U.S. Route 79 (US 79) enters
Kentucky from
Tennessee in
Todd County west of
Guthrie and runs northeast into
Logan County, terminating at a junction with
US 68,
US 68 Business, and
Kentucky Route 80 (KY 80) in
Russellville. US 79 remains a two-lane road throughout Kentucky.
Route description
US 79 in Kentucky begins at the Tennessee state line west of Guthrie and travels northeast, forming a junction with
US 41 from the state line. The route continues to the northeast, passing north of Guthrie and
Allensville in rural areas of Todd County. from the Kentucky-Tennessee border, US 79 crosses into Logan County where it becomes known as Clarksville Road. The route continues northeast through rural areas of Logan County until it comes to an intersection with
US 431, the
Russellville Bypass
The Russellville Bypass is a beltway around Russellville in Logan County in south central Kentucky. The highway comprises overlapping portions of U.S. Route 68 (US 68) and Kentucky Route 80 (KY 80), US 79, and US 431. The north side of the ...
, on the south side of Russellville from the Todd County line. US 79 and US 431 run
concurrently along the Bypass south of town where it intersects
KY 96 and the concurrency ending at Nashville Road (US 431 continues south while
KY 2146 begins and heads north). US 79 and the Bypass begin to curve back north where it intersects
KY 100 at its western terminus (KY 100 formerly continued along the Bypass to US 79's current terminus). US 79 ends at an intersection with Bowling Green Road which carries US 68 and KY 80 to the east and US 68 Bus. to the west towards downtown Russellville.
History
The current route in Kentucky was paved by 1939 but was not signed as US 79. The highway was originally designated as
Kentucky Route 105. KY 105 originally ran the original alignment of
U.S. Route 79
U.S. Route 79 (US 79) is a United States highway in the Southern United States. The route is officially considered and labeled as a north-south highway, but its path is actually more of a diagonal northeast-southwest highway. The highway's nort ...
and the current alignment of
Kentucky Route 79
Kentucky Route 79 (KY 79) is a north–south state highway that traverses five counties in west-central Kentucky. It can be seen as an extension of U.S. Route 79 (US 79), as they have the same number; KY 79 begins in the same city that ...
, from the state line to Russellville to the
Rough River Lake State Resort Park area, and ending with KY 105's current alignment.
By 1958, the current route was signed as US 79, although, it extended a bit further northeast into the city of Russellville.
Its northern terminus at US 431 was created by the early 2010s with the construction of a segment of the
Russellville Bypass
The Russellville Bypass is a beltway around Russellville in Logan County in south central Kentucky. The highway comprises overlapping portions of U.S. Route 68 (US 68) and Kentucky Route 80 (KY 80), US 79, and US 431. The north side of the ...
from US 79 to US 68 on the western outskirts of Russellville.
In November 2017, US 79's northern terminus returned to the east side of Russellville when it was routed onto the southern section of the Russellville Bypass loop when it was completed. A historical marker was erected at the eastern terminus in 2019 commemorating the importance of the highway's impact on early economical development in western Kentucky.
Major intersections
References
External links
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{{state detail page browse, type=US, route=79, state=Kentucky, statebefore=Tennessee, stateafter=
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