AA Highway

{{Infobox road

| state = KY

| type = AA

| route = AA

| alternate_name = Alexandria to Augusta Highway

| maint = KYTC

| map = {{maplink-road|from=AA Highway.map}}

| map_custom = yes

| map_notes = AA Highway highlighted in red, including spurs

| length_mi = 116.285

| length_round = 3

| length_ref = {{cite web |url = http://apps.transportation.ky.gov/DMI_Reports/Official_MP_RL_params.aspx |publisher = Kentucky Transportation Cabinet |author = Division of Planning |work = Highway Information System |title = Official Milepoint Route Log Extract |access-date = July 2, 2013 }}

| counties = Greenup, Carter, Lewis, Mason, Bracken, Pendleton, Campbell

| previous_type =

| previous_route =

| next_type =

| next_route =

| name = John Y. Brown Jr. AA Highway

| section1 = Mainline (KY 9)

| length_mi1 = 84.727

| junction1 =

{{jct|state=KY|US|62}} in Maysville
{{jct|state=KY|US|68}} in Maysville
{{jct|state=KY|US|27}} in Cold Spring

| terminus_a1 = {{jct|state=KY|AA|9|AA|10}} near Vanceburg

| terminus_b1 = {{jct|state=KY|KY|9|I|275}} in Wilder

| direction_a1 = South

| direction_b1 = North

| section2 = Southern Spur (KY 9)

| length_mi2 = 26.310

| direction_a2 = South

| direction_b2 = North

| terminus_a2 = {{jct|state=KY|KY|1|KY|7}} in Grayson

| terminus_b2 = {{jct|state=KY|AA|9|AA|10}} near Vanceburg

| section3 = Eastern Spur (KY 10)

| length_mi3 = 24.628

| direction_a3 = West

| direction_b3 = East

| terminus_a3 = {{jct|state=KY|AA|9|AA|10}} near Vanceburg

| terminus_b3 = {{jct|state=KY|US|23}} near Greenup

}}

The AA Highway is a {{convert|135.665|mi|km|-long|adj=mid}} state highway maintained by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) in the U.S. state of Kentucky. The mainline route parallels the Ohio River from Interstate 275 (I-275) in Wilder to Vanceburg; it is cosigned as Kentucky Route (KY 9). From Vanceburg, the highway splits into two routes, with the southern spur using the KY 9 designation and continuing to Grayson and I-64, and the eastern spur using the designation of KY 10 and continuing to Greenup. The AA is mostly a two-lane rural highway that provides the only direct connection between Ashland and Northern Kentucky, which includes Cincinnati.

The route name is a contraction of its earlier name of the Alexandria to Ashland Highway, which referenced two cities connected by the highway: Alexandria in Northern Kentucky and (via I-64) Ashland in Eastern Kentucky. The route is officially known as the John Y. Brown Jr. AA Highway, named for politician and entrepreneur.{{Cite news |last = Flynn |first = Terry |date = November 27, 1993 |title = AA Highway filling a gap |pages = 13 |work = The Cincinnati Enquirer |url = https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-cincinnati-enquirer/14055798/ |access-date = May 29, 2023 }}

While the highway passes through terrain that is rolling to hilly, the highway is generally level with moderate grades and no steep grades. Except for Carter County, all counties that the AA Highway passes through border the Ohio River. While the AA Highway is not an expressway, it nonetheless serves as the shortest highway link between Cincinnati and Ashland, Kentucky. As such, it provides a link between Cincinnati and other Midwestern cities such as Chicago, Indianapolis, and Dayton and cities south and east of Ashland such as Huntington and Charleston in West Virginia, Charlottesville and Richmond in Virginia, and Charlotte and Winston-Salem in North Carolina.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The only municipalities on the highway are Vanceburg and Maysville and suburban areas of Cincinnati at its western terminus. Those areas are also the only areas with any services used by motorists such as motels, gas stations, restaurants, convenience stores, etc. The only traffic signals on the AA Highway are near Maysville (along a commercial strip with many retail establishments and restaurants), suburban Cincinnati, and at its eastern terminus just north of Interstate 64 near Grayson. There are no rest areas on the AA Highway. Other than the portions that traverse the edge of Maysville and enter suburban Cincinnati, there are no shopping centers or major retail stores along the AA Highway.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

The AA Highway is a rural two-lane highway for most of its length and traverses through some desolate terrain.{{cite web |publisher = Kentucky Transportation Cabinet |title = Possible KY 9 Improvements |author = Division of Planning |year = 2004 |url = http://transportation.ky.gov/planning/projects/projects/dist6/ky9_mult/ky9_mult.shtm |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20040804082626/http://transportation.ky.gov/planning/projects/projects/dist6/ky9_mult/ky9_mult.shtm |archive-date=August 4, 2004 }} Driver inattention and speeding, in combination with the numerous side road entrances and at-grade intersections have made it a dangerous and deadly road. To address these issues, guide signs comparable to interstate-styled signs have been installed along the highway at major intersections, along with additional overhead lighting. Other measures to improve safety and increase capacity are under consideration.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

Route description

The AA Highway follows a general northwest–southeast orientation. It begins at an interchange with I-275 in Wilder in Campbell County and is designated as KY 9–AA Highway. The route then passes the outskirts of its namesake Alexandria. Within Campbell County, the road is a four-lane arterial highway. Note that the KY 9 route begins about {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} north in Newport before it is designated as the AA.

The next segment passes through a remote, hilly region where the road is generally three lanes, with a passing lane present at uphill grades.

A few miles west of Maysville, the highway runs concurrently with KY 10, and the road becomes an arterial highway again. The concurrency ends within Maysville, and upon passing out of the city, the road becomes a two-lane rural highway through an agricultural region.

KY 9 then crosses the Allegheny Escarpment into the Appalachian Mountains at the same time that another concurrency with KY 10 begins. The remainder of KY 9 passes through mountainous terrain and is generally two lanes with periodic passing lanes. After passing through Vanceburg, the AA Highway follows two routes. The first follows KY 9, which turns southeasterly away from the Ohio River and towards Grayson. The KY 9-AA Highway ends at an intersection with KY 1 and KY 7, which provides a short connection to I-64 and access to Ashland.

The second route follows KY 10, which continues to parallel the Ohio River. The AA Highway designation of KY 10 terminates at US Route 23 (US 23), which provides connections to Greenup and Ashland. The KY 10 route continues without the AA designation for about {{convert|1.2|mi|km}} before terminating at the Ohio border on the Jesse Stuart Memorial Bridge.

History

The AA Highway was envisioned as a modern highway from Alexandria to Ashland.{{cite news |last = Davis |first = Merlene |title = Several Projects Helping to Ease Area's Traffic Woes |work = Herald-Leader |location = Lexington, Kentucky |date = January 27, 1985 }}

Construction began in 1985 on the first segment of the AA Highway. Estimated to cost $266 million (equivalent to ${{formatprice|{{inflation|US-GDP|266000000|1985}}}} in {{inflation-year|US-GDP}}{{inflation-fn|US-GDP}}) to complete, it was designed primarily as a two-lane controlled-access facility. The first phase included the construction of {{convert|86|mi|km}} of the AA Highway from the junction of I-275 and Licking Pike (existing KY 9) in Campbell County east to Vanceburg. The first phase also included the design of two {{convert|25|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} spurs running east from Vanceburg, one ending at US 23 near Lloyd and the Jesse Stuart Memorial Bridge, the other ending near I-64 in Grayson.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

When construction began, the costs for the first phase had risen to $292.7 million; the state had sold $300 million in bonds to pay for it. Segments of the highway, from Clarksburg just west of Vanceburg to Tollesboro was routed on an earlier relocated alignment of KY 10.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

It officially opened in 1995; however, it was not formally dedicated until 2003.{{citation needed|date=December 2023}}

File:I-275 East - Exit 77 - KY9 AA Highway (31368102068).jpg|Signage for exit 77 on I-275; northern terminus of AA Highway

File:KY9 South AA Highway Signs - Near KY915 (44197681894).jpg|AA Highway in Cold Spring

File:KYSR9SR10US68US62Maysville.jpg|AA Highway in Maysville

File:Kentucky Route 9 North of Grayson, Kentucky (14311584650).jpg|Aerial view of the AA Highway southern spur in Carter County

= Numbering changes =

The AA Highway including the Greenup spur was originally designated as KY 546, and the Grayson spur was signed as KY 694. On May 26, 1988, the designation, "AA Highway", was proposed to be signed along with KY 546 and KY 694. A few years later, this designation was put in place with the AA Highway being co-signed with KY 546 and KY 694, however, many motorists were soon confused by the ever-changing designations.

To solve this issue, the AA Highway was renumbered in late 1995. The AA Highway including the Grayson spur was renumbered KY 9, and the Greenup spur was renumbered as KY 10. KY 10 also overlaps portions of the AA Highway throughout the entire highway's existence. Old KY 9 in Campbell County was renumbered as KY 915, and old KY 10 between Vanceburg and South Portsmouth was redesignated as KY 8.

Major intersections

= Mainline AA Highway =

{{KYint

|county=Lewis

|cspan=8

|location=none

|mile=26.310

|road={{jct|state=KY|AA|9|KY|1149|dir1=south|dir2=south|to3=to|I|64|city1=Grayson}}

{{jct|state=KY|AA|10|dir1=east|city1=South Shore|city2=Greenup|city3=Ashland}}

|notes=Southern terminus of AA Highway mainline; AA Highway continues as southern spur designated KY 9 and eastern spur designated KY 10

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=27.265

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1149|dir1=north}}

|notes=Northern end of KY 1149 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=Vanceburg

|mile=29.467

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|59|city1=Olive Hill|city2=Vanceburg}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=31.011

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|2523|dir1=north}}

|notes=Southern terminus of KY 2523

}}

{{KYint

|location=Clarksburg

|mile=32.827

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|3037|dir1=north}}

|notes=Southern terminus of KY 3037

}}

{{KYint

|location=Charters

|mile=36.815

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|989|dir1=south}}

|notes=Northern terminus of KY 989

}}

{{KYint

|location=Ribolt

|type=concur

|mile=42.518

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|10|dir1=west}}

|notes=Northern end of KY 10 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=46.642

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|57|city1=Flemingsburg|city2=Tollesboro}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|county=Mason

|cspan=14

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=49.685

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1234|dir1=east}}

|notes=Southern end of KY 1234 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=50.078

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1237}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=50.222

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1234|dir1=west}}

|notes=Northern end of KY 1234 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=50.979

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|3161|dir1=north}}

|notes=Southern terminus of KY 3161

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=53.261

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1449|city1=Orangeburg}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=55.955

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|3313}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|type=concur

|location=none

|mile=56.832

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1448|dir1=east}}

|notes=Southern end of KY 1448 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|type=concur

|location=Maysville

|lspan=4

|mile=57.040

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|11|KY|1448|dir2=west|city1=Flemingsburg|city2=Maysville}}

|notes=Northern end of KY 1448 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|mile=58.451

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1448}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|type=concur

|mile=59.736

|road={{jct|state=KY|US|62|KY|10|dir3=east|city1=Lexington|city2=Maysville}}

|notes=Southern end of KY 10 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|mile=61.875

|road={{jct|state=KY|US|68|city1=Lexington|location2=Aberdeen, OH|location3=Ripley, OH}}

|notes=Interchange

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=65.378

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|3056|dir1=east}}

|notes=Western terminus of KY 3056

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=65.606

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|10|dir1=west|city1=Germantown}}

|notes=Northern end of KY 10 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=66.545

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|435|city1=Minerva}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|county=Bracken

|cspan=7

|location=none

|mile=72.799

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|2370|name1=Dutch Ridge Road}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=74.567

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|19|city1=Brooksville|city2=Augusta|city3=Mount Olivet|location4=Augusta Historic District}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=76.772

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|875|city1=Chatham|city2=Gertrude}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=Woolcott

|mile=79.280

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1159|city1=Brooksville|city2=Mount Olivet}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=82.606

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1109|city1=Bradford|city2=Johnsville}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=85.877

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1019|city1=Lenoxburg|location2=Foster}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=87.830

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|2228|dir1=east|to2=to|KY|8|location1=Foster}}

|notes=Western terminus of KY 2228

}}

{{KYint

|county=Pendleton

|cspan=2

|location=none

|mile=89.174

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|159|dir1=south|location1=Kincaid Lake State Park}}

|notes=Northern terminus of KY 159

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=91.711

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|154|to2=to|KY|8|city1=Peach Grove}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|county=Campbell

|cspan=10

|location=none

|mile=93.717

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|2828|dir1=east|name1=Ivor Road|city1=Carntown}}

|notes=Western terminus of KY 2828

}}

{{KYint

|location=Flagg Spring

|mile=94.941

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|735|to2=to|KY|10|city1=Mentor}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=99.316

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1996|name1=Carthage Road}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=101.238

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1997|to2=to|KY|10|KY|547}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=103.405

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|547|city1=Alexandria|city2=Silver Grove}}

|notes=Interchange

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=105.348

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|709|dir1=west|name1=East Alexandria Pike}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=Cold Spring

|lspan=2

|mile=107.148

|road={{jct|state=KY|US|27|ity1=Alexandria|city2=Cold Spring}}

|notes=Interchange (exit 14)

}}

{{KYint

|mile=109.337

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|915|dir1=south|name1=Licking Pike|to2=to|KY|10}}

|notes=Northern terminus of KY 915

}}

{{KYint

|location=Wilder

|lspan=2

|mile=109.755

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1998|dir1=east}}

|notes=Western terminus of KY 1998

}}

{{KYint

|mile=111.037

|road={{jct|state=KY|I|275|dir1=east|to2=to|I|471}}

{{jct|state=KY|I|275|dir1=west|to2=to|I|71|extra=airport|location1=Airport}}

|notes=I-275 exit 77; northern terminus of AA Highway; KY 9 continues north into Newport

}}

= Southern spur (KY 9 to I-64) =

{{KYint

|county=Carter

|cspan=6

|location=none

|mile=0.000

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1|KY|7|to3=to|I|64|city1=Grayson|location2=Greenbo Lake State Resort Park|location3=Grayson Lake State Park}}

|notes=Southern terminus of KY 9 and southern spur of AA Highway

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=1.078

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1959}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=5.486

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|7|dir1=south}}

|notes=Southern end of KY 7 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=6.498

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|7|dir1=north|city1=Carter City}}

|notes=Northern end of KY 7 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=11.324

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|2|KY|7|city1=Carter City}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=12.821

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1773|dir1=east}}

|notes=Northern terminus of KY 1773

}}

{{KYint

|county=Lewis

|cspan=3

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=22.690

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1149|dir1=south}}

|notes=Southern end of KY 1149 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=22.899

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1306|dir1=north}}

|notes=Western terminus of KY 1306

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=26.310

|road={{jct|state=KY|AA|9|KY|10|KY|1149|dir1=north|dir2=west|dir3=north|city1=Vanceburg|city2=Maysville|city3=Alexandria}}

{{jct|state=KY|AA|10|dir1=east|city1=South Shore|city2=Greenup|city3=Ashland}}

|notes=Northern terminus of AA Highway southern spur; Mainline AA Highway continues north on KY 9; AA Highway eastern spur continues east on KY 10

}}

= Eastern spur (KY 10) =

{{KYint

|county=Lewis

|cspan=6

|location=none

|mile=91.581

|road={{jct|state=KY|AA|9|KY|10|dir1=north|dir2=west|city1=Vanceburg|city2=Maysville|city3=Alexandria}}

{{jct|state=KY|AA|9|KY|1149|dir1=south|dir2=south|to3=to|I|64|city1=Grayson|location2=Carter Caves State Resort Park}}

|notes=Western terminus of AA Highway eastern spur; Mainline AA Highway continues north on KY 9; AA Highway southern spur continues south on KY 9}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=93.473

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|3020|dir1=west|name1=Ronald Reagan Memorial Parkway|city1=Vanceburg}}

|notes=Eastern terminus of KY 3020

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=96.879

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1306|name1=Kinney Road|city1=Garrison}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=99.158

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|3311|name1=Montgomery Road}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=99.985

|road={{jct|state=KY|to1=to|KY|8|city1=Quincy|location2=Portsmouth, OH|city3=South Shore}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=102.191

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|1021|name1=Briary Road}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|county=Greenup

|cspan=5

|location=none

|mile=105.178

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|784|name1=Shultz Road}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|type=concur

|mile=108.181

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|784|dir1=south}}

|notes=Western end of KY 784 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=Letitia

|mile=108.502

|type=concur

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|784|dir1=north}}

|notes=Eastern end of KY 784 concurrency

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=112.916

|road={{jct|state=KY|KY|7|city1=South Shore}}

|notes=

}}

{{KYint

|location=none

|mile=116.209

|road={{jct|state=KY|US|23|city1=South Shore|city2=Greenup|city3=Ashland}}
{{jct|state=KY|KY|10|dir1=east|noshield1=yes|to2=to|US-OH|52|location1=Ohio}}

|notes=Terminus of AA highway eastern spur; KY 10 continues east to the Ohio River

}}