U.S. Route 68
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Route information | |
Length | 560 mi[1] (900 km) |
Existed | 1926[1]–present |
Major junctions | |
West end | ![]() |
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North end | ![]() |
Location | |
Country | United States |
States | Kentucky, Ohio |
Highway system | |
U.S. Route 68 (US 68) is an east–west United States highway that runs for 560 miles (900 km) from northwest Ohio to Western Kentucky. The highway's western terminus is at US 62 in Reidland, Kentucky. Its northern terminus is at Interstate 75 in Findlay, Ohio. It is signed east–west in Kentucky and north–south in Ohio.
Route description
Kentucky
This article about roads may need to be written in a south-to-north or west-to-east direction. |
![]() | It has been suggested that this section be split out into another article titled U.S. Route 68 in Kentucky. (Discuss) (June 2016) |
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/KYSR9SR10US68US62Maysville.jpg/220px-KYSR9SR10US68US62Maysville.jpg)
U.S. Route 68 is designated as a "Scenic Highway" throughout Kentucky. The majority of the route winds through forested, hilly terrain. US 68 is Broadway Street through downtown Lexington, and it is Harrodsburg Road before it leaves Lexington. US 68 goes near or through Maysville, Paris, Lexington, Wilmore, Harrodsburg, Lebanon, Campbellsville, Edmonton, Glasgow, Bowling Green, Auburn, Russellville, Elkton, Hopkinsville, Cadiz, and Reidland.
The route passes several Civil War battle sites. The Battle of Tebbs Bend Historic Civil War Site is located near Campbellsville and the Perryville Battlefield State Historic Site is outside Perryville. In addition, the Jefferson Davis State Historic Site is along the highway about 9 miles (14 km) east of Hopkinsville at the small town of Fairview.
There is an annual 400-mile (640 km) yard sale held along the highway for 4 days in early summer.[2]
The sections of the highway through Campbellsville and Lebanon are slated for expansion to begin in 2008. The long-term goal is to widen and make safer the entire US 68 corridor through Kentucky as part of the Heartland Parkway project.[3][4]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/040804_20.jpg/220px-040804_20.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/95/Us_68_in_Jessamine_County%2C_Kentucky.jpg/220px-Us_68_in_Jessamine_County%2C_Kentucky.jpg)
Sections in Kentucky have been improved in recent years. The Paris Pike which was completed in 2003. Work is currently in progress to make US 68 four lanes through Land Between the Lakes.
Two spans of the US 68/KY 80 Eggner Ferry Bridge over Kentucky Lake collapsed after being struck by a cargo ship on January 26, 2012.[5] The bridge reopened to traffic on May 25, 2012.[6]
Browse numbered routes | ||||
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Ohio
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/62/Bellefontaine_Summit.jpg/220px-Bellefontaine_Summit.jpg)
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2008) |
US 68 takes a south-north route throughout Ohio, roughly paralleling Interstate 75 but covering counties one tier to the east of those counties covered by I-75. US 68 begins at the William H. Harsha Bridge over the Ohio River and duplexes with U.S. Route 52 for 5.6 miles while travelling on the north bank of the river. The highways separate at Ripley, at which point US 68 heads north as a generally rural two-lane highway, passing through or bypassing communities such as Georgetown, Mount Orab, Fayetteville, Wilmington, Xenia, and Yellow Springs. Shortly before reaching Interstate 70, it becomes a four-lane expressway, bypassing Springfield before transitioning back to a rural two-lane road as it approaches Urbana. As it continues north, US 68 passes through West Liberty, Bellefontaine, Kenton, Dunkirk, and Arlington on its way north to its terminus at an interchange with Interstate 75 outside Findlay.
In total, US 68 traverses 179.1 miles within Ohio.
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History
![]() | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (August 2013) |
From 1926 until the late 1940s, in terms of the routing between Bowling Green and Perryville, US 68 went westward through Springfield to Bardstown, and followed U.S. Route 31E southward to near Horse Cave. US 68 then followed the current KY 218 (Charlie Moran Highway) westward into Horse Cave, and then joined U.S. Route 31W from there through Cave City to Bowling Green.[7] US 68 moved to its current routing from Bowling Green to Perryville around 1948-49.
US 68 previously ran to Toledo, Ohio, terminating at the west approach to the High Level Bridge south of downtown, but the Toledo-Findlay segment was decommissioned in the 1950s.[8] It also passed through Springfield, Ohio prior to its realignment onto a four-lane bypass of that city.
Future
In Clark County, Ohio, there is an almost full-access interchange between controlled-access US 68 and US 40/SR 4, which is itself a controlled-access highway until approximately 0.3 mile west of the US 68 interchange. One exit ramp from US 68 ends on Upper Valley Pike, rather than on US 40/SR 4; another entrance ramp includes two-way traffic and an at-grade entrance to a retirement community. On US 40/SR 4 between the controlled-access portion and US 68, there are an at-grade intersection at Upper Valley Pike, other street and driveway breaks in access control and a steep grade on the eastbound approach toward Upper Valley Pike. In September 2013, the Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee (TCC) ranked the US 40/SR 4/Upper Valley Pike intersection as the most hazardous in the county, based on 2010-2012 crash data.[9][10] Because the road design over the years had played a significant factor in the high number of crashes in the area, the TCC conducted a study; in February 2006 it recommended reconfiguring the US 68 interchange and altering nearby traffic patterns. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) the same year approved $5 million to fund the project. However, the TCC soon rejected ODOT's money, concluding that even its recommended fix would not be enough to solve the area road network's underlying problems.[9][11] Instead, the TCC is making small changes, such as improving traffic signal timing and adding signs. ODOT, for its part, is working on reducing the number of driveways near the US 40/SR 4/Upper Valley Pike intersection and on upgrading traffic signals.[9]
Major intersections
State | County | Location | mi[12] | km | Destinations | Notes | |
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Kentucky | McCracken | Reidland | 0.000 | 0.000 | ![]() | ||
| 0.988 | 1.590 | ![]() | I-24 exit 16 | |||
| 1.342 | 2.160 | ![]() ![]() | ||||
| 2.177 | 3.504 | ![]() | ||||
Marshall | | 3.841 | 6.181 | ![]() ![]() | |||
Sharpe | 4.273 | 6.877 | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 795 overlap | |||
4.348 | 6.997 | ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 795 overlap | ||||
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Coy | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
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Palma | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
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| 12.092 | 19.460 | ![]() | Purchase Parkway exit 47 | |||
| 12.339 | 19.858 | ![]() ![]() | west end of US 641 overlap | |||
Draffenville | 12.755 | 20.527 | ![]() ![]() | east end of US 641 overlap | |||
Briensburg | 14.509 | 23.350 | ![]() ![]() | ||||
| Moors Camp Highway | former KY 963 | |||||
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| Big Bear Highway | former KY 58 east | |||||
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Fairdealing | Barge Island Road | former KY 962 north | |||||
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Aurora | 28.49 | 45.85 | ![]() ![]() | ||||
| 30.658 | 49.339 | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 80 overlap | |||
see KY 80 | |||||||
Metcalfe | Edmonton | 189.786 | 305.431 | ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 80 overlap | ||
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| 198.619 | 319.646 | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 70 overlap | |||
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Green | | ![]() | |||||
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| 212.754 | 342.394 | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 61 overlap | |||
Greensburg | ![]() | ||||||
215.087 | 346.149 | ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 61 overlap | ||||
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Taylor | | ![]() | |||||
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Campbellsville | ![]() | ||||||
224.081 | 360.623 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 55 overlap | ||||
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225.018 | 362.131 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 70 overlap | ||||
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Arista | Lua error in Module:Jct at line 204: attempt to concatenate local 'link' (a nil value). | ||||||
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Marion | | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 412 overlap | ||||
| ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 412 overlap | |||||
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Lebanon | Cemetery Road | former KY 208 south | |||||
243.432 | 391.766 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 55 overlap | ||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 52 overlap | ||||||
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Boyle | North Fork | ![]() ![]() | |||||
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Perryville | 262.935 | 423.153 | ![]() ![]() | west end of US 150 overlap | |||
263.044 | 423.328 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of US 150 / KY 52 overlap | ||||
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Mercer | Nevada | ![]() ![]() | |||||
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Harrodsburg | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 152 overlap | |||||
273.127 | 439.555 | ![]() ![]() | west end of US 127 overlap | ||||
273.406 | 440.004 | ![]() ![]() | east end of US 127 overlap | ||||
![]() ![]() | east end of KY 152 overlap | ||||||
Stringtown | 274.766 | 442.193 | ![]() ![]() | ||||
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Pleasant Hill | 280.827 | 451.947 | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 33 overlap | |||
| Shaker Ferry Road | former KY 29 north | |||||
Kentucky River | Brooklyn Bridge | ||||||
Jessamine | | 287.941 | 463.396 | ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 33 overlap | ||
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| 290.874 | 468.116 | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 29 overlap | |||
| 291.519 | 469.154 | ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 29 overlap | |||
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Fayette | Lexington | ![]() ![]() | |||||
Man o' War Boulevard | |||||||
301.588 | 485.359 | ![]() | KY 4 exit 2 | ||||
304.645 | 490.279 | ![]() ![]() | west end of US 27 overlap | ||||
![]() ![]() | west end of US 60 overlap | ||||||
305.114 | 491.033 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of US 60 overlap; no left turn westbound (left-turning traffic turns right at West Main Street) | ||||
305.176 | 491.133 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
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308.186 | 495.977 | ![]() ![]() | I-75 exit 113 | ||||
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![]() ![]() | west end of KY 1973 overlap | ||||||
![]() ![]() | east end of KY 1973 overlap | ||||||
Bourbon | Piper | ![]() ![]() | |||||
Paris | ![]() | ||||||
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![]() ![]() | east end of US 27 overlap | ||||||
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Millersburg | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Nicholas | | ![]() | |||||
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| ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 32 overlap | |||||
| ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 36 overlap; west end of KY 32 overlap | |||||
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| ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 32 overlap | |||||
| ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 1455 overlap | |||||
| ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 1455 overlap | |||||
Ellisville | ![]() | ||||||
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Robertson | | ![]() ![]() | west end of KY 165 overlap | ||||
Fleming | | ![]() | |||||
Fairview | ![]() ![]() | east end of KY 165 overlap | |||||
Mason | Peed | ![]() | |||||
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Maysville | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
314.197 | 505.651 | ![]() ![]() | interchange | ||||
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Ohio River | 361.968– 362.38 | 582.531– 583.19 | William H. Harsha Bridge | ||||
Ohio | Brown | Aberdeen | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | south end of US 52 / US 62 overlap | |||
Ripley | ![]() ![]() | north end of US 52 overlap | |||||
Redoak | ![]() ![]() | north end of US 62 overlap | |||||
| ![]() ![]() | south end of SR 125 overlap | |||||
| ![]() ![]() | north end of SR 125 overlap | |||||
Georgetown | Mount Orab Pike (C-30A) - Georgetown Business District | ||||||
Mount Orab | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
![]() | interchange | ||||||
Fivemile | ![]() | ||||||
Chasetown | ![]() | ||||||
Fayetteville | ![]() | ||||||
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Clinton | | ![]() ![]() | |||||
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| ![]() | interchange | |||||
Wilmington | ![]() ![]() | south end of SR 134 overlap | |||||
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![]() ![]() | north end of SR 134 overlap | ||||||
| ![]() ![]() ![]() | interchange | |||||
| ![]() | I-71 exit 50 | |||||
Greene | Xenia | ![]() | interchange | ||||
![]() ![]() | south end of SR 380 overlap | ||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | north end of SR 380 overlap | ||||||
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Yellow Springs | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
Clark | | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||||
| Fairfield Pike | at-grade intersection; south end of freeway | |||||
| ![]() | I-70 exit 52 | |||||
Sugar Grove | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
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Clark–Champaign county line | Bowlusville | County Line Road | |||||
Champaign | | Springfield-Urbana Pike | at-grade intersection; north end of freeway | ||||
Urbana | ![]() ![]() | ||||||
![]() ![]() | traffic circle | ||||||
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Logan | West Liberty | ![]() | |||||
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Bellefontaine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||||||
![]() ![]() | south end of SR 47 west overlap (southbound only) | ||||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | north end of SR 47 west overlap (southbound only) | ||||||
![]() | interchange | ||||||
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Hardin | Kenton | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | south end of SR 67 overlap | ||||
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![]() ![]() | north end of SR 67 overlap | ||||||
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Dunkirk | ![]() | ||||||
Hancock | | ![]() | interchange | ||||
Arlington | ![]() | ||||||
| ![]() ![]() | south end of SR 15 overlap | |||||
Findlay | Lima Avenue - Findlay, Airport | interchange; former US 25 | |||||
![]() ![]() ![]() | north end of SR 15 overlap; I-75 exit 156 | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Related routes
References
- ^ a b Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 02:55, 4 July 2006 (UTC).[self-published source]
- ^ "400 mile sale across Kentucky's scenic byway historic highway 68". Retrieved 5 May 2010.
- ^ "US 68". KentuckyRoads.com. 29 February 2012. Retrieved 21 March 2012.
- ^ "Heartland Parkway Project". Retrieved 13 August 2013.
- ^ "US 68/Ky 80 Eggner's Ferry Bridge sections collapse after cargo ship strike". WPSD. Retrieved 13 February 2012.
- ^ "US 68/KY 80 Kentucky Lake Bridge Reopens". KentuckyRoads.com. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
- ^ "H.B.'s Fun Facts About Kentucky Highways". Archived from the original August 27, 2002. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
- ^ U. S. G. S. Topographic Maps, Toledo 7.5 ' Quadrangles edited 1934 and 1951 and Dept. of Highways Map of Ohio, 1959.
- ^ a b c Heffner, Jessica (20 September 2013). "Money to fix road rejected". Dayton Daily News. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "High Hazard Location List for Clark County" (PDF). Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee. September 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ "US 40/Upper Valley Pike Study". Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Committee. February 2006. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- ^ Division of Planning. "Official Milepoint Route Log Extract". Highway Information System. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. Retrieved 7 April 2015.
- Articles to be split from June 2016
- Use dmy dates from January 2011
- U.S. Route 68
- U.S. Highways in Kentucky
- U.S. Highways in Ohio
- Transportation in McCracken County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Marshall County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Trigg County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Christian County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Todd County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Logan County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Warren County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Barren County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Metcalfe County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Green County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Taylor County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Marion County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Boyle County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Mercer County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Jessamine County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Lexington, Kentucky
- Transportation in Bourbon County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Nicholas County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Robertson County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Fleming County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Mason County, Kentucky
- Transportation in Brown County, Ohio
- Transportation in Clinton County, Ohio
- Transportation in Greene County, Ohio
- Transportation in Clark County, Ohio
- Transportation in Champaign County, Ohio
- Transportation in Logan County, Ohio
- Transportation in Hardin County, Ohio
- Transportation in Hancock County, Ohio