U.S. Route 62 in Kentucky
U.S. Route 62 (US 62) in Kentucky runs for a total of across 20 counties in western, north-central, and northeastern Kentucky. It enters the state by crossing the Ohio River near Wickliffe, then begins heading eastward at Bardwell, and traversing several cities and towns across the state up to Maysville, where it crosses the Ohio River a second time to enter the state of Ohio. Route description. Wickliffe to Elizabethtown. US 62's runs concurrently with US 51 for its first in Ballard and Carlisle counties in the Jackson Purchase region of southwestern Kentucky . US 62 separates from US 51 at Bardwell, where it turns northeastward towards Paducah. It then intersects Interstate 24 (I-24) near the Kentucky Welcome Center, and it runs concurrently with US 45 and US 60, along with parts of the I-24 Business Loop in downtown Paducah. After entering Marshall County, US 62 continues eastward to cross I-24 two more times, the second time before traversing Kentucky Dam and into southern Livingston County. The third time US 62 crosses I-24 is near Eddyville during its concurrency with US 641 in Lyon County. It then intersects I-69 (Western Kentucky Parkway) east of  Eddyville before entering Caldwell County. US 62 closely follows the Western Kentucky Parkway (also known to locals as the WK Parkway) through Caldwell, Hopkins, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Grayson, and Hardin counties. The route traverses several towns and cities such as Princeton, Dawson Springs, Greenville, and Central City. In Muhlenberg County from Greenville to Central City, the US Route closely follows the four-lane Kentucky Route 189 (KY 189), which carries through traffic around the city of Powderly while US 62 traverses the urban areas of the three cities. Near Beaver Dam, US 62 does cross I-165 (formerly the William H. Natcher  Parkway), but without access to that freeway. The route continues eastward into Grayson County towards Caneyville, Leitchfield, and Clarkson before reaching Elizabethtown. Elizabethtown to Maysville. After reaching Elizabethtown, it has a concurrency with KY 61, crossing exit 94 on I-65, and into Nelson County. US 62 begins to parallel the Bluegrass Parkway, and it does so all the way to Versailles. Beyond Versailles, US 62 turns northeastward to cross I-64 and reaches Georgetown. US 62 continues on a northeasterly track into the northwesternmost corner of Bourbon County before entering Harrison County. It then traverses towns such as Cynthiana, Oddville, and  Mt. Olivet, before reaching Maysville. There, it runs concurrently with US 68 Business into downtown Maysville (the main alignment of US 68 was rerouted onto a bypass route), and crosses the Ohio River into Brown County, Ohio, where it meets the main alignment of US 68. History. Until 1963, US 62 followed a route from Kuttawa, into what was the inner part of Eddyville, and followed a due easterly path to Princeton via Saratoga Springs. This original alignment is now parts of Kentucky Routes 93 and KY 293, while US 62 was rerouted onto the former KY 278, where it  meets up with US 641, and to provide a proper intersection with the Western Kentucky Parkway west of Princeton. When I-24's route through Kentucky was completed at some time between 1976 and 1979, US 62's junction with the WK Parkway was closed off as a result of the extension project to extend the WK Parkway to Eddyville to build its western terminus at I-24's exit 42 interchange. The original connector is still in existence as a county-maintained road, with a dead end where the connector connected to the parkway where the Mile Marker 10 toll booth  was originally located until 1987. In the early 2010s, a section of US 62 in western Anderson County was reconstructed to accommodate the new intersection with KY 555, which was extended from its junction with the Bluegrass Parkway in northern Washington County. US 62's junction with KY 248 was also reconstructed. Memorial names. From the KY 189 junction to the eastern city limits in Central City, US 62 is known as Everly Brothers Boulevard, in honor of the country music duo who were born and raised in the area.