Pennyrile Parkway
The Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway is a 71.306-mile (114.756 km) controlled-access highway from Henderson to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The parkway begins at Henderson as a continuation of the limited-access U.S. Route 41 (US 41) at exit 81; the northernmost three miles (5 km) of the Pennyrile Parkway are signed as US 41. It travels south through rolling hills to its southern terminus at Interstate 24 south of Hopkinsville. A seven-mile (11 km) section was left unconstructed from US 41 Alternate south to Interstate 24 despite its approval in 1976 from the Parkway Authority for construction. This connection was completed and opened to the public on March 1, 2011. The first 1.8 miles (2.9 km) of the extension to the U.S. Route 68 bypass (exit 6) were completed and opened to traffic in September 2008. The construction was then completed to exit 5, with the final section to I-24 opened on March 1, 2011.
The next phase of the extension – now completed – encompassed the portion of the parkway between US 41 Alternate and I-24. As of May 2010, the Lover's Lane interchange (Exit 5) is open to local traffic via U.S. Route 68 ramp (Exit 5). The final segment, from US 68 to Interstate 24, opened on March 1, 2011.
It is one of nine highways that are part of Kentucky's parkway system. The section between the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway near Mortons Gap and the northern terminus in Henderson became part of Interstate 69 with the passage of federal legislation on June 6, 2008. The length of the road carries the unsigned designation Kentucky Route 9004 (EB 9004).
The road is named after Edward T. Breathitt, a former Kentucky governor. Originally called the Pennyrile Parkway from its opening in October 1969 at a cost of $69.2 million, it was renamed for Breathitt in 2000.
The parkway passes the cities of Madisonville, Sebree, Mortons Gap, Slaughters, and Earlington. It intersects with the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway near Madisonville, and with the Audubon Parkway just south of Henderson.