Interstate 71 North - Louisville to La Grange

I-71 begins life just east of Louisville's Kennedy Interchange, or Spaghetti Junction. It was the last spoke freeway in the city to be completed. Its lateness to the scene means that it was constructed at the height of environmental sensitivities to freeways and has very few interchanges.

06/04/08

I-71 is signed locally as the Veterans Memorial Freeway, although never referred to as such colloquially. Construction of the route through Louisville began in late 1965, and it was complete through Jefferson County by late 1968.

06/04/08

The first northbound I-71 shield in Louisville.

06/04/08

The first exit is two miles in, at Zorn Avenue. The oddly named street celebrates Sebastian Zorn, one time president of the local water company. In fact, turning left on Zorn will take you to the Ohio River and to the oldest modern water tower in the world, at the city's old water works.

06/04/08

I-71 eastbound at Zorn. Turning left on Zorn will take motorists to the historic Brownsboro-Zorn neighborhood, where Confederate President Jefferson Davis got married in 1835.

06/04/08

I-71 runs parallel to the Ohio River on its first few miles. In fact, throughout Kentucky the interstate generally follows the river, but never again as close as through Louisville. River Road, on the river bank, is consistently just a few hundred feet to the north.

06/04/08

Between Zorn and the Watterson Expressway, I-71 has no interchanges. Some of Louisville's wealthiest homeowners live beyond the rock cuts and trees to each side of the freeway.

06/04/08

I-71 eastbound just before the Watterson Expressway, including these graphic arrows.

06/04/08

The interstate sees some beautiful rock cuts as it heads above the Ohio River bluffs.

06/04/08

Another sign bridge for Interstate 264 west (Exit 5), posted before the tri-level stack interchange. Interstate 264 travels southeast initially from Northfield to Windy Hills before curving southward to St. Matthews and Interstate 64.

11/12/04

This marks the northern end of the Watterson Expressway and I-264. The interchange ramps have been cut into the rock bluff where the plateau of Kentucky meets the Ohio River valley. Studies done in 2005 indicate there is a need to widen the ramp from southbound I-71 to the Watterson. Additionally, widening I-71 from here to I-265 is also planned.

06/04/08

I-71 sees no interchanges between I-264 and I-265. US 42 runs underneath the freeway here, but there is not an interchange. Plans to add one have been shot down by wealthy homeowners over the years.

06/04/08

The interstate's first distance sign shows La Grange, the next county seat.

06/04/08

In East Louisville, I-71 prepares to meet the Gene Snyder Freeway. I-265 and I-264 in town are always signed with their names as control points, and locals usually refer to them by name rather than by their interstate numbers.

06/04/08

The interchange with the Gene Snyder Freeway is a cloverleaf, and was constructed in the mid 80s. The Snyder Freeway up to this point was built in 1987. This marks the northern end of I-265, but not the end of the freeway itself.

06/04/08

West of here, the road is only signed as KY 841 and is a two lane road which ends at US 42.

06/04/08

I-71 passes just south of Norton Commons here - a "new urbanist" style subdivision that is one of the first in Kentucky. Also bypassed here is the Glen Oaks country club and some more upscale retail.

06/04/08

Oldham County contains much of Louisville's sprawl. The county began in 1824 and was named for Colonel William Oldham. From 1960 to 2000, the county's population went up by almost 250%.

06/04/08

The first exit in the county comes here at KY 329. The suburbs of Crestwood and Orchard Grass Hills are just to the south. Crestwood started out as a railroad stop around 1850, and quickly became one of the nicer suburbs of Louisville. In 2005 it ranks 52nd on a survey of America's best places to live, the highest ranking of any Kentucky location.

06/04/08

KY 329 is about ten miles long and runs from US 42 east through the center of Crestwood, to end at KY 146. Through town, there is a two mile bypass.

06/04/08

Cincinnati is just over an hour northeast of Louisville.

06/04/08

KY 146 comes up from Crestwood and meets I-71 at a parclo interchange about 16 miles northeast of downtown Louisville. The road runs east out of Crestwood and eventually makes it to La Grange.

06/04/08

Buckner is an unincorporated community of about 4,000 people spread out over central Oldham County. It is one of the nicer places to live in the county and contains the Oldham County Country Club and a large park. Somewhat ironically, Buckner also sits at the western entrance to the Kentucky State Reformatory - a minimum security prison that opened in 1936.

06/04/08

KY 393 is the next exit and also runs north to Buckner.

06/04/08

I-71 northbound at KY 393 in Oldham County.

06/04/08

KY 53 is the main exit for the county seat of La Grange. The town was named for the home of the French General Lafayette. The town is known by railfans for the CSX rail line which runs right down Main Street, blocking all traffic while trains pass through.

06/04/08

KY 53 is congested as it heads into La Grange and plans are underway to widen the road and add extra turning lanes.

06/04/08

I-71 leaves the Louisville metro area and enters Henry County here. The county has about 15,000 residents and was named for Patrick Henry.

06/04/08