Interstate 65

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Interstate 65 (abbreviated I-65) is an Interstate Highway in the United States. Its southern terminus is at an intersection with Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama; its northern terminus is at a traffic light with U.S. Route 12 and U.S. Route 20 (Dunes Highway) in Gary, Indiana, southeast of Chicago, Illinois.

Length

Interstate 65 in Indianapolis, Indiana

Major cities

Location of Interstate 65

Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.

• Mobile, Alabama
• Montgomery, Alabama
• Hoover, Alabama
• Birmingham, Alabama
• Decatur, Alabama
• Huntsville, Alabama
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Bowling Green, Kentucky
• Elizabethtown, Kentucky
• Louisville, Kentucky
• Indianapolis, Indiana
• Lafayette, Indiana
• Gary, Indiana
• Chicago, Illinois (via Interstate 90 or Interstate 94)

Intersections with other interstates

• Interstate 10 in Mobile, Alabama
• Interstate 85 in Montgomery, Alabama
• Interstate 20/Interstate 59 in Birmingham, Alabama (Commonly referred to as "Malfunction Junction")
• Interstate 24 in Nashville, Tennessee
• Interstate 40 in Nashville, Tennessee
• Interstates 64 and 71 in Louisville, Kentucky (The Kennedy Interchange, known locally as "Spaghetti Junction".)
• Interstate 74 in Indianapolis, Indiana
• Interstate 70 in Indianapolis, Indiana
• Interstate 80 in Gary, Indiana
• Interstate 94 in Gary, Indiana
• Interstate 90 in Gary, Indiana

Spur/Loop routes

• Mobile, Alabama - I-165
• Spur beginning in Decatur, Alabama terminating in Huntsville, Alabama - I-565
• Louisville, Kentucky - I-265 (Louisville's outer beltway; also called the Gene Snyder Freeway; formerly the Jefferson Freeway)
• Indianapolis, Indiana - I-465
• Indianapolis, Indiana - I-865
• New Albany, Indiana - I-265 (to be eventually connected by bridge to the Kentucky I-265)

Notes

• Interstate 65 combines with Interstate 24 and Interstate 40 near downtown Nashville, Tennessee to form a loop around the center city. Once, the northwestern leg of this loop was designated I-265; this is no longer true, as Nashville's government successfully petitioned to have the designation changed to I-65 in order to help alleviate traffic caused by motorists following I-65 through the city.
• Known as "Auto Alley" because so many automotive plants and suppliers are within an hour's drive of the highway. Interstate 65 leads to automotive assembly plants located in the mid-west. The most famous plant is the GM plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which makes the Chevrolet Corvette sports car, as well as the Cadillac XLR luxury roadster. Another GM plant, which builds Saturn vehicles, is also within a short driving distance from I-65 in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Both of the Ford Motor Company truck plants in Louisville, Kentucky are accessible—The Explorer SUV plant directly from I-65 and the Kentucky Truck Plant, makers of the F-350 and Excursion SUV, from I-265. In Lafayette, Indiana a Subaru plant is located at the junction of I-65 and SR-25. Finally, Hyundai's new automotive plant in Montgomery, Alabama is located just off I-65.
• As the combined interstates of I-20/59 converge on Interstate 65 in Birmingham, Alabama, many wrecks, and accidents that have occurred that include the melting of support beams of overpasses after 18-wheelers crashed and burned on two separate occasions, and the numerous collisions that happen every year, has led this interchange to be nicknamed, "Malfunction Junction".
• The widest point on the entire stretch of I-65 is in Louisville, Kentucky at the Outer Loop interchange, where I-65 is 18 lanes across.
• Interstate 65 connects with four Interstate-style parkways in Kentucky. All are part of the commonwealth's system of toll parkways, though only one still charges tolls.
• *William H. Natcher Parkway, at Bowling Green (toll road)
• *Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway, between Smiths Grove and Park City
• *Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway, at Elizabethtown
• *Martha Layne Collins Bluegrass Parkway, at Elizabethtown

The Natcher and the Nunn parkways are slated to become part of the extended Interstate 66.

References

• 2005 Rand McNally "The Road Atlas 2005"

See also

• Ohio River Bridges Project

External links

• [KentuckyRoads.com: I-65]
• [Indiana Highway Ends: I-65]

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