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[bandit957]

Anyone else ever wonder this?

From what I can gather, it went something like this...

KY 445 - mid-1940s
KY 1120 - mid-1950s
KY 1632 - circa 1960
KY 1892 - circa 1962
KY 1998 - circa 1968

Those are some of the state routes in my area. The first time I saw one in the 3000s was around 1987 when I was surprised to see a KY 3168 on a local street map.

[The Ghostbuster]

Does anyone know the rational for designating 4-digit state highway numbers in Kentucky? They can't have run out of 1, 2, and 3-digit numbers in the state highway system.

[1]

Does anyone know the rationale for designating 4-digit state highway numbers in Kentucky? They can't have run out of 1, 2, and 3-digit numbers in the state highway system.

They have over 1000 routes, so they need 4-digit numbers.

[bandit957]

Does anyone know the rational for designating 4-digit state highway numbers in Kentucky? They can't have run out of 1, 2, and 3-digit numbers in the state highway system.

I guess they ran out a long time ago.

Kentucky has some rugged terrain and a big state route system, so I guess it needs more numbers.

[hbelkins]

They were definitely in the 1500s when I was a child. I remember cutout KY 1571 signs in the field after Kentucky had converted to square 24x24 markers. I'm pretty sure they were into the 2000s, although some of the routes were unsigned back then.

A large number of the 3000-series routes came into the system in the 1980s when the state aggressively took over a number of county routes. That's why you see a lot of them clustered by county. For instance, KY 3325, 3326, 3327, 3328 and 3329 all in Estill County.

[bandit957]

They were definitely in the 1500s when I was a child. I remember cutout KY 1571 signs in the field after Kentucky had converted to square 24x24 markers. I'm pretty sure they were into the 2000s, although some of the routes were unsigned back then.

I'm guessing KY 1998 was established when the Duck Creek Road project was built, although KY 1998 included Johns Hill Road too. It was before my time, but apparently it was about 1968. I think there's a USGS map from 1961 that shows no numbering yet for KY 1892 or 1998, but it does have KY 1632.

As for KY 1892, it was probably numbered with an improvement project that was probably around 1962.

A large number of the 3000-series routes came into the system in the 1980s when the state aggressively took over a number of county routes. That's why you see a lot of them clustered by county. For instance, KY 3325, 3326, 3327, 3328 and 3329 all in Estill County.

I remember seeing the logs and noticing there was one particular day in 1987 when a whole bunch of high-numbered state routes were established in numerous counties.

2019 has been very slow for changes to state routes.

[hbelkins]

2019 has been very slow for changes to state routes.

The state isn't building as many new-alignment routes so there are fewer old alignments to give state numbers to. Plus, they're not as actively taking county routes into the system anymore. It's typically a two-for-one deal now; for every one mile the state takes into its system, it gives the county two miles.

[kphoger]

They can't have run out of 1, 2, and 3-digit numbers in the state highway system.

Why not?