154-559: U.S. Route 75 is a north–south U.S. Highway that runs 1,239 miles (1,994 km) in the central United States . The highway's northern terminus is located at the Canadian border near Noyes, Minnesota , at a now-closed border crossing . From this point, the highway once continued farther north as Manitoba Highway 75 . Its southern terminus is located at Interstate 30 (I-30) and Interstate 45 (I-45) in Dallas , Texas, where US 75
308-591: A folded diamond interchange with the western terminus of K-10 . After this, the highway continues farther east and enters the city of Lawrence , where it shares a diamond interchange with McDonald Drive at exit 202 (West Lawrence ). McDonald Drive leads to US 59 south of the turnpike. East of here, the highway bends east-northeasterly, crosses the Kansas River, and then intersects US 40 and US 59, which run concurrently , at exit 204 (East Lawrence ). The Kansas Turnpike then leaves Lawrence and bends to
462-647: A 24-hour period. Flash flooding along Slate Creek caused that tributary of the Arkansas River to inundate the turnpike four miles (6.4 km) south of the Wellington exit. As a result, just after midnight, the KTA made the decision to close the turnpike between Wellington and the Oklahoma state line. The turnpike reopened on May 10. The Kansas Turnpike uses all-electronic tolling since July 1, 2024. Cash
616-442: A K-TAG transponder or via license plate recognition . The turnpike is self-sustaining; it derives its entire revenue from the tolls collected and requires no additional tax money for maintenance or administration. Early federal plans for a nationwide system of interregional highways did not include a route along or near the present turnpike, instead connecting Oklahoma City and Kansas City via southeastern Kansas and US-69 . By
770-425: A banner such as alternate or bypass —are also managed by AASHTO. These are sometimes designated with lettered suffixes, like A for alternate or B for business. The official route log, last published by AASHTO in 1989, has been named United States Numbered Highways since its initial publication in 1926. Within the route log, "U.S. Route" is used in the table of contents, while "United States Highway" appears as
924-528: A connecting segment along SH 16 between new US 75 and Beggs, as Alternate US 75 , also signed as US 75A or SH 75A. Historically, the old US 75 met US 66 (now SH 66 ) in Sapulpa, and the routes were co-signed into Tulsa. Development of US 75 in North Omaha was the source of much contention in when it was constructed. One state agency reports, "Construction of
1078-521: A distinctively-shaped white shield with large black numerals in the center. Often, the shield is displayed against a black square or rectangular background. Each state manufactures their own signage, and as such subtle variations exist all across the United States. Individual states may use cut-out or rectangular designs, some have black outlines, and California prints the letters "US" above the numerals. One- and two-digit shields generally feature
1232-449: A double-trumpet connection to the parallel Kellogg Avenue, which carries US-54 and US-400 . It is one of the original 1956 interchanges. Exit 53, the final Wichita exit, is a trumpet connection to the K-96 freeway. The connector road junctions K-96 at a four-ramp partial cloverleaf interchange and ends at North 127th Street East. The interchange opened c. 1994 along with
1386-534: A freeway. This freeway segment runs to Elmont , then becomes an expressway to Holton . The remainder of US 75 in Kansas is two lanes. The highway exits the state north of Sabetha . There was a US 75 Alternate in Topeka. It was on Topeka Boulevard and was the route US 75 originally took through the city. US 75 enters Nebraska south of Dawson . From Nebraska City northward, it closely parallels
1540-500: A long concurrency. At US 56 near Scranton US 75 becomes a freeway. There is no direct access to the Kansas Turnpike from US 75, but the highway joins with I-470 less than one mile (1.6 km) from I-470's interchange with the turnpike. US 75 and I-470 run together along the west side of Topeka to I-70 . US 75 turns east along I-70 for about three miles (4.8 km) before exiting northbound as
1694-567: A main route. Odd numbers generally increase from east to west; U.S. Route 1 (US 1) follows the Atlantic Coast and US 101 follows the Pacific Coast. (US 101 is one of the many exceptions to the standard numbering grid; its first "digit" is "10", and it is a main route on its own and not a spur of US 1.) Even numbers tend to increase from north to south; US 2 closely follows the Canadian border, and US 98 hugs
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#17328015457701848-512: A new Intercity Viaduct to Kansas City, Missouri—did not go anywhere. But the fourth proposal, a toll bridge on 18th Street in Kansas City, was pushed through, and the KTA agreed to build the turnpike in early 1956. The 18th Street Expressway , running south from the turnpike's east end over the Kansas River, opened in 1959, improving access to northeast Johnson County . As the turnpike did not use any state tax revenue for maintenance,
2002-733: A new segment of the Oklahoma Turnpike along the US ;69 corridor to bring it to corridor standards. A major north–south artery in Kansas , US 75 enters the state at Caney . It passes through Independence and crosses I-35 south of Olivet at the BETO Junction . From I-35 to Melvern Lake, US 75 is a Super-2 highway, with controlled access interchanges at Township Road, K-278 , and K-31 southbound. From Melvern Lake to just north of Lyndon, US 75 and K-31 share
2156-640: A part of popular culture. US 101 continues east and then south to end at Olympia, Washington . The western terminus of US 2 is now at Everett, Washington . Kansas Turnpike The Kansas Turnpike is a 236-mile (380 km) controlled-access toll road that lies entirely within the US state of Kansas . It runs in a general southwest–northeast direction from the Oklahoma border to Kansas City . It passes through several major Kansas cities, including Wichita , Topeka , and Lawrence . The turnpike
2310-713: A part of the U.S. Numbered System." U.S. Route 3 (US 3) meets this obligation; in New Hampshire , it does not follow tolled portions of the Everett Turnpike . However, US Routes in the system do use parts of five toll roads: U.S. Routes in the contiguous United States follow a grid pattern, in which odd-numbered routes run generally north to south and even-numbered routes run generally east to west, though three-digit spur routes can be either-or. Usually, one- and two-digit routes are major routes, and three-digit routes are numbered as shorter spur routes from
2464-512: A period of time, similar maintenance issues appeared along the whole length of the road at the same time. Bridges and pavement were repaired on a rotating basis, to stagger the cost of needed repairs. The bridge over the Kansas River was widened and replaced after 1973. As economic conditions improved for the Authority, equipment was slowly replaced, and workers were given pay increases, both of which were badly needed. The East Topeka interchange
2618-568: A piece of two U.S. Highways : U.S. Highway 24 (US-24) and US-40 in Kansas City. Because it predates the Interstate Highway System, the road is not engineered to current Interstate Highway standards and notably lacks a regulation-width median. To reduce the risk of head-on collisions, the Kansas Turnpike now has a continuous, permanent Jersey barrier in the median over its entire length. On opening, there
2772-602: A rough grid. Major routes from the earlier map were assigned numbers ending in 0, 1 or 5 (5 was soon relegated to less-major status), and short connections received three-digit numbers based on the main highway from which they spurred. The five-man committee met September 25, and submitted the final report to the Joint Board secretary on October 26. The board sent the report to the Secretary of Agriculture on October 30, and he approved it November 18, 1925. The new system
2926-419: A separate Emporia–Kansas City alignment, and the mileage that would have been used to build I-35 from Wichita to Emporia via Newton was instead used for I-35W (now I-135 ) from Wichita via Newton to Salina. After almost 22 months of construction, the road was opened for a day of free travel on October 20, 1956, between 6:00 am and 2:00 pm. An estimated 12,000 to 15,000 cars traveled on
3080-513: A southbound exit and northbound entrance, forcing drivers who did not wish to pay a toll to leave I-35 in Oklahoma. By 1976, the other two ramps had been added. From exit 4, the turnpike continues on a due north course, crossing Slate Creek , before coming to the Southern Terminal barrier toll plaza, where tickets are issued for all northbound traffic, and fares are collected from southbound traffic. The next interchange north of
3234-411: A special cashless interchange within an otherwise cash-based ticketed system. Drivers without a K-TAG were asked to pay their toll online at the standard cash rates. If the toll was not paid after 10 days, a bill was mailed to the vehicle's registered owner at a slightly higher "video rate". If the mailed bill fell delinquent, the highest "violation rate" was charged along with late fees. In July 2023,
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#17328015457703388-433: A traffic study, as the KTA had, to prove that the proposed Oklahoma turnpike would be profitable. Oklahoma also suffered from a poorer credit rating than did Kansas. Additionally, by this time, many states' turnpike authorities were competing in the bond markets for investor dollars. All of these issues combined made it difficult for OTA to issue bonds for its toll road. When funding had been obtained, political issues stalled
3542-463: A tribute to commemorate the occasion. On the first day after the official opening, 7,197 vehicles traveled the turnpike, with 81 toll collectors and 50 maintenance workers on duty. The turnpike originally had 14 interchanges; by 2012, there were 22. Despite Oklahoma's role in instigating the construction of the Kansas Turnpike, its plans for a connecting turnpike fell through. The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) had not performed
3696-615: A two-lane paved roadway were in the Houston and Dallas areas. The highways in and near these cities included some of the first freeways in the state, however: the Gulf Freeway (Houston) and the Central Expressway (Dallas). When Interstate 45 was built in the 1960s, its alignment bypassed many of the towns and built-up areas between downtown Dallas and Houston. The bypassed routes retained the US 75 designation until
3850-727: Is a nonvoting seat for the United States Department of Transportation . Generally, most north-to-south highways are odd-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the east and the highest in the west, while east-to-west highways are typically even-numbered, with the lowest numbers in the north, and the highest in the south, though the grid guidelines are not rigidly followed, and many exceptions exist. Major north–south routes generally have numbers ending in "1", while major east–west routes usually have numbers ending in "0". Three-digit numbered highways are generally spur routes of parent highways; for example, U.S. Route 264 (US 264)
4004-582: Is a north–south route, unlike its parent US 22 , which is east–west. As originally assigned, the first digit of the spurs increased from north to south and east to west along the parent; for example, US 60 had spurs, running from east to west, designated as US 160 in Missouri , US 260 in Oklahoma , US 360 in Texas , and US 460 and US 560 in New Mexico . As with
4158-436: Is a spur off US 64 . Some divided routes , such as US 19E and US 19W , exist to provide two alignments for one route. Special routes, which can be labeled as alternate, bypass or business, depending on the intended use, provide a parallel routing to the mainline U.S. Highway. Before the U.S. Routes were designated, auto trails designated by auto trail associations were the main means of marking roads through
4312-758: Is compatible with the SunPass system in Florida as of February 2023 , but not currently on roads maintained by the Central Florida Expressway Authority . K-TAG is also compatible with the BestPass and PrePass commercial toll transponders, but it is not compatible with any additional systems, including the E-ZPass system in the eastern United States. Prior to 2024, the turnpike used a ticket-based collection system . When entering
4466-772: Is in the process of eliminating all intrastate U.S. Highways less than 300 miles (480 km) in length "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials can reach agreement with reference thereto". New additions to the system must serve more than one state and "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". A version of this policy has been in place since 1937. The original major transcontinental routes in 1925, along with
4620-567: Is known as North Central Expressway . US 75 was previously a cross-country route, from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico at Galveston , Texas , but the entire segment south of Dallas has been decommissioned in favor of I-45; a cutoff section of town-to-town surface road having become Texas State Highway 75 . The first freeway in Texas was a several-mile stretch of US 75 (now I-45 )—The Gulf Freeway —opened to Houston traffic on October 1, 1948. The stretch of US 75 between I-30 and
4774-436: Is located on the north side of the road east of here at mile 188. It is accessed by ramps on the right side of the highway in both directions. Just east of the service area, the turnpike enters Douglas County while passing over US 40 without an interchange. The route then curves to the southeast and runs roughly parallel to US 40. A series of curves takes the turnpike farther east as it reaches exit 197 ( Lecompton ),
U.S. Route 75 - Misplaced Pages Continue
4928-479: Is no longer accepted. Tolls are instead paid using K-TAG (or compatible transponder) or via license plate recognition , which sends a bill to the vehicle's registered owner. As of 2024 , motorists driving two-axle vehicles (such as cars and motorcycles) pay 4.8¢ per mile driven if using a K-TAG, for a total of $ 11.36 to drive the entire length of the turnpike from the Oklahoma state line to Kansas City. Motorists using license plate recognition to pay their toll pay double
5082-776: Is owned and maintained by the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), which is headquartered in Wichita. The Kansas Turnpike was built from 1954 to 1956, predating the Interstate Highway System . While not part of the system's early plans, the turnpike was eventually incorporated into the Interstate System in late 1956 and is designated today as four different Interstate Highway routes: Interstate 35 (I-35), Interstate 335 ( I-335 ), I-470 , and I-70 . The turnpike also carries
5236-602: Is present to allow turnpike travelers to connect to the K-55. The turnpike's next interchange is exit 33 ( Mulvane ), which connects to K-53 /East 119th Street South via a trumpet ramp, just east of the west end of K-53 at US-81. The interchange was built c. 1985 . It was reconstructed in 2011 to serve the Kansas Star Casino with roundabouts on each side of the flyover. The east roundabout directs traffic to K-53. The west roundabout directs traffic to
5390-431: Is the final toll booth on the route traveling east, and all vehicles must pay their final toll before continuing. The turnpike then enters Bonner Springs. It crosses Wolf Creek before leaving Leavenworth County and entering Wyandotte County . In Bonner Springs, the turnpike intersects K-7 , westbound US 24 , westbound US 40, and the southern terminus of US 73 at exit 224 (Bonner Springs, formerly exit 223) with
5544-567: Is the main north–south route through Moorhead . North of Moorhead, the route turns northeast to pass through Crookston (east of Grand Forks, North Dakota ), then turns northwest towards the Red River of the North . US 75 does not cross the Red River, ending instead at the Canadian border at the unincorporated community of Noyes . It is not legally possible to cross the border at Noyes as
5698-657: The Bonner Springs interchange, exit numbers change to match the mileage of I-70 east from the Colorado border, which is also used on I-70 west of the turnpike. This results in discontinuous exit numbers on I-70. The first 127 miles (204 km) of the highway, between its southern terminus at the Oklahoma border and Emporia, Kansas , are designated as I-35 . The Kansas Turnpike is the only tolled section on this Interstate. The turnpike runs due north and south between its southern terminus and Wichita. This stretch of
5852-565: The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 was signed into law, granting funding to the nationwide Interstate Highway System . Without its Oklahoma link, the Kansas Turnpike was in danger of being bypassed by the Interstate System entirely. However, at the end of 1956, the Bureau of Public Roads and the state of Kansas agreed to route I-35 along the turnpike south of Emporia and I-70 along the piece east of Topeka. The state insisted on
6006-609: The Gulf Freeway carried US 75 , the Pasadena Freeway carried US 66 , and the Pulaski Skyway carries US 1 and US 9 . The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 appropriated funding for the Interstate Highway System, to construct a vast network of freeways across the country. By 1957, AASHO had decided to assign a new grid to the new routes, to be numbered in the opposite directions as
6160-686: The Missouri River . A brief section that serves as a bypass for Nebraska City is an expressway called the J. Sterling Morton Beltway. Nebraska City itself is served with Business Route US 75. US 75 and US 34 overlap from Union to Plattsmouth . North of Plattsmouth, US 75 becomes the Kennedy Freeway, serving as an arterial highway through Bellevue and the South Omaha neighborhood of Omaha . It follows I-480 briefly through central Omaha before branching off as
6314-612: The National Maximum Speed Law , when state legislators were given the authority to raise the speed limits on rural Interstate Highways to 65 mph (105 km/h), that this segment of the Kansas Turnpike was given the I-335 designation so that it could fall under the new law. Northeast of Emporia, the Emporia Service Area is in the median at mile 132. The turnpike continues northeast through
U.S. Route 75 - Misplaced Pages Continue
6468-618: The New England states got together to establish the six-state New England Interstate Routes . Behind the scenes, the federal aid program had begun with the passage of the Federal Aid Road Act of 1916 , providing 50% monetary support from the federal government for improvement of major roads. The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 limited the routes to 7% of each state's roads, while 3 in every 7 roads had to be "interstate in character". Identification of these main roads
6622-731: The North Omaha Freeway , coupled with social unrest in the 1970s, greatly impacted the North Omaha area. One neighborhood experienced a 30 percent housing loss and major increase in crime." Further, the City of Omaha refused to complete upgrades to the freeway, eliminating the possibility of achieving the I-580 designation planned for it. From when the route was created in 1926 until 1984, US 75 left Nebraska in Omaha, crossing over
6776-497: The North Omaha Freeway . From I-680 northward to Nashville (three miles [4.8 km] south of Fort Calhoun ) US 75 is an expressway. South of Nashville it becomes a two-lane road again. It is briefly concurrent with US 30 in Blair . It joins with US 77 at Winnebago . The two highways run together until their junction with I-29 and US 20 at South Sioux City . US 75 follows I-29 and US 20 towards
6930-656: The Noyes–Emerson East Border Crossing closed in July 2006 (however, since there is no security, it is possible to illegally bypass the old crossing into Emerson ). Border traffic is instead directed to the nearby crossing in Pembina, North Dakota , (via MN 171 , ND 59 and I-29 ). Manitoba Highway 75 previously continued on the other side of the Noyes border crossing, but has since been rerouted to
7084-597: The Oklahoma state line has exits numbered consecutively from 1 to 75 (with occasional A and B designations), excluding 9-19. All other Texas freeways that have exit numbers are coordinated with mile markers. US 75 and Interstate 635 cross at the High Five Interchange , a five level exchange in Dallas, Texas. From Denison north to the Oklahoma border, US 75 runs concurrently with US 69 . US 75 remains concurrent to US 69 from
7238-486: The Pacific coast . Many local disputes arose related to the committee's choices between designation of two roughly equal parallel routes, which were often competing auto trails. At their January meeting, AASHO approved the first two of many split routes (specifically US 40 between Manhattan, Kansas and Limon, Colorado and US 50 between Baldwin City, Kansas and Garden City, Kansas ). In effect, each of
7392-472: The Towanda Service Area in the median at mile 65. From the service area, the highway proceeds northeast to exit 71 ( El Dorado ), a trumpet connection to K-254 just east of its junction with K-196 . The connector originally directly intersected K-254, but it now ends between K-254/West Central Avenue and West 6th Avenue at Boyer Road just north of K-254. Exit 71 opened with
7546-471: The Woodbury – Plymouth county line, where it becomes an expressway. This expressway becomes a freeway bypass of Le Mars . North of Le Mars, US 75 exits off the freeway bypass, which continues on as Iowa Highway 60 , and turns north. US 75 continues as a two-lane, undivided highway passing through Sioux Center and Rock Rapids before leaving the state north of Iowa Highway 9 . The segment from
7700-415: The auto trails which they roughly replaced, were as follows: US 10, US 60, and US 90 only ran about two thirds of the way across the country, while US 11 and US 60 ran significantly diagonally. US 60's violation of two of the conventions would prove to be one of the major sticking points; US 60 eventually was designated as US 66 in 1926, and later it became
7854-409: The 1940s and 1950s to adopt the same number as the U.S. Route they connected to – mostly in the western provinces. Examples include British Columbia 's highways 93 , 95 , 97 , and 99 ; Manitoba 's highways 59 , 75 , and 83 ; or Ontario King's Highway 71 . The reverse happened with U.S. Route 57 , originally a Texas state highway numbered to match Mexican Federal Highway 57 . In the 1950s,
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#17328015457708008-484: The Gulf Coast. The longest routes connecting major cities are generally numbered to end in a 1 or a 0; however, extensions and truncations have made this distinction largely meaningless. These guidelines are very rough, and exceptions to all of the basic numbering rules exist. The numbering system also extended beyond the borders of the United States in an unofficial manner. Many Canadian highways were renumbered in
8162-731: The Intercity Viaduct by the state. After a ruling from the state supreme court that found that the KTA could issue bonds and oversee the construction and administration of the turnpike, the turnpike authority sold $ 160 million (equivalent to $ 1.33 billion in 2023 ) in revenue bonds in September ;1954. KTA bonds were quickly bought by investors, who were attracted by the Kansas Turnpike's low construction costs—only one-third of that of turnpikes in other states—and projections showing that enough tolls would be collected to pay off investors after 19 years. Ground
8316-502: The K-TAG rate, currently 9.6¢ per mile for a two-axle vehicle (or $ 22.72 for the entire length). Vehicles with more than two axles, such as semi-trucks, pay higher tolls; five-axle vehicles are charged 13.8¢ per mile with K-TAG or 27.6¢ per mile with license plate tolling and nine-axle vehicles pay 33.4¢ per mile with K-TAG or 66.8¢ per mile with license plate tolling. Flat-rate tolls are collected at 21 open road tolling gantries located on
8470-442: The KTA announced that all existing toll booths would be replaced with cashless tolling gantries by the following year. At these toll gantries, a vehicle without K-TAG would have a picture taken of its license plate, and a bill for the toll would be mailed to its owner. In early 2024, the date for the conversion to cashless tolling was officially set to July 1, 2024. The Kansas Turnpike is 236 miles (380 km) long. As of 2014 ,
8624-534: The Kansas State Line, US 75 is once again a multilane highway. In the early 1990s, some portions of US 75 in Oklahoma were slated to become part of the Interstate Highway System . The 1991 Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) states that "upon the request of the Oklahoma State highway agency, the Secretary shall designate the portion of United States Route 69 from
8778-493: The Kansas Turnpike continues northeast, passing through the southeast corner of Wabaunsee County and the northwestern part of Osage County . The turnpike enters Shawnee County and continues through rural land before it heads into the Topeka area. Here, the roadway has an interchange that serves I-470 and US 75 at exit 177. At this point, I-335 ends and I-470 joins the turnpike as it passes through suburban development in
8932-457: The Kansas Turnpike has 22 interchanges and two barrier toll plazas . Many of the interchanges are designed as trumpet interchanges with a connector road to the crossroad, for easy placement of a single toll plaza on the connector. Exit numbers were originally sequential but are assigned today by mileage from south to east, the same numbering system used by the majority of US states for their Interstate Highways as well. After passing
9086-504: The Kansas state line, and taking into account traffic flow maps prepared by the highway department, a preliminary route was chosen connecting the proposed Oklahoma turnpike to Kansas City via Wichita and Topeka. A second route extending from Topeka to Salina and further west to the Colorado state line (the modern-day I-70 corridor) was also studied. Over 173,000 drivers were surveyed to determine how many of them would be willing to use
9240-467: The Missouri River and Iowa. US 75 is a major north–south artery in the northwestern corner of Iowa . It enters the state by a Missouri River crossing at Sioux City concurrent with I-29 and US 20 . US 75 and US 20 run together on a freeway bypass around the southeast side of Sioux City before US 20 turns east at Gordon Drive. US 75 continues as a freeway to
9394-540: The Missouri River into Council Bluffs, Iowa over the Ak-Sar-Ben Bridge before 1966, and the I-480 Bridge from 1966 until 1984. US 75 then followed an alignment that went through western Iowa between Council Bluffs and Sioux City . After I-29 was built, US 75 was eventually moved onto I-29. In 1984, US 75 was rerouted into Nebraska to replace most of US 73 . Previously, US 73
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#17328015457709548-548: The Missouri River to LeMars is part of a larger expressway project that will eventually provide a direct connection between Sioux City and the Twin Cities region in Minnesota . In Minnesota , US 75 stays very close to the state's western border. It passes through few large towns. US 75 enters Minnesota south of Luverne near Ash Creek and Steen , and passes through Pipestone , Canby , and Breckenridge . It
9702-601: The Northeast, New York held out for fewer routes designated as US highways. The Pennsylvania representative, who had not attended the local meetings, convinced AASHO to add a dense network of routes, which had the effect of giving six routes termini along the state line. (Only US 220 still ends near the state line, and now it ends at an intersection with future I-86 .) Because US 20 seemed indirect, passing through Yellowstone National Park , Idaho and Oregon requested that US 30 be swapped with US 20 to
9856-409: The Oklahoma–Texas State line to Checotah in the State of Oklahoma as a part of the Interstate System." This would have created an Interstate route from I-40 south to the Texas line, including the portion of US 75 co-signed with US 69 south of Atoka. The legislation was unclear whether the route would enter Texas to connect with or become an extension of I-45 . A current plan is to construct
10010-445: The Pembina crossing. All 408 miles (657 km) of US 75 in Minnesota is officially designated the Historic King of Trails , sponsored by the towns along the route. The King of Trails was in fact the historic Auto Trail name for this road before the trunk highway system was commissioned in 1920. Legally, the Minnesota section of US 75 is defined as Routes 6 and 175 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.114(2) and 161.115(106). In
10164-419: The Texas border north to Atoka . While US 69 continues to the northeast as a multilane highway, US 75 turns north to serve several small communities between Atoka and Henryetta . Through travellers bypass this segment of US 75 via US 69 and the Indian Nation Turnpike , where the speed limit is 75 miles per hour (121 km/h). From Henryetta through Tulsa and on through Bartlesville to
10318-425: The U.S. Highway System remains in place to this day and new routes are occasionally added to the system. In general, U.S. Routes do not have a minimum design standard, unlike the later Interstate Highways , and are not usually built to freeway standards. Some stretches of U.S. Routes do meet those standards. Many are designated using the main streets of the cities and towns through which they run. New additions to
10472-595: The U.S. Highway grid. Though the Interstate numbers were to supplement—rather than replace—the U.S. Route numbers, in many cases (especially in the West ) the US highways were rerouted along the new Interstates. Major decommissioning of former routes began with California 's highway renumbering in 1964 . The 1985 removal of US 66 is often seen as the end of an era of US highways. A few major connections not served by Interstate Highways include US 6 from Hartford, Connecticut, to Providence, Rhode Island and US 93 from Phoenix, Arizona to Las Vegas, Nevada, though
10626-476: The US Highway system, three-digit numbers are assigned to spurs of one or two-digit routes. US 201 , for example, splits from US 1 at Brunswick, Maine , and runs north to Canada. Not all spurs travel in the same direction as their "parents"; some are connected to their parents only by other spurs, or not at all, instead only traveling near their parents, Also, a spur may travel in different cardinal directions than its parent, such as US 522 , which
10780-477: The US highway, which did not end in zero, but was still seen as a satisfyingly round number. Route 66 came to have a prominent place in popular culture, being featured in song and films. With 32 states already marking their routes, the plan was approved by AASHO on November 11, 1926. This plan included a number of directionally split routes, several discontinuous routes (including US 6 , US 19 and US 50 ), and some termini at state lines. By
10934-464: The United States. These were private organizations, and the system of road marking at the time was haphazard and not uniform. In 1925, the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , recommended by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), worked to form a national numbering system to rationalize the roads. After several meetings, a final report was approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in November 1925. After getting feedback from
11088-480: The approval of the states along the former US 60. But Missouri and Oklahoma did object—Missouri had already printed maps, and Oklahoma had prepared signs. A compromise was proposed, in which US 60 would split at Springfield, Missouri , into US 60E and US 60N, but both sides objected. The final solution resulted in the assignment of US 66 to the Chicago-Los Angeles portion of
11242-448: The area, with a gauge at Plymouth reporting 7.1 inches (18 cm) of rainfall in a 24-hour period. The culvert carrying Jacobs Creek under the turnpike quickly exceeded its capacity, and water rose onto the turnpike. A pool of water four feet (1.2 m) deep formed on the northbound lanes; the concrete median barrier initially prevented most of the water from crossing to the southbound lanes. Seven cars, all headed northbound, stalled in
11396-405: The auto trail associations were not able to formally address the meetings. However, as a compromise, they talked with the Joint Board members. The associations finally settled on a general agreement with the numbering plans, as named trails would still be included. The tentative system added up to 81,000 miles (130,000 km), 2.8% of the public road mileage at the time. The second full meeting
11550-417: The benefit of ultimately putting the financial burden on the drivers who actually used the road, instead of using tax revenue that had been collected from residents statewide. There was some opposition to the plan from both government officials and citizens due to concerns that the toll revenue might not cover the repayments to investors, bankrupting the turnpike authority and burdening the state government with
11704-626: The casino. There is now a toll booth on the casino side of the intersection as well as the one on the entrance to K-53. This interchange straddles the Sumner– Sedgwick county line. In southern Sedgwick County, the Kansas Turnpike enters the Wichita metropolitan area . Exit 39 ( Haysville ) serves two of Wichita's southern suburbs. This exit is a diamond interchange with a connector road (South Mead Drive) to East 71st Street South, which runs west to US-81 and Haysville and east to Derby . It
11858-409: The city of Emporia, was completed in 2008. After the split with I-35, the Kansas Turnpike continues northeast as I-335. However, its exits are numbered as if I-35 had continued along it. This highway exists entirely as a part of the Kansas Turnpike. In fact, until 1987, this stretch of the turnpike was designated solely as the Kansas Turnpike without an Interstate number. It was only after a change in
12012-563: The designation and numbering of these highways were coordinated among the states, they are sometimes called Federal Highways , but the roadways were built and have always been maintained by state or local governments since their initial designation in 1926. The route numbers and locations are coordinated by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). The only federal involvement in AASHTO
12166-583: The designation was truncated to downtown Dallas in 1987. Many of the original alignments continue to exist under other designations. In Dallas, the route followed what is now the Good Latimer Expressway (formerly Spur 559 ) southeast, out of downtown, along US 175 and south along SH 310 . Near Ferris , Trumbull , Palmer , Ennis , and Corsicana I-45 veers east to avoid the more populated areas. The old US 75 alignments through these towns, decommissioned in 1987, now carry
12320-491: The field to provide a safer landing, and the KTA was persuaded to install a huge wooden barrier at the end of the highway. However, within a day, three more drivers had crashed and destroyed the barrier, so the KTA closed the turnpike south of the South Haven interchange. The KTA provided the state of Oklahoma with financial aid to construct its portion of a temporary road leading to the interchange. The lack of continuity in
12474-535: The fire destroyed the building, which also contained a travel information center. Four fire departments responded to the scene. The assistant fire chief and fire chief of the Wellington Fire Department gave conflicting statements on whether the unavailability of the Wellington water tower, which had been emptied while it was being repainted, had hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze. The fire burned for three hours, with hot spots still smoldering
12628-471: The first documented person to drive an automobile from San Francisco to New York using only a connection of dirt roads, cow paths, and railroad beds. His journey, covered by the press, became a national sensation and called for a system of long-distance roads. In the early 1910s, auto trail organizations—most prominently the Lincoln Highway —began to spring up, marking and promoting routes for
12782-496: The floodwater. The median barrier then gave way, sweeping the stalled cars across the southbound lanes and down the creek as far as 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from the highway. Six people died in the flood. Another flooding event, this one a 100-year flood, caused a portion of the Kansas Turnpike to close in 2019. In the early morning hours of May 8, rain gauges in Rose Hill registered over 10 inches (25 cm) of rainfall in
12936-594: The following day. No injuries were reported. The fire caused $ 2 million (equivalent to $ 3.24 million in 2023 ) in damages. The service plaza was rebuilt, with a reopening celebration occurring on July 24, 2003. A 390-year flood event took place on the night of August 30, 2003, at the Kansas Turnpike's crossing of Jacobs Creek, a tributary of the Cottonwood River 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Emporia (turnpike milepost 116). A thunderstorm that evening dropped large amounts of rain in
13090-480: The following designations: The main line of US 75 between Okmulgee and Tulsa , known locally as the "Okmulgee Beeline", is a modern four-lane highway. The prior route continues to exist, beginning with North Oklahoma Avenue in Okmulgee and becoming Old Highway 75 to the town of Beggs, Oklahoma . The part of the original route from Beggs north to the city of Sapulpa, Oklahoma was re-designated, together with
13244-452: The following designations: Through Streetman , Fairfield , Buffalo , Centerville , Madisonville , Huntsville , New Waverly , Willis , and Conroe , US 75 followed what is now SH 75 . In Galveston, the alignment of SH 87 from 20th Street to the southern terminus of I-45 was also part of US 75 until its 1987 truncation. In other cases alignments were bypassed while US 75 remained in existence; they now carry
13398-517: The heading for each route. All reports of the Special Committee on Route Numbering since 1989 use "U.S. Route", and federal laws relating to highways use "United States Route" or "U.S. Route" more often than the "Highway" variants. The use of U.S. Route or U.S. Highway on a local level depends on the state, with some states such as Delaware using "route" and others such as Colorado using "highway". In 1903, Horatio Nelson Jackson became
13552-409: The higher standards of the Interstate Highway System ; the roadway had developed ruts and other issues due to deferred maintenance. To temporarily fix the problem, a layer of asphalt oil and a layer of sand and asphalt was used to fill in the ruts, and graded rock coated with asphalt was used to seal the road. Since the road had been originally constructed at the same time, and not built in segments over
13706-465: The highway continues northeast past El Dorado Lake, it runs roughly parallel to the Walnut River to the west, which feeds the reservoir, and K-177 to the east. Northwest of the town of Cassoday , K-177 finally crosses the turnpike, with exit 92 (Cassoday ), a diamond interchange, providing a connector to the state highway. The interchange was not present when the turnpike opened in 1956 but
13860-403: The highway runs parallel to US-81 , which lies to the west of the turnpike. The Kansas Turnpike begins at the Oklahoma state line north of Braman, Oklahoma . This is also the point at which I-35 crosses from Kay County to Sumner County . The turnpike proceeds due north from the state line, with no interchanges for its first four miles (6.4 km) in Kansas. The southernmost interchange on
14014-400: The highway was one of the primary reasons that the road did not generate much revenue in the years following the opening; another reason was a lack of education on the part of motorists as to the concept of a toll road. Although Oklahoma's plans to construct a toll road from the southern end of the Kansas Turnpike at the state line to Oklahoma City did not materialize, a year and a half after
14168-520: The initial assignment of state highways in 1917, Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston were connected by a branch of SH 2 (SH 2, the Meridian Highway ), which ran via Waco and Bryan and continued on to Galveston . The more direct route followed by US 75 was not initially part of the system between Richland (connected to Dallas by SH 14 ) and Huntsville (connected to Houston by SH 19 ). This Richland–Huntsville cutoff
14322-608: The interchange had to pass under the bridge and thus through the toll plaza. The new configuration was built c. 1988 . The freeway takes a brief jog to the northeast before crossing over a Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line southeast of Riverdale . In the median at mile 26 is the Belle Plaine Service Area. North of the service plaza, the highway bridges the Ninnescah River and then K-55 /East 90th Avenue North. No interchange
14476-478: The latter is planned to be upgraded to Interstate 11 . Three state capitals in the contiguous U.S. are served only by U.S. Routes: Dover, Delaware ; Jefferson City, Missouri ; and Pierre, South Dakota . In 1995, the National Highway System was defined to include both the Interstate Highway System and other roads designated as important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility. AASHTO
14630-432: The local district court, which typically valued the land at a lesser amount; this methodology was not without criticism. During the construction period, the state highway department suffered a " brain drain " as many staffers resigned to take up KTA jobs, which paid better salaries (Chairman Moss's KTA salary was three times that of his salary as director of highways) and offered more exciting challenges. In June 1956,
14784-509: The mid-1940s, this route had shifted to roughly the present I-35 alignment, serving Wichita . The only major difference from the present route was between Wichita and Emporia , where the highway ran north to Newton before turning northeast along US-50 . In the early 1950s, toll roads were gaining in popularity as a mechanism for funding new superhighways. This trend started with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in 1940, which
14938-483: The more colorful names and historic value of the auto trail systems. The New York Times wrote, "The traveler may shed tears as he drives the Lincoln Highway or dream dreams as he speeds over the Jefferson Highway , but how can he get a 'kick' out of 46, 55 or 33 or 21?" (A popular song later promised, " Get your kicks on Route 66! ") The writer Ernest McGaffey was quoted as saying, "Logarithms will take
15092-475: The nearby piece of K-96. East of exit 53, the turnpike passes into Butler County . Exit 57 ( Andover ) connects to East 21st Street northeast of downtown Andover, an eastern suburb of Wichita. The turnpike uses a diamond interchange with the connector road (Southwest Cross Road) to East 21st Street. This interchange opened c. 1985 . It crosses the Whitewater River southwest of
15246-516: The new recreation of long-distance automobile travel. The Yellowstone Trail was another of the earliest examples. While many of these organizations worked with towns and states along the route to improve the roadways, others simply chose a route based on towns that were willing to pay dues, put up signs, and did little else. Wisconsin was the first state in the U.S. to number its highways , erecting signs in May 1918. Other states soon followed. In 1922,
15400-537: The northeast before leaving Douglas County and entering Leavenworth . It overpasses Mud Creek before passing under K-32 . Northeast of here at mile 209, the Lawrence Service Area is in the median. Afterward, the turnpike has a diamond interchange with 222nd Street, which is signed as Leavenworth County Road 1, at exit 212 ( Tonganoxie / Eudora ). The highway then travels northeast and passes through it eastern terminal toll booth. This
15554-514: The northern reaches of the Flint Hills, coming to an interchange with US 56 near Admire . This interchange, exit 147, is the only interchange along the I-335 section of the turnpike other than the two end junctions. It is a trumpet connection to US 56, which heads west to Council Grove and east to Osage City , and was one of the original 1956 interchanges. From the Admire exit,
15708-458: The numbering grid for the new Interstate Highway System was established as intentionally opposite from the US grid insofar as the direction the route numbers increase. Interstate Highway numbers increase from west-to-east and south-to-north, to keep identically numbered routes geographically apart in order to keep them from being confused with one another, and it omits 50 and 60 which would potentially conflict with US 50 and US 60 . In
15862-510: The opening of the turnpike, a five-mile (8.0 km) connection to US 177 at Braman was put into service on April 22, 1958. Eventually, I-35 was completed south to Oklahoma City . While the initial turnpike was still being built, the KTA authorized four feasibility studies in October ;1954. Three of them—a spur to Leavenworth and Saint Joseph, Missouri ; a spur from Wichita to Hutchinson , Great Bend , and Hays ; and
16016-492: The optional routes into another route. In 1934, AASHO tried to eliminate many of the split routes by removing them from the log, and designating one of each pair as a three-digit or alternate route, or in one case US 37 . AASHO described its renumbering concept in the October 1934 issue of American Highways : "Wherever an alternate route is not suitable for its own unique two-digit designation, standard procedure assigns
16170-576: The original turnpike in 1956. North of El Dorado, exit 76 (El Dorado) connects the Kansas Turnpike to US-77 /North Main Street via a trumpet ramp. It opened c. 1986 . After passing through El Dorado, the Kansas Turnpike crosses the northernmost arms of El Dorado Lake . This marks the turnpike's entry into the Flint Hills , a band of hills in eastern Kansas. The turnpike does not leave this region completely until it reaches Topeka. As
16324-551: The original turnpike, connected directly to US-50 at Overlander Street; a different configuration opened c. 1966 along with the connecting piece of I-35. In 2005, the KTA approved reconstruction of the Emporia interchange to improve connections to US-50, I-35, and the city of Emporia, resulting in the present configuration. This project, funded by the KTA, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), and
16478-458: The other states. Many states agreed in general with the scope of the system, but believed the Midwest to have added too many routes to the system. The group adopted the shield, with few modifications from the original sketch, at that meeting, as well as the decision to number rather than name the routes. A preliminary numbering system, with eight major east–west and ten major north–south routes,
16632-420: The pavement began to deteriorate rapidly, and crews faced difficulty keeping up with the snow in winter conditions in a winter storm during 1960. In the early 1960s, many senior positions in the KTA were cut, and, thanks to this and other austerity measures, such as targeting maintenance to save costs in the future, the turnpike slowly became profitable. By 1966, it was clear that the turnpike had not been built to
16786-412: The place of legends, and 'hokum' for history." When the U.S. numbered system was started in 1925, a few optional routings were established which were designated with a suffixed letter after the number indicating "north", "south", "east", or "west". While a few roads in the system are still numbered in this manner, AASHO believes that they should be eliminated wherever possible, by the absorption of one of
16940-400: The proposed toll road further. With no counterpart to the south, the Kansas Turnpike ended at the state line, at an at-grade intersection with E0010 Road. Just across the state line was an oat field, into which many inattentive motorists crashed. This abrupt end became nationally famous after Wyoming Governor Milward L. Simpson and his wife crashed in mid-1957. The oat farmer plowed
17094-482: The public. The Kansas Turnpike Act, defining a turnpike from Oklahoma to Kansas City, became effective April 7, 1953. It created the KTA, with Gale Moss selected as its first chairman. With a budget of only $ 25,000 (equivalent to $ 227,437 in 2023 ), the KTA's first office was a former barbershop in the Kansas State Capitol . Given Oklahoma 's plans to build a turnpike north from Oklahoma City to
17248-603: The remaining debt. There were also worries about the possibility of the turnpike requiring maintenance before the bonds had been repaid. Some critics also felt that the high speeds typical of turnpike driving were unsafe. As right-of-way for the project was obtained, the turnpike drew additional opposition from farmers and ranchers, who objected to the turnpike bisecting their property, making it difficult to access disjointed parcels of land. The Kansas Chamber of Commerce held "turnpike clinics" in several locations across Kansas in 1952, reporting an overwhelmingly positive reception from
17402-594: The route and the nominal direction of travel. Second, they are displayed at intersections with other major roads, so that intersecting traffic can follow their chosen course. Third, they can be displayed on large green guide signs that indicate upcoming interchanges on freeways and expressways. Since 1926, some divided routes were designated to serve related areas, and designate roughly-equivalent splits of routes. For instance, US 11 splits into US 11E (east) and US 11W (west) in Bristol, Virginia , and
17556-591: The routes rejoin in Knoxville, Tennessee . Occasionally only one of the two routes is suffixed; US 6N in Pennsylvania does not rejoin US 6 at its west end. AASHTO has been trying to eliminate these since 1934; its current policy is to deny approval of new split routes and to eliminate existing ones "as rapidly as the State Highway Department and the Standing Committee on Highways can reach agreement with reference thereto". Special routes —those with
17710-500: The same large, bold numerals on a square-dimension shield, while 3-digit routes may either use the same shield with a narrower font, or a wider rectangular-dimension shield. Special routes may be indicated with a banner above the route number, or with a letter suffixed to the route number. Signs are generally displayed in several different locations. First, they are shown along the side of the route at regular intervals or after major intersections (called reassurance markers ), which shows
17864-583: The service area, an interchange provides access to a set of cattle pens southeast of Bazaar . Other than these two service exits, there are no interchanges within Chase County; upon leaving it, the turnpike passes into Lyon County . The next interchange along the turnpike is exit 127 (Emporia ). At this trumpet interchange, I-35 leaves the turnpike to head east through Emporia, the county seat of Lyon County, on its way northeast to Kansas City via Ottawa . The interchange, as opened in 1956 with
18018-413: The southeastern part of Topeka. In the eastern portion of the city, the highway reaches an interchange with I-70 , US 40 , and K-4 at exits 182 and 183. The remainder of the turnpike runs on I-70 from Topeka to the turnpike's eastern terminus in Kansas City. This is one of only two tolled sections of I-70. The turnpike continues east along I-70 and crosses Tecumseh Creek. The Topeka Service Area
18172-493: The southwest to Oklahoma City , from where it ran west to Los Angeles . Kentucky strongly objected to this designated route, as it had been left off any of the major east–west routes, instead receiving the US ;62 designation. In January 1926, the committee designated this, along with the part of US 52 east of Ashland, Kentucky , as US 60 . They assigned US 62 to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, contingent on
18326-466: The splits in US 11 , US 19 , US 25 , US 31 , US 45 , US 49 , US 73 , and US 99 . For the most part, the U.S. Routes were the primary means of inter-city vehicle travel; the main exceptions were toll roads such as the Pennsylvania Turnpike and parkway routes such as the Merritt Parkway . Many of the first high-speed roads were U.S. Highways:
18480-481: The states, they made several modifications; the U.S. Highway System was approved on November 11, 1926. Expansion of the U.S. Highway System continued until 1956, when the Interstate Highway System was laid out and began construction under the administration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower . After the national implementation of the Interstate Highway System, many U.S. Routes that had been bypassed or overlaid with Interstate Highways were decommissioned and removed from
18634-588: The sticker tag. Accounts are free to open and require no monthly service fees, but do require a credit card or bank account on file, from which accrued tolls are automatically billed each month. K-TAG was introduced in 1995; the system was internally designed and is internally run instead of being contracted to another company, saving additional overhead costs. As of 2024 , K-TAG is compatible with NationalPass , used in several other states; PikePass , in neighboring Oklahoma ; ExpressToll, in neighboring Colorado ; and TxTag , EZ TAG , and TollTag in Texas . It
18788-545: The system, however, must "substantially meet the current AASHTO design standards ". As of 1989, the United States Numbered Highways system had a total length of 157,724 miles (253,832 km). Except for toll bridges and tunnels , very few U.S. Routes are toll roads . AASHTO policy says that a toll road may only be included as a special route , and that "a toll-free routing between the same termini shall continue to be retained and marked as
18942-497: The system. In some places, the U.S. Routes remain alongside the Interstates and serve as a means for interstate travelers to access local services and as secondary feeder roads or as important major arteries in their own right. In other places, where there are no nearby Interstate Highways, the U.S. Routes often remain as the most well-developed roads for long-distance travel. While the system's growth has slowed in recent decades,
19096-550: The time the first route log was published in April 1927, major numbering changes had been made in Pennsylvania in order to align the routes to the existing auto trails. In addition, U.S. Route 15 had been extended across Virginia . Much of the early criticism of the U.S. Highway System focused on the choice of numbers to designate the highways, rather than names. Some thought a numbered highway system to be cold compared to
19250-484: The toll plaza is exit 19 ( Wellington ), serving US-160 , which heads west to Wellington, the county seat of Sumner County, and east to Winfield , the seat of adjoining Cowley County . It is the first of many trumpet interchanges serving the surface road via a connector road with a toll plaza. When the turnpike first opened, the US-160 interchange was a reverse diamond with four loop ramps, so that all traffic using
19404-576: The tolls collected; no tax money is used for construction, maintenance, or administration. The KTA estimates that 120,000 drivers use the turnpike each day. K-TAG is the electronic toll collection system operated by the Kansas Turnpike. The system makes use of transponder stickers, which are affixed to the vehicle's windshield. Each account may receive up to two free K-TAG stickers. External bumper mounted transponders are alternatively available for purchase, intended for motorcycles and vehicles with specialty windshields that preclude proper functioning of
19558-478: The turnpike curves away from US-81, turning northeast toward El Dorado and Emporia. It crosses the Arkansas River between exits 42 and 45. Exit 45 (Wichita ) is a trumpet connection to K-15 /Southeast Boulevard and Turnpike Drive in southern Wichita. It opened in 1956 as one of the original interchanges. As the highway continues northeast through Wichita, it comes to exit 50 (East Wichita ),
19712-400: The turnpike daily. The road features numerous services, including a travel radio station and six service areas. One of these service areas is notable for the presence of a memorial to University of Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne , who died near the current highway's route. Since July 1, 2024, toll collection on the Kansas Turnpike has been all-electronic, with all tolls payable with
19866-415: The turnpike is exit 4 ( South Haven ), which serves US-166 . US-166 heads east to Arkansas City and west to US-81 at South Haven. This interchange is a four-ramp folded diamond with ramps in the southeast and northwest quadrants. It has no toll plazas, as it lies south of the southern barrier toll. Northbound traffic must exit at US-166 to avoid paying a toll. Initially, the interchange provided only
20020-467: The turnpike was to parallel US-81 , continuing into Oklahoma; the interchange with US-166 at South Haven was included to provide an outlet if Oklahoma lagged in its construction. The turnpike was to parallel US-40 from Topeka to Kansas City. The Kansas City end was set at 18th Street and Muncie Boulevard, which was to be extended and upgraded to a freeway (the Muncie Expressway) to
20174-401: The turnpike, either at one of the termini or at an interchange, a driver was issued a ticket which indicated the toll plaza at which they entered. When leaving the turnpike, this ticket was used to determine the amount of the toll. If a motorist presented a ticket at the same toll plaza it was issued from, the KTA charged a "per-minute" fare if the trip was more than 15 minutes. If the ticket
20328-522: The turnpike. Each gantry is assigned to a segment of turnpike, usually between two adjacent interchanges. Motorists passing each gantry pay the per-mile fare for the distance of that segment. The total fare for any given trip may be calculated by adding the tolls charged at each gantry along one's route. The Kansas Turnpike is completely self-sustaining and operated on a cash surplus of nearly $ 600 million (equivalent to $ 734 million in 2023 ) at end of fiscal year 2017. All costs are paid for by
20482-551: The turnpike. Many of those motorists traveled to Lawrence for a football game between the University of Kansas and University of Oklahoma . Official opening ceremonies were held at interchanges in each of the three major cities on October 25. The Kansas City celebration included Gene Autry jumping his horse through a large paper map of the turnpike. John Masefield , the British Poet Laureate , wrote
20636-542: The two proposed routes in order to establish their profitability. While the western Kansas route was determined not to be feasible, the Oklahoma–Kansas City route was projected to generate a total revenue of $ 9 million in 1957 (equivalent to $ 74.7 million in 2023 ). After considering a number of different alignments, including one bypassing Topeka via the present route of I-35, the state decided on an "airline" route between Wichita and Topeka. From Wichita south,
20790-548: The two routes received the same number, with a directional suffix indicating its relation to the other. These splits were initially shown in the log as—for instance—US 40 North and US 40 South, but were always posted as simply US 40N and US 40S. The most heated argument, however, was the issue of US 60. The Joint Board had assigned that number to the Chicago-Los Angeles route, which ran more north–south than west–east in Illinois, and then angled sharply to
20944-468: The two-digit routes, three-digit routes have been added, removed, extended and shortened; the "parent-child" relationship is not always present. AASHTO guidelines specifically prohibit Interstate Highways and U.S. Routes from sharing a number within the same state. As with other guidelines, exceptions exist across the U.S. Some two-digit numbers have never been applied to any U.S. Route, including 37, 39, 47, 86, and 88. Route numbers are displayed on
21098-477: The unqualified number to the older or shorter route, while the other route uses the same number marked by a standard strip above its shield carrying the word 'Alternate'." Most states adhere to this approach. However, some maintain legacy routes that violate the rules in various ways. Examples can be found in California , Mississippi , Nebraska , Oregon , and Tennessee . In 1952, AASHO permanently recognized
21252-496: Was added by 1919 as State Highway 32 , and US 75 was assigned to the alignment, as well as SH 6 north of Dallas, in 1926. The branch of SH 2, which US 75 followed between Houston and Galveston, eventually became part of SH 6, and these numbers were dropped in the 1939 renumbering . Prior to the coming of the Interstate Highway System in the late 1950s, the only improvements to US 75 in Texas beyond building
21406-770: Was also chosen, based on the shield found on the Great Seal of the United States . The auto trail associations rejected the elimination of the highway names. Six regional meetings were held to hammer out the details—May 15 for the West , May 27 for the Mississippi Valley , June 3 for the Great Lakes , June 8 for the South , June 15 for the North Atlantic , and June 15 for New England . Representatives of
21560-510: Was both praised and criticized by local newspapers, often depending on whether that city was connected to a major route. While the Lincoln Highway Association understood and supported the plan, partly because they were assured of getting the US 30 designation as much as possible, most other trail associations lamented their obsolescence. At their January 14–15, 1926 meeting, AASHO was flooded with complaints. In
21714-459: Was broken on December 31, 1954, at the Kansas River bridge near Lawrence . Construction of the entire length of the turnpike was scheduled to take place all at once, with the turnpike partitioned into 14 parts, and the overall length also divided into 43 smaller portions. The KTA sent out letters en masse to the affected landowners, offering a price and referring appeals to
21868-494: Was built c. 1989 . Now in Wichita proper, the highway reaches exit 42 (South Wichita ), which is the south end of I-135 . I-135 heads north through Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, toward Salina ; US-81 joins at the first interchange and I-235 begins at the second. The interchange is a simple trumpet with I-135, and opened in 1956 with the turnpike, but the connector ended at 47th Street (now US-81) until c. 1961 . After passing exit 42,
22022-635: Was built soon after as an east-facing folded diamond with two separate toll plazas. The present configuration was built c. 1995. Near this interchange, the turnpike crosses the Walnut River. Northeast of the Cassoday interchange, the Kansas Turnpike enters Chase County . In the median at mile 97, just north of the county line, is the Matfield Green Service Area. Approximately 13.7 miles (22.0 km) northeast of
22176-583: Was completed in 1923. The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO), formed in 1914 to help establish roadway standards, began to plan a system of marked and numbered "interstate highways" at its 1924 meeting. AASHO recommended that the Secretary of Agriculture work with the states to designate these routes. Secretary Howard M. Gore appointed the Joint Board on Interstate Highways , as recommended by AASHO, on March 2, 1925. The Board
22330-536: Was completely rebuilt in the late 1990s, with a goal of rerouting I-70 and improving access to the turnpike. The design was completed in 1997, and the project was finished in 2001 at a cost of $ 98.6 million in 1999 (equivalent to $ 170 million in 2023 ). On the evening of April 6, 2002, a grease fire broke out in the Hardee's restaurant at the Belle Plaine service plaza. Exacerbated by heavy winds,
22484-418: Was composed of 21 state highway officials and three federal Bureau of Public Roads officials. At the first meeting, on April 20 and 21, the group chose the name "U.S. Highway" as the designation for the routes. They decided that the system would not be limited to the federal-aid network; if the best route did not receive federal funds, it would still be included. The tentative design for the U.S. Route shield
22638-406: Was concurrent with US 75 between Dawson, Nebraska and Omaha, and occupied the current segment of US 75 between Omaha and Winnebago. United States Numbered Highways The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways ) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States . As
22792-518: Was deferred to a numbering committee "without instructions". After working with states to get their approval, the committee expanded the highway system to 75,800 miles (122,000 km), or 2.6% of total mileage, over 50% more than the plan approved August 4. The skeleton of the numbering plan was suggested on August 27 by Edwin Warley James of the BPR, who matched parity to direction, and laid out
22946-424: Was held August 3 and 4, 1925. At that meeting, discussion was held over the appropriate density of routes. William F. Williams of Massachusetts and Frederick S. Greene of New York favored a system of only major transcontinental highways, while many states recommended a large number of roads of only regional importance. Greene in particular intended New York's system to have four major through routes as an example to
23100-404: Was lost, or if the trip took over 18 hours to complete, the driver was charged the highest possible toll for that exit. Exit 53A in Wichita, which opened in 2021, was the first cashless interchange on the turnpike system. The turnpike had a toll gantry on the exit ramp in lieu of a traditional toll plaza. Until the remainder of the turnpike went cashless in 2024, this interchange operated as
23254-645: Was mimicked by other toll roads in New York , New Jersey , several New England states, West Virginia , Ohio , and Colorado . In October 1951, the Highway Council of the Kansas Chamber of Commerce researched the possibility of integrating the state into a potential cross-country turnpike system. Eastern Kansas was also included in an interstate turnpike system stretching from Galveston, Texas , to Saint Louis, Missouri , via Kansas City, that
23408-456: Was no fixed speed limit on the highway; drivers were merely asked to keep to a "reasonable and proper" limit, although, shortly afterward, signs were erected in certain stretches indicating a maximum speed of 80 mph (130 km/h). From 1970 to 1974 and again since 2011, the turnpike's speed limit has been set at 75 mph (121 km/h); that limit during the earlier period applied only during daytime hours. Around 120,000 drivers use
23562-495: Was proposed by Oklahoma Governor Johnston Murray . Many firms from construction industries, as well as those concerned about the state's economic development, worked to have legislation passed to allow the turnpike to be constructed. Governor Ed Arn and Gale Moss, the State Highway Director, were two major proponents of the turnpike concept. The turnpike idea was an attractive one because initial construction
23716-429: Was to be financed by the private sector via sales of revenue bonds, allowing state highway funds to be used for other important projects. The new toll road would also reduce traffic, and thus maintenance costs, on existing roads. There was also a concern that if Kansas lagged behind in turnpike construction, it might be bypassed by toll roads in other states, leaving it at an economic disadvantage. The toll concept also had
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