Purchase Parkway
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| Purchase Parkway |
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| Length: | 52.333 mi[1] (84.222 km) | ||||||||
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| South end: |  US 51/TN 215 in Fulton |
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| Major junctions: |
US 51 in Fulton US 45 in Mayfield US 68 north of Benton I-24 near Calvert City |
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| North end: |   US 62/KY 1523 near Calvert City |
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| Counties: | Fulton, Hickman, Graves, Marshall | ||||||||
| Major cities: | Fulton, Mayfield, Benton | ||||||||
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The Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway is a controlled-access highway running from Fulton, Kentucky to Calvert City, Kentucky, near Kentucky Dam, for a length of 52 miles (84 kilometres). It begins at the Tennessee State Line concurrent with US 51 only a few yards (metres) from an intersection with US 45W, US 45E, and US 45 at its western terminus, and US 62 just north of Interstate 24 at its eastern terminus. It is one of nine highways that are part of the Kentucky parkway system.
Originally named Purchase Parkway for the Jackson Purchase area it diagonally traverses, the road was renamed for Julian M. Carroll, a former Kentucky governor from McCracken County, in 2001. The Purchase Parkway carries the unsigned designation of Kentucky Route 9003 (JC 9003).
Completed in 1966, the parkway incorporates a pre-existing four-lane divided bypass around Mayfield. This section of the parkway is also designated as US 45 Bypass.
Except for the Mayfield bypass which remained free, the parkway was originally a toll road, as were all Kentucky parkways. State law requires that toll collection ceases when enough tolls are collected to pay off the parkway's construction bonds; that occurred in 1992. It is constructed similar to the Interstate Highway system.
The parkway passes the cities of Mayfield and Benton, Kentucky.
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[edit] Future
[edit] Interstate 69
The Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway from the junction with Interstate 24 west has been legally designated to become part of Interstate 69. On May 15, 2006, Governor Ernie Fletcher announced that the Purchase Parkway would become part of the alignment of Interstate 69 in Kentucky, along with parts of Interstate 24, the Edward T. Breathitt Parkway, and the Western Kentucky Parkway[citation needed]. To reflect this, Future Interstate 69 shields were erected along the parkway in the summer of 2006.
The Parkways, however, do not meet current interstate highway standards and will need upgrading before any interstate shield can be installed. A larger 36' median, increased bridge heights to 16', shoulder improvements, and interchange reconstructions will all need to take place to bring the alignment into federal compliance. No official funding has been set in the six-year plan stipulating modernization of the parkways that will be affected by Interstate 69's routing, nor has any official study been completed.[2]
Because Kentucky is using an existing expressway for I-69, highway officials will likely avoid years of costly environmental studies required by other states, as the upgrades are being performed within the footprint of the existing highway.
Funding remains the big issue for upgrading the parkways to I-69, as there is no funding in the state's 2006 Six-Year Transportation Plan specifically for I-69. However, it is likely that Kentucky will perform the required upgrades on individual segments of the the Purchase Parkway when the pavement reaches the end of its lifespan, through "Pavement Preservation Projects." This approach is similar to the way New York is upgrading its substandard Route 17 Expressway to I-86.
During a pavement preservation project, the existing pavement is removed, repairs are made to the highway's sub-base, and the road is then resurfaced. During such a project bridges and overpasses are typically rehabilitated or replaced, drainage systems are upgraded, and other modifications are made to the mainline and interchanges improve safety on the road without completely reconstructing it, allowing it to remain at least partially open during construction.
[edit] Exit list
| County | Location | Mile[1] | # | Destinations | Notes |
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| Fulton | Fulton | 0.000 | South end of Purchase Parkway at Tennessee state line; continues south as US 51 (SR 215) | ||
| 0.030 | 0 |   KY 116 / KY 166 – Fulton, Hickman |
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| 1.424 | 1 | US 51 north – Clinton, Fulton |
North end of US 51 overlap | ||
| 2.478 | 2 |  KY 307 - Fulton |
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| Graves | Wingo | 13.645 | 14 |  KY 339 - Wingo, Clinton |
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| Mayfield | 21.256 | 21 |  US 45 Byp. south |
South end of US 45 Byp. overlap; signed as exit 21B northbound (exit 21A is to remain on the parkway as it merges with US 45 Byp.) | |
| 22.239 | 22 |  KY 80 - Fancy Farm, Mayfield |
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| 23.701 | 24 |  KY 121 - Wickliffe, Mayfield |
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| 24.713 | 25 | US 45 – Paducah, Mayfield |
North end of US 45 Byp. overlap | ||
| 27.452 | 27 |  KY 131 - Airport |
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| Marshall | Benton | 40.805 | 41 |   US 641 Byp. south - Hardin, Murray |
South end of US 641 Byp. overlap |
| 42.568 | 43 |  KY 348 - Benton, Symsonia |
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| 46.953 | 47 |  US 68, US 641 Byp. north - Kenlake State Park, Kentucky Lake Recreation Area |
North end of US 641 Byp. overlap | ||
| Calvert City | 51.394 | 52 | I-24 - Nashville, Paducah |
Signed as exits 52A (east) and 52B (west) | |
| 52.333 | US 62, KY 1523 - Calvert City, Eddyville, Paducah |
At-grade intersection; eastern terminus of KY 1523 | |||
