For thousands of commuters and residents from southern Daviess and northern Ohio counties, the 23-mile stretch of I-165 (commonly called the William H. Natcher Parkway) without an exit has long been a source of inconvenience and a safety concern. Now, local officials are studying five specific locations where a new interchange could finally close that gap.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the Owensboro–Daviess County Metropolitan Planning Organization recently distributed a survey asking participants to select their top site, explain why they chose it, and indicate whether they believe an interchange is needed.
The form listed these options in order:
1) Masonville–Habit Road
2) KY 142
3) Poplar Log Bridge Road
4) Crane Pond Road
5) KY 764
MPO Director Tom Lovett said the recent meeting primarily focused on making sure every affected agency knew the study was underway and capturing the experience of people who respond to wrecks on that 23-mile stretch of interstate.
“We heard stories about crews who could see the accident on the other side of the interstate but had to go all the way to Hartford or all the way to Owensboro to get back to it,” Lovett said. “That is exactly the kind of information we wanted.”
State Rep. Suzanne Miles, who helped secure the $200,000 planning grant, said safety is the chief reason the delegation pushed for the study.
“Safety is the number one issue,” Miles said. “We have seen how hard it is to get emergency vehicles to that section once traffic is stopped, and more traffic on the interstate means we need better access points for the people who live out there.”
Rep. DJ Johnson, who also attended, said the data he has seen points in the same direction.
“Based on statistics concerning emergencies along the stretch of I-165 being discussed, it appears to me that there is a real need for an additional interchange,” he said. “It’s not just about identifying the need, but also picking the most effective location. That’s why the Department of Transportation has initiated this study. I support a new interchange and believe it will be built. But I want us to take the time needed to identify the best location for one.”
Sen. Gary Boswell said the gap has been a problem “for years.”
“A safety issue has existed for years because of the lack of access to 165. I will support the interchange. Many thanks to Rep. Miles for championing this cause,” Boswell said. “In the meantime, we at least need to allow an improved crossover from northbound and southbound lanes for emergency vehicles only.”
The cabinet’s own handout to local officials notes that the 23-mile gap between Exit 47 at Hartford and Exit 70 in Owensboro is the longest on Kentucky’s interstate or parkway system and says the purpose of the work is “to provide a more direct connection to I-165 in southern Daviess County and northern Ohio County.”
It also states plainly that “this study is not looking at an Owensboro outer loop.”
Daviess County Judge-Executive Charlie Castlen said he is pleased the conversation has reached the point where locations can be compared. He said the option at KY 764 sits just inside Ohio County, so it is his least favorite, but he likes that four of the five sites being examined fall in Daviess County.
“Right now, our first responders sometimes have to drive past the accident they are trying to get to,” Castlen said. “This will be a huge benefit to our community.”
Lovett said consultants with Stantec are now folding the survey responses into crash history, response-time data, and traffic projections. They expect to brief state and local partners again in late 2025 and return in early 2026 with a draft report that will say either that an interchange is warranted and where it should go, or that one is not needed.
Even then, he said, nothing is automatic. The MPO would have to adopt a project and ask the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to put it into the state’s highway program, where it would compete for federal transportation dollars with other safety and capacity projects around the state.
“There is no construction money in this study,” Lovett said. “This tells us whether we need it and where it ought to go. After that, it is up to the MPO, the cabinet, and, frankly, the legislature to decide if it moves forward.”
Officials said a public meeting will be held in southern Daviess County once the options have been fleshed out, and Lovett said he will likely push for a second meeting in Owensboro so daily commuters can weigh in.
“People have been telling us for a long time that 23 miles without an exit is too far,” Lovett said. “This is how we show them we heard it.”
