End of US highway 42

View a map showing this route.

Photo credits: H.B. Elkins; Robert Mortell; me

Approx. time period North terminus West terminus
1926-1932 Cleveland, OH Cincinnati, OH
1932-1950s(?) Cleveland, OH Louisville, KY (downtown)
1950s(?)-present Cleveland, OH Louisville, KY (east)
Point where signage changes from east-west to north-south: KY - OH stateline(?)

The north end of US 42 is in Cleveland OH (despite the fact that it's numbered as an east-west highway, it's signed north-south in Ohio). You can view photos from there on this page.

US 42 was an original 1927 highway, but it ran from Cleveland only to Cincinnati (you can view photos and get more info on this page). In 1932, the west end of US 42 was extended to Louisville KY. At the time neither US 60 nor US 31E followed the same routings they do today, so US 42 ended right downtown at its junction with US 31 (you can view photos from there on this page).

I don't know when US 42 was truncated to its current terminus east of downtown, but the old terminus is still shown on a 1950 KY DoT map of Jefferson County. The current endpoint is at a confusing intersection, but thanks to the following comprehensive set of photos, I think I can explain it. Let's start with a map scan (also courtesy of H.B.):

US 42 comes into Louisville from the east on Brownsboro Road. At the right edge of this map, you can see where it splits into one-ways. At the I-64 underpass, what's now the last US 42 sign is posted:

Mortell, Mar. 2010

As one continues west on Story Avenue, drivers see this sign:

Elkins

Then, a little further on, it used to be that they came to the sign assembly shown below...

Elkins

...but I'm told that's gone now. That sign really should'vd said "End US 42", because no matter which way one goes from here, they're on US 60/US 31E. The same sign is visible at far right in the photo below:

Elkins

We've moved a little closer now. Note the sign assembly in the distance, under the word "Plumbers". That's also visible in the photo below:

Elkins

You probably still can't quite make it out, but it says "West US 60" and "North US 31E" - no more US 42 signs. If you were to turn left on the road in the foreground, you'd be heading south on Baxter Avenue (US 31E). That same turn is also visible in the photo below, which is looking the opposite direction - you would be heading from left to right behind the trianglular median:

Elkins

The confusing thing is how Main is one-way in opposite directions from this median. But the photo above just about tells the whole story. It shows both the west end of US 42 (coming towards the camera at left is Story) and the west beginning of US 42 (heading away from the camera behind the median is Main Street, which becomes Mellwood Avenue). Story is also westbound US 60, and Main/Mellwood is also eastbound US 60. Off to the right side is Baxter. Northbound US 31E traffic on Baxter would be directed to take a left, towards the camera, joining Main. Southbound US 31E traffic joins Baxter one block to the right.

This last photo shows the first US 42 sign heading east, a little further down Main/Mellwood from the spot shown in the photo above:

me, July 2007