Interstate 264 (Kentucky)

Interstate 264
Interstate 264
Watterson/Shawnee Expressway
	I-264 highlighted in red
Route information
	Auxiliary route of I-64
	Maintained by KYTC
Length	22.93 mi (36.90 km)
Existed	1948–present
History	Expanded into a partial loop from 1958 to 1974
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
West end	I-64 / US 150 in Shawnee
	US 31W / US 60 in Shively; I-65 near Louisville International Airport; US 31E / US 150 near Buechel; I-64 in St. Matthews; US 60 in St. Matthews; US 42 / KY 22 in Indian Hills;
East end	I-71 in Glenview Manor
Location
Country	United States
State	Kentucky
Counties	Jefferson
Highway system
	Interstate Highway System; Main; Auxiliary; Suffixed; Business; Future; Kentucky State Highway System; Interstate; US; State; Parkways;

Interstate 264 (I-264) is a partial loop around the city of Louisville, Kentucky, south of the Ohio River. An auxiliary route of I-64, it is signed as the Shawnee Expressway for its first eight miles (13 km) from its western terminus at I-64/U.S. Route 150 (US 150) to US 31W/US 60 and as the Watterson Expressway for the remainder of its length from US 31W/US 60 to its northeastern terminus at I-71. It is 22.93 miles (36.90 km) in length and runs an open circle around central Louisville.^[1] It is the only auxiliary route of I-64 outside of Virginia.

I-264 is Louisville's inner beltway (in conjunction with I-64 and I-71), and the later constructed I-265, the Gene Snyder Freeway, is Louisville's outer beltway. I-264 is currently used as the primary detour route when I-64 is closed through Downtown Louisville. However, in late 2016 with the completion of the Lewis and Clark Bridge, the formerly separate segments of I-265 in Kentucky and Indiana have been connected to provide another detour route.

In discussions about the city, I-264 is often used as a rough line dividing the older areas of Louisville from its suburbs.

^ ^a ^b "Table 2 – Auxiliary Routes – FHWA Route Log and Finder List – Interstate Highway System – National Highway System – Planning". Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2022.

[fhwa-1] "Table 2 – Auxiliary Routes – FHWA Route Log and Finder List – Interstate Highway System – National Highway System – Planning". Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Federal Highway Administration. December 31, 2021. Archived from the original on February 13, 2023. Retrieved March 18, 2022.

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