Interstate 65

Interstate 65 (I-65) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north-south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. Its southern terminus is located at an interchange with I-10 in Mobile, Alabama, and its northern terminus is at an interchange with I-90, U.S. Route 12 (US 12), and US 20 (the Dunes Highway) in Gary, Indiana, just southeast of Chicago.

I-65 connects several major metropolitan areas in the Midwest and Southern United States. It connects the four largest cities in Alabama (from south to north: Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville). It also serves as one of the main north-south routes through Nashville, Tennessee, Louisville, Kentucky, and Indianapolis, Indiana, each a major metropolitan in each respective state.

Route description

Alabama

In the state of Alabama, I-65 passes through or near four of the state's major metropolitan areas: Mobile, Montgomery, Birmingham, and Huntsville. I-65 begins its path northward in Mobile at its junction with I-10. From I-10, I-65 runs west of downtown Mobile and through the northern suburbs of the city before turning northeasterly towards Montgomery. In Montgomery, I-65 connects with the southern terminus of I-85. In Birmingham, I-65 has an interchange with I-20/I-59. Sometime in the near future, I-22 will branch off I-65 north of downtown towards Memphis. From Birmingham, I-65 continues north, crossing the Tennessee River near Decatur. A few miles north of the river, it interchanges with I-565, which provides access to Huntsville. It then continues northwards out of the Tennessee Valley to the state of Tennessee, towards Nashville.

Interstate 65 in Indiana

In the U.S. state of Indiana, Interstate 65 traverses the state from southeast to northwest. The Indiana portion begins near Louisville, Kentucky and travels north, passing through Columbus, Indianapolis, and Lafayette. Interstate 65 terminates near Gary on the Indiana Toll Road. Interstate 65 covers 261.27 miles (420.47 km) in the state of Indiana. This is one of the principal interstate highways that cross the state, and, more specifically, intersect at the city of Indianapolis, that has given the state the nickname of "Crossroads of America".

Route description

Interstate 65 enters the state at Jeffersonville (near Louisville, Kentucky on the John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge). I-65 travels past Clark State Forest before reaching Seymour to the north. I-65 intersects with US 50 providing access to Seymour to the west. US 31 runs parallel to the interstate until it reaches Indianapolis. North of Seymour, I-65 passes through Columbus. Just north of Columbus, I-65 runs near Camp Atterbury, an Indiana National Guard training base. The interstate continues north into Indianapolis.

Interstate 65 in Tennessee

Interstate 65 (I-65) runs from Ardmore north in Tennessee to just south of Franklin, Kentucky, forming part of the national Interstate 65, which goes from Mobile, Alabama, to Gary, Indiana. In Tennessee the highway's official name is the Albert Arnold Gore Sr. Memorial Highway.

Route description

I-65 enters Tennessee from the south near the town of Ardmore, and passes through mostly rural territory for 65 miles (105 km). At exit 1 (Tennessee State Route 7), US-31 separates from the Interstate, having merged at Athens, Alabama, and immediately services Elkton. After skimming the edges of Columbia and Spring Hill, the road comes to an interchange with Interstate 840. The road widens to eight lanes and travels through Franklin and Brentwood, Tennessee, before coming to an interchange with Interstate 440. The highway enters Downtown Nashville, sharing brief concurrences with Interstate 40 and Interstate 24. The road then separates from I-24 and intersects with SR-155 (Briley Parkway) on the north side of Nashville, and widens to ten through lanes. The widest section of I-65 is found on the north side of this interchange, where the road briefly accommodates 15 through lanes (8 northbound, 7 southbound). The road passes through Madison, and comes to an interchange with SR-386 (Vietnam Veterans Blvd) in Goodlettsville, and narrows back to six lanes. SR-386 can only be accessed from the northbound lanes. The highway then enters a largely rural area, passing through White House, and it exits near Portland into Kentucky to the north.