The road is named after Louie B. Nunn, a former Kentucky governor from Barren County, who was instrumental in the road's creation. Originally called the Cumberland Parkway from its opening in 1972-1973, it was renamed for Nunn in 2000. The Nunn Parkway, as with all nine parkways, was originally a toll road. By Kentucky state law, toll collection ceases when enough toll has been collected or funds received from other sources, such as a legislative appropriation, to pay off the construction bonds for the parkway. In the case of the Nunn, toll booths were removed in 2003 because of a bill in the United States Congress sponsored by Hal Rogers, which included an appropriation to pay off the bonds on the parkway as well as the Daniel Boone Parkway in eastern Kentucky. The state legislature then renamed the Boone Parkway for Rogers, which sparked a controversy among residents of the region and the offspring of Boone. Nunn tried to calm the controversy by suggesting the state rename the Nunn Parkway for Rogers instead, restoring the Boone name, saying that the Cumberland Parkway had been named for Nunn without his consent.
Toll plazas and prices
The parkway had three toll plazas upon opening in 1973. A fourth one opened at the Nancy exit on the eastbound on-ramp and westbound off-ramp when that interchange opened in the 1980s.
21st century
Presumably, the Nunn Parkway was built to Interstate Highway standards at its time of construction aside from some at-grade intersections and traffic signals near its east end, which were eliminated in 2010 by constructing a northwestern bypass around Somerset. The east end of the parkway is currently a partial cloverleaf at U.S. 27. The bypass was constructed as part of the now-cancelled Interstate 66 proposed extension through Kentucky.
New interchange in Glasgow
On May 28, 2015, a new interchange on the Louie B. Nunn Cumberland Parkway west of Glasgow was opened to serve the western extension of the Veterans Outer Loop. The eastern extension of that road has been opened in early 2012, complete with the opening of exit 15, which serves the eastern extension of Veterans Outer Loop, designated at KY 1519. The state highway designation for the western extension was announced as Kentucky Route 3600. Upon completion of the new western extension of the Veterans Outer Loop, it includes the new on- and off-ramps of the Cumberland Parkway, and a new at-grade intersection with Kentucky Route 1297
