Interstate 169 Kentucky

Future Interstate 169 Kentucky

Overview

Interstate 169 is the designation for the Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway between I-24 near Hopkinsville and the exchange joining I-69 and Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway (Future I-569) near Nortonville. Costing $14 million, upgrades bringing the 34 miles of the Pennyrile Parkway to Interstate standards were completed in December 2024. Work beginning in 2023 increased bridge clearances, redesigned ramps and improved bridges among other changes. With those standards met, the parkway was redesignated as I-169 (Latek, 2024).

Route Information

  • North End – Nortonville, KY

  • South End – Hopkinsville, KY

  • Mileage – 34.18

  • Cities – Hopkinsville, Crofton, Nortonville

  • Junctions – I-24 I-69

Source:
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Functional Classification Interactive Map

History

Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway (KY 9004) opened to traffic in 1969 as a toll facility between U.S. 41 in Henderson and U.S. 41 Alternate in Hopkinsville. Originally under the Kentucky Turnpike Authority, tolls were levied along 56 of 71 miles of the parkway until 1992, when the bonds to construct it were paid off ahead of schedule (Carlyle, 2015). The toll free section of Pennyrile Parkway carried U.S. 41 north from Nortonville to Mortons Gap and Madisonville, until the mid 1990s when the U.S. highway was returned to its original alignment. The parkway was renamed after Edward T. Breathitt on September 13, 2000 in honor of the former Kentucky Governor (Carlyle, 2015). During his tenure as Governor (1963-1967), Breathitt continued the work of Bert T. Combs in improving funding for roads and highways, among other services in the state (“Ned Breathitt”, 2017). Pennyrile Parkway was among the highways funded during his administration (The Eagle Post, 2011).

Despite a 1976 approval to extend Pennyrile Parkway from U.S. 41 Alternate / Exit 7 near Hopkinsville south to Interstate 24 (AARoads Wiki, 2025), the parkway remained unfinished until 2011. Construction began in 2006 to complete the connection with I-24. The first of three phases constructed 1.8 miles from U.S. 41 Alternate to U.S. 68 Bypass around Hopkinsville (The Gleaner, 2006). This stretch opened to traffic in 2008 (Carlyle, 2015).

Phase two of the 7 mile long project opened April 2010, connecting Pennyrile Parkway with Lover’s Lane (Exit 5) and nearby Hopkinsville Convention Center  (Carlyle, 2015). The remaining 4.9 miles of Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway, including the trumpet interchange with I-24, opened to traffic on March 1, 2011. Costing $101 million (The Eagle Post, 2011), the project provided much needed relief from traffic congestion along surrounding corridors. As stated by a chief engineer for the Kentucky Department of Highways District 2 in Madisonville (WFIE-TV-14, 2011),

As traffic has increased over the years, cross-country trucks and through passenger vehicles created congestion on U.S. 41-A, prompting the need to complete the connection to I-24.

With the parkway finished south of Hopkinsville, efforts commenced in 2011 to petition the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Congress redesignate the section between I-24 and the Western Kentucky Parkway as an I-24 spur (The Eagle Post, 2011). Since the Pennyrile Parkway north from Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway to Henderson was signed into law as Interstate 69 per the SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008 (2008), state legislatures wanted a separate designation for the remaining portion, citing its importance as a regional high speed corridor.

The U.S. Senate passed an amendment to H.R. 2577 of the Fiscal Year 2017 Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Bill on May 18, 2016 that designated Pennyrile Parkway as Interstate 169 (Paul, 2016). Submitted by U.S. Senator Rand Paul (2016), the I-169 designation

will increase economic development and opportunities for thousands of Kentuckians.

Future Interstate 169 corridor signs were installed at both ends of the Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway as well as at the Christian/Hopkins County line as of April 23, 2018 (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 2, 2018).

North End I-69 / Western Kentucky Parkway – Nortonville, Kentucky

I-69 South at I-169 / Western Kentucky Pkwy

I-69 south at I-169/Western Kentucky Pkwy - Mortons Gap
I-69 south at I-169/Western Kentucky Pkwy - Mortons Gap

Interstate 69 heads south from the city of Mortons Gap to a systems exchange with I-169 (Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway) and Western Kentucky Parkway (Future I-569) northeast of Nortonville. 06/25/22

I-69 south at I-169/Western Kentucky Pkwy - Mortons Gap
I-69 south at I-169/Western Kentucky Pkwy - Mortons Gap

New roadways were constructed for Interstate 69 that bypass the original cloverleaf interchange joining Western Kentucky and Pennyrile Parkways. Redesign of the exchange at Exit 106 was completed in November 2015. 06/25/22

I-169 North at I-69 / Western Kentucky Pkwy

I-69 south at I-169/Western Kentucky Pkwy - Mortons Gap

I-169 (Pennyrile Parkway) defaults onto Interstate 69 north ahead of Mortons Gap, Earlington and Madisonville beyond Exit 34 B for I-69 south toward Dawson Springs, Princeton and Eddyville. 09/07/20

I-69 south at I-169/Western Kentucky Pkwy - Mortons Gap

Western Kentucky Parkway is part of Future I-569 east from I-69/169 to I-165 near Beaver Dam. 09/07/20

Western Kentucky Pkwy – West at I-69 I-169

Western Kentucky Pkwy west at I-69/169 - Nortonville

Western Kentucky Parkway defaults onto Interstate 69 south beyond the loop ramp (Exit 38 B) for I-169 to Nortonville and Hopkinsville. 09/07/20

South End I-24 – Hopkinsville, Kentucky

I-169 South at I-24

Pennyrile Pkwy south at I-24 - Hopkinsville, KY

Pennyrile Parkway heads four miles south from the Hopkinsville city limits to the trumpet interchange with Interstate 24 at Exit 1. 06/25/22

Pennyrile Pkwy south at I-24 - Hopkinsville, KY

Pennyrile Parkway makes an S-curve across agricultural areas one mile ahead of Interstate 24. 06/25/22

Pennyrile Pkwy south at I-24 - Hopkinsville, KY

Exit 1 A departs in a half mile for Interstate 24 leading northwest to I-69 at Eddyville and U.S. 45 at Paducah. 06/25/22

Pennyrile Pkwy south at I-24 - Hopkinsville, KY

The Pennyrile Parkway mainline defaults onto Interstate 24 east at Left Exit 1 B leading to Clarksville and Nashville, Tennessee. 06/25/22

I-24 West at I-169

I-24 west one mile from I-169 north

One mile ahead of the trumpet interchange (Exit 81) joining Interstate 24 west with I-169 (Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway) north. 12/20/23

I-24 west a half mile from I-169 north

Interstate 24 crosses agricultural areas on the north side of Oak Grove leading west into the exchange with I-169 (Pennyrile Parkway). 12/20/23

I-24 west at I-169 north to Hopkinsville, KY

I-169 provides a direct route from Interstate 24 west for I-69 north to Madisonville, Henderson and Evansville, Indiana. 12/20/23

I-24 East at I-169

I-24 east at Pennyrile Pkwy - Hopkinsville, KY

Lafayette Road passes over I-24 east two miles ahead of Exit 81 for I-169 (Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway). I-169 connects I-24 with Hopkinsville, Madisonville and Henderson. 11/07/11

I-24 east at Pennyrile Pkwy - Hopkinsville, KY

Pennyrile Parkway was redesignated as I-69 between Western Kentucky Parkway / Exit 34 and U.S. 41 / Exit 78 in Henderson in 2011. 11/07/11

I-24 east at Pennyrile Pkwy - Hopkinsville, KY

A loop ramp (Exit 81) joins I-24 east with I-169 (Pennyrile Parkway) north to Hopkinsville, Crofton and Nortonville. 11/07/11

References

Latek, T. 55 miles of Ky. parkways accepted into Interstate Highway System following recent upgrades. KentuckyToday. https://www.kentuckytoday.com/news/55-miles-of-ky-parkways-accepted-into-interstate-highway-system-following-recent-upgrades/article_4fadc312-c152-11ef-9b4c-1759f32e123a.html

Carlyle, J. (2015, September 15). Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway. KentuckyRoads.com. https://www.kentuckyroads.com/pennyrile_parkway/

Ned Breathitt. (2017, February 17). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ned_Breathitt&oldid=765120811

AARoads Wiki. (2025, September 18). Pennyrile Parkway. Retrieved November 11, 2025, from https://wiki.aaroads.com/wiki/Pennyrile_Parkway

Pennyrile Parkway officially opens. (2011, June 29). The Eagle Post

State to extend Pennyrile. (2006, May 6). The Gleaner.

Pennyrile Parkway extension opens. (2011, March 1). WFIE-TV-14.

SAFETEA-LU Technical Corrections Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-244, 122 Stat. 1572 (2008). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/PLAW-110publ244/pdf/PLAW-110publ244.pdf

Rand, R. (2016, May 19). Senate Unanimously Passes Sen. Rand Paul’s Amendment to Designate Interstate I-169 in Western Kentucky to the Transportation and Housing Appropriations Bill. [Press release]. U.S. Senate. Retrieved from https://www.paul.senate.gov/news-senate-unanimously-passes-sen-rand-pauls-amendment-designate-interstate-i-169-western-kentucky/

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 2. (2018, April 20). An INVITATION
Please join the Christian County Chamber of Commerce and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for a “Future Interstate 169 Spur Corridor” sign [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/KYTCDistrict2/posts/pfbid023SSC7qoCypv7uqQDct8wkwxMsdhsYo9iCcnuPw6Mxpc5DcYsC8S3o6nDroacX5LQl

Page updated November 12, 2025.