Page updated September 15, 2020.