U.S. Route 31E

U.S. Route 31E
US 31E highlighted in red
Route information
Length	190.9 mi (307.2 km)
Major junctions
South end	US 31 / US 31W / US 41 / US 431 in Nashville, TN
Major intersections	US 231 near Bransford, TN I-265 in Louisville, KY I-264 in Louisville, KY
North end	US 31 / US 31W / US 60 in Louisville, KY
Location
Country	United States
States	Tennessee, Kentucky
Counties	TN: Davidson, Sumner KY: Allen, Barren, Hart, LaRue, Nelson, Spencer, Bullitt, Jefferson
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided
State Primary Road System Interstate US State Parkways
Tennessee State Routes Interstate US State
← US 31 KY → US 31W ← US 31 TN → US 31W

U.S. Route 31E (US 31E) is the easternmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Highway 31 from Nashville, Tennessee, to Louisville, Kentucky.

Route description

Tennessee

1961-style shields on Rivergate Parkway

US 31E begins as the Ellington Parkway at the corner of Main Street and US 31, US 31W, US 41 and US 431 (Spring Street) just east of Interstate 24 (I-24). It never intersects Interstate 40. The freeway's interchanges in the middle of the route mainly includes locally maintained streets such as Cleveland Street, East Trinity Lane, Hart Lane, and Broadmoor Drive.

Ellington Parkway ends at an interchange with SR 155 (Briley Parkway), about 0.56 miles (900 m) east of the Briley's I-65 junction. A ramp directing Ellington Parkway's northbound traffic to I-65 north is provided at the Briley/Ellington junction. Access to Ellington Parkway southbound is also provided by a ramp from I-65 south via exit 90A. The road is named for former Tennessee governor Buford Ellington, who served two non-consecutive terms from 1959 to 1963, the other from 1967 to 1971. Ellington encouraged much road building throughout the state during his second term as governor.

After a brief concurrency with SR 155, the highway passes through Madison before entering Sumner County, where it passes through the cities of Hendersonville and Gallatin, Tennessee. It begins a concurrency with US 231 just east of Bethpage.

Kentucky

Junction of U.S. Route 31E and Interstate 265

U.S. Route 31E is the easternmost of two parallel routes for U.S. Highway 31 in Kentucky, in between each is Interstate 65 in Kentucky. Going north from the Kentucky–Tennessee border, the highway goes through the towns of Scottsville (where the US 231 concurrency ends), Glasgow, Hardyville, Hodgenville, New Haven, Bardstown, and Mount Washington before arriving at its northern end in downtown Louisville at the junction of US 31W and US 31 just south of the George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge.

Junction of U.S. Route 31E and Interstate 264

Its only interchanges with interstates are in Jefferson County; both of which are beltways: I-265/Gene Snyder Expressway and the Interstate 264 (Watterson Expressway). However, it also has interchanges with the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway in Barren County, and the Martha Layne Collins Blue Grass Parkway in Nelson County.

History

In the 19th century, much of the present-day route of US 31E was a stagecoach path between Louisville and Nashville, and before that a postal route at least by 1820.

Originally part of the Jackson Highway, the Works Progress Administration measured the total distance on US 31E in Kentucky as 147.8 miles (237.9 km).

When the rerouting of US 31E in Nelson and Spencer Counties was being planned, a survey of historic sites that could have been affected by the new route was studied, especially if the sites could one day become listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

US 37 and US 143

The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) adopted a resolution against split routes in 1934. In order to eliminate the split in US 31 between Nashville, Tennessee, and Louisville, Kentucky, AASHO commissioned U.S. Route 37, replacing US 31E from the Louisville area south to Glasgow, Kentucky, where it then followed Kentucky Route 63 and several routes in Tennessee to Chattanooga. The rest of US 31E from Glasgow to Nashville was assigned U.S. Route 143. This proposed route was extended southwest to Centerville in 1938 and Jackson in 1944 via State Route 100 and State Route 20. US 31W would have become the main route of US 31.

Kentucky and Tennessee refused to accept the renumbering and never changed signage for the routes. In 1952, AASHO re-recognized the split, officially restoring the US 31E and US 31W designations.

US 31E in Southern Indiana

US 31E and US 31W once terminated at US 31 in Sellersburg, Indiana until 1980. US 31E followed the current routing of US 31 from Sellersburg to Louisville.

Rerouting of US 31E in east Nashville

In Nashville, US 31E once followed Gallatin Pike through east Nashville. Sometime after 1997, US 31E was rerouted onto Ellington Parkway.

Dangerous segments

US 31E has been known as a dangerous road, with many risky spots. A historic one was at Coxs Creek in Nelson County, where a post office had to be relocated so traffic could see each other. Other dangerous spots in Nelson County where emergency personnel consider notorious are Gobel Lake Curve, Hibbs Lane, and High Grove. As of August 23, 2017, the Hibbs Lane and High Grove reroute sections are almost complete and are in service. Minor work is still being done to some intersections and signage.

Points of interest

There are various historical sites along US 31E in Kentucky. Among them are Cave Hill Cemetery and Farmington Historic Plantation in Louisville, My Old Kentucky Home State Park in Bardstown, and Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site just south of Hodgenville. Also, five historic monuments to the Civil War are along the path: three in Louisville, one in Bardstown, and one in Glasgow.

Major intersections

All exits are unnumbered.

State	County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Tennessee	Davidson	Nashville	0.00	0.00	US 31 / US 41 / US 431 south (James Robertson Parkway west/SR 6/SR 11 south) / US 31W	US 31 splits into US 31E and US 31W; south end of SR 6 overlap; south end of freeway (Ellington Parkway)
					Main Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
					To I-24 / I-65 Spring Street ( US 31W / US 41 / US 431 / SR 11)	Southbound exit and northbound entrances; access to US 31W/US 41/US 431/SR 11 south via Main St. exit
			0.9– 1.2	1.4– 1.9	Cleveland Street
			1.6– 1.9	2.6– 3.1	Douglas Avenue
			2.4– 2.6	3.9– 4.2	Trinity Lane
			3.3– 3.7	5.3– 6.0	Hart Lane / Ben Allen Road
			4.1– 4.3	6.6– 6.9	Broadmoor Drive
			4.9– 5.5	7.9– 8.9	I-65 north – Louisville	Northbound exit and southbound entrance; I-65 south exit 90A
					SR 155 west (Briley Parkway) to I-65 south	Northern terminus of Ellington Parkway; northbound left exit and southbound entrance
					Briarville Road	SR 155 exit 15A; northbound access via exit to SR 155 west
					I-65 north – Louisville	Southbound exit only; SR 155 exit 15C
					SR 155 west (Briley Parkway) to I-65 south – Nashville	South end of SR 155 overlap; southbound left exit and northbound left entrance; SR 155 exit 15B
			5.8– 6.1	9.3– 9.8	SR 155 east (Briley Parkway) / Gallatin Road south	North end of SR 155 overlap; north end of freeway section; SR 155 exit 14
		Madison	8.0	12.9	SR 45 (Old Hickory Boulevard) – Old Hickory, Lakewood, Whites Creek
			10.5	16.9	To I-65 / Rivergate Parkway west	Eastern terminus of Rivergate Parkway; provides access to Rivergate Mall
	Sumner	Hendersonville	13.0– 13.3	20.9– 21.4	SR 386 – Gallatin, Nashville	SR 386 exit 3; access via unsigned US 31E Byp.
			14.5	23.3	SR 258 north (New Shackle Island Road)	Southern terminus of SR 258
			19.1	30.7	SR 386 north	Interchange; northbound exit only
			19.4	31.2	SR 386 south (Vietnam Veterans Boulevard) – Nashville	Interchange; SR 386 exit 9; southbound exit and northbound entrance; eastern terminus of unsigned US 31E Byp.
		Gallatin	25.3– 25.5	40.7– 41.0	SR 109 / to Airport Road / Steam Plant Road – Portland, Lebanon, Bledsoe Creek State Park, Airport	Interchange
			26.4	42.5	SR 25 (Red River Road/W Main Street/ SR 174 west)	South end of SR 174 overlap; SR 25 east serves Sumner County Regional Airport
			26.9	43.3	SR 174 east (N Water Avenue)	North end of SR 174 overlap
			29.3	47.2	Airport Road to Steam Plant Road - Bledsoe Creek State Park, Airport
		Bransford	39.1	62.9	US 231 south (SR 376 south) – Hartsville, Lebanon	South end of US 231 overlap
		Westmoreland	43.7	70.3	SR 52 to I-65 – Portland, Lafayette
Tennessee–Kentucky line			50.65 0.000	81.51 0.000	End concurrency with unsigned SR 6
Kentucky	Allen	​	2.129	3.426	KY 482 / KY 3521 south (Andrew Jackson Highway)
		​	3.737	6.014	KY 1147 east	Western terminus of KY 1147
		Scottsville	7.415	11.933	KY 100 (Franklin Road) – Franklin, Scottsville
			8.607	13.852	US 231 north / KY 980 east – Bowling Green, Scottsville	north end of US 231 overlap; western terminus of KY 980
		​	10.582	17.030	KY 101 – Smiths Grove, Scottsville
		​	13.154	21.169	KY 3499
		​	16.893	27.187	KY 252 north / KY 1855 south – Bailey's Point Dam, Peninsula, Walnut Creek	Southern terminus of KY 252; northern terminus of KY 1855
	Barren River Lake				Bridge
	Barren	Barren River Lake State Resort Park	20.392	32.818	KY 87 east (Austin-Tracy Road) – Austin boat ramp	Western terminus of KY 87
		Lucas	23.222	37.372	KY 1318 east	South end of KY 1318 overlap
			23.317	37.525	KY 1318 west – The Narrows	North end of KY 1318 overlap
		Haywood	29.147	46.908	KY 252 south	Northern terminus of KY 252
		Glasgow	31.091	50.036	KY 2207 west	Eastern terminus of KY 2207
			31.573– 31.631	50.812– 50.905	Cumberland Parkway / US 68 Truck east / KY 90 Truck east – Somerset, Bowling Green	Cumberland Parkway exit 11; south end of US 68 Truck / KY 90 Truck overlap
			32.010	51.515	US 31E Bus. north (Green Street) to KY 63 – Glasgow Business District
			32.469	52.254	KY 1297 (Cleveland Avenue)
			33.428	53.797	US 68 Bus. / US 68 Truck west / KY 90 east (West Main Street)	North end of US 68 Truck / KY 90 Truck overlap; south end of KY 90 overlap
			34.019	54.748	KY 90 west (Happy Valley Road) to I-65 – Cave City, Glasgow Business District	North end of KY 90 overlap
			35.031	56.377	US 31E Bus. south – SKYCTC Glasgow Campus
			36.124	58.136	US 68 / KY 80 (Veterans Outer Loop) to KY 90
		Griderville	42.216	67.940	KY 70 – Cave City, Hiseville
	Hart	Bear Wallow	45.121	72.615	KY 2195
		Wigwam Village	46.654	75.082	KY 218 – Horse Cave, Greensburg
		Uno	49.998	80.464	KY 571
		Hardyville	53.405	85.947	KY 88 – Munfordville, Greensburg
		​	55.570	89.431	KY 1572
		Canmer	56.169	90.395	KY 1854
					KY 677
		Linwood	56.862	91.511	KY 566 east	Western terminus of KY 566
			60.179	96.849	KY 569 south	South end of KY 569 overlap
			60.429	97.251	KY 569 north	North end of KY 569 overlap
		Jonesville	63.217	101.738	KY 936
	LaRue	Magnolia	67.154	108.074	KY 1079 – Munfordville
			67.436	108.528	KY 470 east – Buffalo	Western terminus of KY 470
		​	74.362	119.674	KY 61 south – Greensburg, Mount Sherman, Buffalo	South end of KY 61 overlap
		Hodgenville	75.922	122.185	KY 61 north / KY 1618 east to I-65 – Elizabethtown, Campbellsville	North end of KY 61 overlap
			77.116	124.106	KY 84 west to I-65	South end of KY 84 overlap
			77.575	124.845	KY 210 west – Elizabethtown	South end of KY 210 overlap; traffic circle around city park
					KY 210 east – Campbellsville	North end of KY 210 overlap
		Ovesen Heights	79.343	127.690	KY 1794 east	Western terminus of KY 1794
		​	79.385	127.758	KY 1832 west	Eastern terminus of KY 1832
		White City	81.112	130.537	KY 470 west	South end of KY 470 overlap
			81.218	130.708	KY 84 east – Lebanon	North end of KY 84 overlap
			81.382	130.972	KY 470 east	North end of KY 470 overlap
	Nelson	New Haven	88.031	141.672	KY 52 east – Lebanon, Trappist	South end of KY 52 overlap
			88.283	142.078	KY 52 west – Lyons Station	North end of KY 52 overlap
		Culvertown	93.090	149.814	KY 247
		​	93.865	151.061	KY 46 west	South end of KY 46 overlap
		Balltown	96.278	154.944	KY 46 east	North end of KY 46 overlap
		​	99.186– 99.225	159.624– 159.687	Bluegrass Parkway / US 31E Truck north – Lexington, Elizabethtown	Bluegrass Parkway exit 21; southern terminus of US 31E Truck
		Bardstown	101.225	162.906	US 62 west (West Stephen Foster Avenue) – Elizabethtown, Airport	South end of US 62 overlap
			101.488	163.329	US 62 east / US 150 east (East Stephen Foster Avenue) to Bluegrass Parkway east / South Third Street	North end of US 62 overlap; south end of US 150 overlap; traffic circle around Old Courthouse Building
			101.905	164.000	KY 1430 west (West Beall Avenue)	Eastern terminus of KY 1430
			102.693	165.268	KY 245 / US 31E Truck south / US 150 Truck east to I-65 / Bluegrass Parkway	Northern terminus of US 31E Truck; western terminus of US 150 Truck
			104.022	167.407	KY 332 (Old Nazareth Road)
		Coxs Creek	107.829	173.534	KY 509 – Fairfield
		​	112.252	180.652	KY 523
		​	113.205	182.186	KY 480 west	Eastern terminus of KY 480
		Highgrove	114.106	183.636	KY 48 east – Fairfield, Bloomfield	Western terminus of KY 48
	Spencer	No major intersections
	Bullitt	​	117.993	189.891	KY 2674 north	Southern terminus of KY 2674
		Mount Washington	119.822	192.835	US 31EX north	Southern terminus of US 31EX
			120.495	193.918	KY 44 – Mount Washington Business District
		​	122.064	196.443	US 31EX south – Mount Washington Business District	Northern terminus of US 31EX
Jefferson	Louisville	122.432	197.035	KY 660 east (Waterford Road)	Western terminus of KY 660
		124.285	200.017	KY 2053 west (Thixton Lane)	Eastern terminus of KY 2053
		127.134– 127.435	204.602– 205.087	I-265 / KY 841 (Gene Snyder Freeway)	I-265 exit 17
		127.924	205.874	KY 1065 (Beulah Church Road / Seatonville Road)
		129.608	208.584	KY 1747 (South Hurstbourne Parkway)
		131.057	210.916	KY 1932 north (Breckenridge Lane)	Southern terminus of KY 1932
		132.264	212.858	Bardstown Road (KY 2251 north) - Buechel Business District	Southern terminus of unsigned KY 2251
				Progress Boulevard	Interchange
		133.337	214.585	Hikes Lane (KY 2052 south)	Northern terminus of unsigned KY 2052
		133.514	214.870	Bardstown Road (KY 2251 south) - Buechel Business District	Northern terminus of unsigned KY 2251
		134.407	216.307	I-264 (Watterson Expressway)	I-264 exit 16
		135.489	218.048	KY 155 south (Taylorsville Road)	Northern terminus of KY 155
		136.989	220.462	US 60 Alt. (Eastern Parkway)
		137.786	221.745	KY 2860 (Grinstead Drive)
		138.016	222.115	KY 1703 south (Baxter Avenue)	Northern terminus of KY 1703
		138.264	222.514	US 150 west (East Broadway)	North end of US 150 overlap
		138.904	223.544	KY 864 south (Chestnut Street)	Northern terminus of KY 864
				Market Street ( US 31E / US 60)	One-way street, inbound access only; south end of US 60 east overlap
		139.086	223.837	US 60 east (US 42 east)	One-way street, outbound access only; north end of northbound US 60 east overlap; western terminus of US 42; no access southbound
				US 60 (US 42)	One-way street, inbound access only; south end of US 60 west overlap; western terminus of US 42; no access southbound
				Jackson Street (KY 61 north)	One-way street; northern terminus of KY 61 at US 31E north (Main Street)
		139.819	225.017	Preston Street (KY 61 south) to I-64 / I-71	One-way street; northern terminus of KY 61 at US 31E north (Main Street)
				Second Street south (KY 1020 south) / Market Street ( US 31W / US 60)	Market St. is one-way street; inbound access only; northern terminus of KY 1020; north end of southbound US 60 east overlap; no northbound access
		140.250	225.710	Clark Bridge (US 31 north) / Main Street west (US 60 west) / US 31W	US 31E and US 31W merge into US 31; north end of US 60 west overlap
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Route transition

Special routes

Hendersonville bypass route

U.S. Route 31E Bypass
Location	Hendersonville, Tennessee
Existed	1981–present

An unsigned portion consisting primarily of Tennessee State Route 386 is known as the U.S. Route 31E Bypass.

Glasgow business route

U.S. Route 31E Business
Location	Glasgow
Length	3.24 mi (5.21 km)

U.S. Route 31E Business starts near the Southgate Shopping Center 0.379 mile north of the Exit 11 interchange of the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway, and intersects Kentucky Routes 249 and 63 before reaching the Barren County Courthouse at the Public Square. It then joins US 68 Business for only 0.123 miles before right-turning onto North Race Street. US 31E Business then follows North Race Street, passes the T.J. Samson Hospital, and ends at an intersection with the regular US 31E alignment on the north side of town about one mile south of the Veterans Outer Loop.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Glasgow, Barren County.

mi	km	Destinations	Notes
0.000	0.000	US 31E (S L Rogers Wells Boulevard)	Western terminus
1.001	1.611	KY 249 south (Bunche Avenue)	Northern terminus of KY 249
1.269	2.042	KY 63 east (East College Street)	Western terminus of KY 63
1.406	2.263	KY 80 east (East Main Street) / KY 90 east / US 68 Bus. east	Begin concurrency with KY 80/KY 90/US-Bus 68
1.516	2.440	US 68 Bus. west / KY 80 west / KY 90 west (West Main Street)	End concurrency with KY 80/KY 90/US-Bus 68
2.118	3.409	Happy Valley Road	Old KY 90; previously KY 90 Alternate
3.240	5.214	US 31E / Glasgow Bypass	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

U.S. Route 31E Truck

U.S. Route 31E Truck
Location	Bardstown

U.S. Route 31E Truck (US 31E Truck) is the truck route of US 31E in the Nelson County seat of Bardstown.

The truck route consists of the following designations:

• Bluegrass Parkway between exits 21 and 25.
• U.S. Route 150 between the Bluegrass Parkway and KY 245, and
• Kentucky Route 245 bypass from US 150 east of downtown to US 31E/150 north of downtown.

U.S. Route 31EX

U.S. Route 31EX
Location	Mount Washington
Length	2.487 mi (4.002 km)
Existed	1996–2023

U.S. Route 31EX (US 31EX) is the business route of US 31E in the Bullitt County town of Mount Washington. The only two major intersections it has besides the main alignment is with KY 44 and KY 2706 in the town's business district. The route is 2.487 miles (4.002 km) long. At the intersection with KY 44, US 31EX is incorrectly signed as a Kentucky state route. At the Spring 2023 AASHTO Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering Meeting, the route was approved to be decommissioned and given to the town of Mount Washington.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Mount Washington, Bullitt County.

mi	km	Destinations	Notes
0.000	0.000	US 31E / US 150	Southern terminus
0.560	0.901	KY 44
0.828	1.333	KY 2706 west	Eastern terminus of KY 2706
2.487	4.002	US 31E / US 150	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

• Roads in Louisville, Kentucky
• Roads in Nashville, Tennessee

References

• Kleber, ed. (1992). The Kentucky Encyclopedia. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-1772-0.
• Rennick, Robert M. (1988). Kentucky Place Names. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-0179-4.
• Simon, F. Kevin (1996). The WPA Guide to Kentucky: A Guide to the Bluegrass State. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 0-8131-0865-9.

External links

• Media related to U.S. Route 31E at Wikimedia Commons