William H. Natcher Parkway to Interstate 165 project begins

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – It’s a big day for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

That’s because the project to change Interstate 65 from William H. Natcher Parkway is now underway.

This morning contract crews began putting up the first shields of I-165.

They also began removing William H. Natcher Parkway signage on the northbound side.

The exit numbers on the former Natcher Parkway from Bowling Green to Owensboro are going to change as well.

That’s 70 plus miles which will take a week or more to complete.

We spoke to Wes Watt, the Public Information Officer with K-T-C.

Watt says I-165 will allow communities to benefit from the economic development it will create.

The K-T-C can also now move forward with replacing the old toll booth plaza interchanges.

This will bring much-needed safety improvements.

Watt says this project is not something done often and it was in place since 2016.

Once the northbound side is done, K-T-C will begin on the southbound side.

It should take two weeks to complete both sides entirely.