Interstate 264 (Kentucky)

Interstate 264 marker
Interstate 264
Watterson/Shawnee Expressway
Map
I-264 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-64
Maintained by KYTC
Length22.93 mi[1] (36.90 km)
Existed1948–present
HistoryExpanded into a partial loop from 1958 to 1974
NHSEntire route
Major junctions
West end I-64 / US 150 in Shawnee
Major intersections
East end I-71 in Glenview Manor
Location
CountryUnited States
StateKentucky
CountiesJefferson
Highway system
  • Kentucky State Highway System
KY 263 I-265

Interstate 264 (I-264) is a partial loop around the city of Louisville, Kentucky, south of the Ohio River. An auxiliary route of I-64, it is signed as the Shawnee Expressway for its first eight miles (13 km) from its western terminus at I-64/U.S. Route 150 (US 150) to US 31W/US 60 and as the Watterson Expressway for the remainder of its length from US 31W/US 60 to its northeastern terminus at I-71. It is 22.93 miles (36.90 km) in length and runs an open circle around central Louisville.[1] It is the only auxiliary route of I-64 outside of Virginia.

I-264 is Louisville's inner beltway (in conjunction with I-64 and I-71), and the later constructed I-265, the Gene Snyder Freeway, is Louisville's outer beltway. I-264 is currently used as the primary detour route when I-64 is closed through Downtown Louisville. However, in late 2016 with the completion of the Lewis and Clark Bridge, the formerly separate segments of I-265 in Kentucky and Indiana have been connected to provide another detour route.

In discussions about the city, I-264 is often used as a rough line dividing the older areas of Louisville from its suburbs.

  1. ^ a b "Table 2 – Auxiliary Routes – FHWA Route Log and Finder List – Interstate Highway System – National Highway System – Planning". Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2022.