Russell County through Taylor County The route originates at a junction with
U.S. Route 127 in the southern
Russell County community of
Freedom. The route continues into
Adair County through
Columbia. In the 2010s, KY 55 was rerouted onto the Columbia Bypass, while the original KY 55 alignment, which went through town and provided access to the
Cumberland Expressway, was re-designated as
KY 55 Business. The route continues northward, bypassing the
Green River Lake State Park, and on to
U.S. Route 68 in
Campbellsville,
Taylor County, where KY 55 joins US 68 east, and also
runs concurrently with
KY 70 for the remainder of that route's concurrency with US 68. US 68 and KY 55 continues north into
Marion County.
Marion County through Spencer County At
Lebanon, KY 55 splits from US 68 and continues to
Springfield,
Washington County, running into downtown Springfield and crossing
US 150. It continues north-northwestwardly into eastern Nelson County, providing access to the
Bluegrass Parkway and
US 62 at
Bloomfield. KY 55 goes further north to
Spencer County, and goes through
Taylorsville.
Shelby County through Carroll County From
Spencer County, KY 55 runs northeast into
Shelby County. The route runs through open fields with occasional houses lining the road. into Shelby County, KY 55 intersects with
KY 148 and enters the community of
Finchville. In Finchville, the route is lined with houses and a few businesses, and the speed limit is reduced to 35 MPH. After meeting the eastern terminus of
KY 1848, KY 55 leaves Finchville and heads north toward
Shelbyville, where the speed limit reverts to 55 mph. A 1,000,000 sqft battery factory developed by a California-based company, a distillery aiming to boost tourism related to the bourbon trail project, and several smaller businesses have recently popped up just south of the I-64 exit#32 on the eastern side of the highway. Construction has been completed, and a traffic signal was added just north of the Interstate. In
Shelbyville, KY 55 crosses
Interstate 64 at Exit 32. Currently, KY 55 widens to a four lane divided highway with a center turning lane a few tenths of a mile north of the Interstate. North of I-64, many businesses line KY 55 as well as three industrial parks. north of the Interstate, KY 55 intersects with
US 60 /
KY 55 Business and becomes the Shelbyville Bypass (Freedom's Way). The Shelbyville Bypass opened in November 2010 and is a 4.5-mile, 4-lane divided highway. The Shelbyville Bypass runs north then curves east, crossing
KY 53 near Shelby County West Middle School. The route continues east, crossing over Clear Creek, and ends north of Shelbyville at an intersection with KY 55 Business. North of the Shelbyville Bypass, KY 55 becomes Eminence Pike. It narrows to two lanes as it heads north, passing open fields and houses before entering into
Henry County roughly further north. Alternatively, the business district within the city limits of Shelbyville provides an alternative to taking the bypass. Running concurrently with US60 East (US60East; Main Street; KY Route 55 North) through Shelbyville, KY Route 55X can be picked up just a few miles later and just a mile or so south of the terminus of the KY 55 Bypass. In Henry County, KY, 55 enters the city of
Eminence and forms a concurrency with
KY 22 for . It continues north out of town and forms a concurrency with
US 421 north of KY 22. After passing by Henry County High School and traveling through
New Castle, US 421 and KY 55 split in
Campbellsburg. Roughly north of US 421, KY 55 passes over
Interstate 71 and enters
Trimble County, where it travels for a short distance. The route intersects
KY 316 at its eastern terminus and continues northward into
Carroll County just over from the Trimble County-Henry County line. In Carroll County, KY 55 curves toward the northeast, passing
KY 549 and
KY 389 in rural sections of the county. After the intersection with KY 389, the route turns toward the northwest and travels along the
Kentucky River on the east, with mainly woods on the west. As it nears
Prestonville, KY 55 turns toward the west, then northeast, then north at New Castle Pike. In Prestonville, it passes by a few homes before it ends at an intersection with
US 42/
KY 36, just west of the Kentucky River and south of the
Ohio River. The entire route remains two-lanes throughout Henry, Trimble, and Carroll counties. ==Major intersections==