612. Trivial Answers to the Jefferson County Federal Highway Route test

We had one brave soul provide answers to the Trivia Quiz from earlier in the week. Ergo, "Jeff n Clifton" wins by default. Below in bold are the questions, followed by Jeff n Clifton's answers in italics, followed by my snarky comments in regular font.


1. What is the name of the road marked as US42 northeast (or outside) of the Watterson Expressway?

I’ve never heard of the roadway outside of the Watterson ever being called by any proper noun. Do you mean to ask about Hwy 22 outside of the Watterson?

Jeff got the answer correct. US42 outside (or northeast) of the Watterson is called US42. Inside the Watterson it is called (for the most part) Brownsboro Road. A small part of it is called Story Avenue. Brownsboro Road outside of the Watterson is routed as KY22. Jeff gets 1/2 point extra credit for even mentioning KY22. 1.5 right, 0 wrong.

2. Where does Interstate 265 begin and end?

265 starts at the intersection with I 65 and ends at I 71.

Correct. Beyond those two interstates, it is numbered solely as KY841. 2.5 right, 0 wrong.

3. Two different Interstates are co-signed with two different State Highway routes. What are they and what are their co-signed state highway routes?

I’m gonna skip this one.

If you knew the answer to #2, you would have gotten 1/2 of #3. I-265 is co-signed with KY841 for its entire length, between I-65 and I-71. The other one is I-65 and KY61. They are co-signed in the area of the Hill Street overpass, with a ramp from Preston Street to I-65 to Jackson Street for northbound KY61 and from Preston Street to I-65 to Arthur Street for southbound KY61. 2.5 right, 1 wrong.

4. For whom was the Watterson Expressway named and why did she or he deserve it? (If you are under the age 30, here is an easier one: For whom was the Gene Snyder Freeway named and why did she or he deserve it?)

The Watterson was named for Henry Watterson to honor him as editor of the Louisville Times and then the Courier-Journal after the two papers merged.

Jeff must be over 30 since he didn't address the Snyder question and thus gets full credit for properly answering the Watterson part. The Gene Snyder Freeway was named for long-term Congressman M. Gene Snyder of Kentucky's 4th (and for one term, Kentucky's 3rd) congressional district. During Democratic Governor John Y. Brown Jr.'s term, the governor along with his Transportation Secretary, Frank Metts, worked closely with the Republican congressman and the newly elected Republican president Ronald Reagan to finally finish what was then called the Jefferson Freeway. 3.5 right, 1.5 wrong.

5. What three once-rural communities (and one still is) are on the "old roads or old routes" of a present day US highway?

I’m gonna skip on this one, too.

The three are Buechel (on the old US31E), along with Middletown and Eastwood (on the old US60). Eastwood remains a rural enclave with its own post office - not a branch of Louisville - and its own Zip Code, 40018. 3.5 right, 2.5 wrong.

6. What former three-digit US route once served Louisville, co-signed for most of its route with US60?

U.S. 421.

The answer is US460. Long time readers of the blog may remember an entry or two about the former US460. From the 2nd Street bridge eastward, it was co-signed with US60. At one time, it extended westward from 2nd Street down to the K&I Railroad Bridge over into New Albany. In much of southern Indiana west of New Albany, the former route is signed as IN62. 3.5 right, 3.5 wrong.

7. What was the original name of the Gene Snyder Freeway? (There are actually two answers, but only the more recent name is widely known. Either answer wins).

Jefferson Freeway.

Correct. It was first proposed as the "Outer Belt" and the Watterson as the "Inner Belt." Maps carried these names into the 1960s. By the time the Snyder was finished, another road had usurped the "Outer" name - Outer Loop. Sometime I'll write about all the former stretches of roads here and there that came together to form the Outer Loop. 4.5 right, 3.5 wrong.

8. What is the "honorary" name of US31E?

Lincoln Highway.

Correct. The official name is the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Highway. The name was only recently applied to US31E in celebration of Lincoln's 200th birthday. Much of I-65, the exception being in Jefferson County, also carries this name. 5.5 right, 3.5 wrong.

9. Where is US31?

North & South of Kentucky; it is only in Kentucky that the highway is formally divded into “east” and “west” routes.

Jeff should get some credit for taking a stab at this answer, but a quick-see at a map of Tennessee will show US31E and US31W both extend into the Volunteer State. And it wasn't that long ago that they both extended into Indiana, joining up in the Sellersburg area. But since the closing of the K&I Terminal RR Bridge in the 1970s, US31E and US31W have come together at the intersection of 2nd and Main streets at the foot of the Clark Memorial or 2nd Street bridge. Thus, for just over one mile, US31 runs north across the Ohio River, all of which save the final 112 feet (at normal water and flood stage) is in Jefferson County, Kentucky. 5.5 right, 4.5 wrong.

10. With regard to US highway routes, what is unique about the 100 block of S. 22nd Street?

I’m not entirely sure but I think it has to do with the routing of US 150 – can I get partial credit for that?

Indeed, it does have to do with the routing of US150 so partial credit is granted. Remember the quiz concerns Federal highway routes in Jefferson County. This block, which is one-way south, carries the eastbound US150 route from Main to Market. Eastbound US150 in fact follows 22nd Street from I-64 all the way to Broadway. But it is this one block about which we are concerned. This block also carries the westbound US60 route which turns directionally south onto 22nd Street from Main and continues southward toward Dixie Highway south of Algonquin Parkway. Other streets are cosigned in Jefferson County, having two routes. Bardstown Road is US31E/US150, Dixie Highway is US31W/US60, Main and Market streets are US31E/US60 or US31W/US60, Story avenue is US42/US60 from Frankfort Avenue to Baxter Avenue. But this 100 block of S. 22nd Street has three US routes. In addition to eastbound US150 and westbound US60, it also carries the southbound US31W route, which follows the westbound US60 pattern from 2nd Street downtown southward all the way to Fort Knox. But this one block is the only place in Jefferson County where three Federal routes, US31W/US60/US150, are co-signed on the same street. Jeff, generously, gets 1/2 credit. 6 right, 5 wrong.

BONUS: Name the only county in the United States with two sets of consecutively numbered Interstate routes.

I'm gonna pass on the bonus questions, too.

This was arguably the easiest question. The test is about Federal highway routes in Jefferson County, Kentucky. There could only be one answer. Jefferson County, Kentucky. The two sets of routes are I-64 and I-65 and I-264 and I-265.

Since these were bonus question, Jeff doesn't lose points for not getting the answer. With his partial credits here and there, he finishes "Best-In-Class" at 60%. Congratulations.

End of class. We'll do this again and see if we can get more participation.

The picture below, a copyright of Steve Nelson, was taken June 6, 2009. It is the northeast corner of 22nd and Market streets. Here US31W and US60 turn directionally east onto Market while eastbound US150 continues south along 22nd Street. The signage is technically incorrect. It should say "To North US31W" as US31W doesn't join Market until you cross 21st Street which is one block east of this intersection. But the picture conveys the answer above.