Kansas Turnpike
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The Kansas Turnpike is a tolled freeway that lies entirely within the U.S. state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest-northeast direction from the Oklahoma border south of Wichita via Wichita and Topeka to Kansas City, Kansas. The Turnpike is owned and maintained by the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), headquartered in Wichita.
The Kansas Turnpike was built from 1954 to 1956, predating the Interstate Highway System. The entire roadway has been designated as four different Interstate routes: I-35, I-335, I-470, and I-70. It also carries a piece of U.S. Route 40 in Kansas City.
History
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 U.S. Route 69.[Proposed Interregional Highway System], 1939 By the mid-1940s, this route had shifted to roughly the present Interstate 35 alignment, serving Wichita. The only major difference from the present route was between Wichita and Emporia, where it ran north to Newton before turning northeast along U.S. Route 50.[Routes of the Recommended Interregional Highway System], ca. 1943The Kansas Turnpike, linking the state line towards Oklahoma City with Wichita, Topeka and Kansas City in mostly straight lines, was defined by the Kansas Turnpike Act, effective April 7, 1953. The groundbreaking for the road was on December 31, 1954. It was built in 22 months and financed with private money.Kansas State Historical Society, [Kansas Turnpike - A Kansas Portrait]. URL accessed 22:33, 15 January 2006 (UTC). The first segment of the turnpike opened on October 21, 1956, and was marked with a celebration in Kansas City, with Gene Autry jumping his horse through a large map of the Turnpike.McNichol, Dan. The Roads that Built America: The Incredible Story of the U.S. Interstate System. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 2006. ISBN 1-4027-3468-9 The entire turnpike opened on October 25, 1956. Poet John Masefield, the British Poet Laureate, wrote a tribute to commemorate the occasion. For the first day after the opening, travelers could use the turnpike for free. The turnpike originally had 14 interchanges; as of 2006, there are 27 interchanges.
Kansas highway officials expected Oklahoma to build a similar turnpike connecting to the south terminus of the Kansas Turnpike. However, because of funding issues, this turnpike was never built. This meant that the Kansas Turnpike suddenly ended at the Kansas-Oklahoma border (at E0010 Road, just inside Oklahoma).The National Bridge Inventory lists the bridge at the state line (CO RD 3604C) as 1958, which matches the other two bridges in Oklahoma north of U.S. Route 177, while the nearby bridges in Kansas are all from 1956. The bridges at and immediately south of US 177 are from 1959.The [1958 Oklahoma State Highway Map] PDF, the first to show the Turnpike, shows the freeway ending at US 177. The [1959 map] PDF is the first to place an I-35 shield on the road. Drivers that were not expecting the abrupt end of the road would drive into a cow pasture. One of the 500 travelers that ran off the end of the turnpike was Wyoming Governor Millard Simpson. A segment of Interstate 35 was built to connect to the turnpike at this point and was dedicated on April 22, 1958.Oklahoma Department of Transportation. [Oklahoma Celebrates the Interstate]. URL referenced 4 July 2006.Gyure, Joseph. [Interstate 35 dramatically changed Waco's face]. Waco Tribune-Herald. Reprinted in Waco History Project. URL accessed 18:52, 23 January 2006 (UTC).
In Kansas, Interstate 35 was rerouted to its present alignment by a December 1956 agreement between the Highway Commission and the Bureau of Public Roads. The portion from Wichita to Newton was kept, and the mileage from the rest was used to continue this segment north to Salina (presently Interstate 135).[Kansas Highways Routelog - Interstate 35]
Tolls
As of 2005, the passenger or passengers of two-axle vehicles (such as cars and motorcycles) pay a total of $8.75 to travel the entire length of the Turnpike.Kansas Turnpike Authority. [Class 2 Vehicle Toll Schedule]. URL accessed 00:17, 21 January 2006 (UTC) Tolls are calculated based on the length of the route traveled, and the toll is as little as 25 cents for motorists driving only a short distance (three miles or five km, for example) on the Turnpike. Drivers in vehicles with more than two axles, such as truckers, pay higher tolls.
It should be noted that most drivers do not need to travel the entire length of the Turnpike, since a free section of I-35 also connects Emporia to Kansas City for free. A traveler can use the section of the turnpike from the Oklahoma line to Emporia for only $5.00.
The Turnpike runs on a ticket-based collection system. When entering the turnpike, either at one of the termini or at an interchange, a driver is issued a ticket which indicates the toll plaza at which they entered. When leaving the turnpike, this ticket is collected and used to determine the amount of the toll.Stuve, Eric. [Kansas Highway Guides - Interstate 35]. OKRoads. URL accessed 01:23, 25 January 2006 (UTC) As an alternative to using tickets, motorists can purchase a transponder, known as a K-Tag. K-Tag customers can proceed slowly through the toll plaza without stopping and collecting a ticket or paying toll. The toll is instead charged to an account, which can be automatically paid for via credit card.Kansas Turnpike Authority. [K-Tag]. URL accessed 01:23, 25 January 2006 (UTC)
The first and last exits on the Turnpike, Exit 4 to South Haven, and Exit 223 to Bonner Springs, are free exits. This allows travelers one final chance to exit the turnpike before having to pay a toll.
The Kansas Turnpike is completely self-sustaining. All costs are paid for by the tolls collected; no tax money is used for construction, maintenance, or administration. KTA estimates that 120,000 drivers use the turnpike each dayKTA pamphlet.
Routing
The Kansas Turnpike is 236-miles (380 km) long. The first 127 miles (204 km) of the highway, between its southern terminus four miles (6.4 km) north of the Oklahoma border and Emporia, Kansas, are designated as I-35. The turnpike runs due north and south between its southern terminus and Wichita. After passing Wichita, the highway turns northeast toward El Dorado and Emporia. After passing through El Dorado, it crosses 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.
From Emporia to Topeka, the turnpike is signed as I-335. This highway exists entirely as a part of the Kansas Turnpike, and this stretch of the Turnpike was in fact for 31 years (from the opening of the highway until 1987) designated solely as the Kansas Turnpike without an interstate number. It was only after a change in the speed limit laws, at which time state legislators were given the authority to raise the speed limits on rural interstate highways, that this segment of the Kansas Turnpike was given an interstate designation, I-335, so that it could fall under the new law."Kansans Can Drive at 65 on 680 miles." Lawrence Daily Journal-World 14 May 1987. I-335 has only one interchange (with U.S. 56) along its section of the turnpike other than the two end junctions.
I-470 forms a bypass loop around the southern sides of Topeka. The eastern five miles (8 km) of this loop are part of the Kansas Turnpike, although it has no interchanges other than at I-335 and I-70.
Interstate 70 makes up the remainder of the turnpike, running from Topeka to Lawrence and the turnpike's eastern terminus at K-7 near Bonner Springs. This major east-west section is an important route between the industrial center of Kansas City, the University of Kansas in Lawrence, and the state capitol in Topeka.
Design
Because the Kansas Turnpike was built before the rest of the Interstate network, it is not engineered to current Interstate Highway standards. Notably, the Turnpike was built without an 11-meter median. The highway is instead separated by Jersey barriers along its entire length.
Kansas Turnpike mileposts, which are also used to number exits, are continuous along the entire length of the turnpike. They are derived from the distance from the point where I-35 enters Kansas at the southern border. These numbers are continued along the other three interstates that make up the turnpike, rather than numbering each interstate individually, leading to discontinuous numbering on I-70 - the exit numbers east of Topeka are much lower than those that would normally be expected.
Like many interstates, the entire length of the turnpike has a 70 mph (110 km/h) maximum speed limit. The minimum speed is 40 mph (60 km/h).Kansas Highway Patrol. [Facts & FAQ's - Traffic Violations]. URL accessed 01:47, 21 January 2006 (UTC) Following the turnpike's opening, the speed limit was 80 mph (130 km/h) before being lowered due to new federal regulations stemming from the 1973 oil crisis.Kennedy, Richie. http://www.route56.com/photobrowse.cgi?photo=KTA1 URL accessed 01:47, 21 January 2006 (UTC)
Services
The Kansas Turnpike Authority provides a number of services to help motorists and provide incentives for using the Turnpike. KTA broadcasts a travel radio station at 1610 AM from Wellington, Wichita, El Dorado, Cassoday, Emporia, Admire, East Topeka, and West Lawrence. Law enforcement is provided by a separate Turnpike Division of the Kansas Highway Patrol. Motorists needing assistance can use a roadside assistance hotline by dialing *KTA on a mobile phone. Statewide weather and traffic conditions can be accessed by dialing 511. KTA also provides weather and traffic information on their website.
There are six service areas located along the highway at various locations. Four of these service areas, Bell Plaine (mile 26), Towanda (mile 65), Matfield Green (mile 97), and Emporia (mile 132), provide a Phillips 66 gas station and a McDonald's restaurant to motorists needing those services. The Topeka service area (mile 188) provides a Conoco gas station, multiple restaurants including Bresler's Ice Cream, Cinnamon Street Bakery and Coffee Company, Hardee's, Hot Stuff Pizza, and Taco Bueno. The Lawrence service area (mile 209) provides an EZ-Go gas station and a McDonald's restaurant. There are also gift shops at the Belle Plaine and Topeka service areas.
Administration
The Kansas Turnpike Authority is part of the Kansas state government.[Rockers v. Kansas Turnpike Auth.] URL accessed 01:47, 21 January 2006 (UTC) It is headed by a board of five members, two of which are appointed by the governor of the state. In addition, the Chairman of the Kansas Senate Transportation and Utilities Committee as well as a member of the House Transportation Committee (appointed by the Speaker of the state House of Representatives) also serve on the board. The current secretary of the Kansas Department of Transportation is the fifth member of the board.Kansas Turnpike Authority. [The Authority Board]. URL accessed 01:47, 21 January 2006 (UTC)One board member is elected as the chairman of the board by the other four members. The current chairman is Mary E. Turkington, who previously served as Executive Director of the Kansas Motor Carriers Association.
Interchanges
The Turnpike presently has 27 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 are assigned by mileage from south to east. After passing the Bonner Springs interchange, exit numbers change to match the mileage of Interstate 70 east from the Colorado border.
Oklahoma to Wichita
The southernmost interchange on the Turnpike is exit 4 (South Haven[1976 USGS topographic map]), which serves U.S. Route 166. US 166 heads east to Arkansas City and west to U.S. Route 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 a southbound exit and northbound entrance,[1968 General Highway Map, Sumner County, Kansas]
PDF 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.
Exit 19 (Wellington[1981 USGS topographic map]) serves U.S. Route 160, which heads west to Wellington and east to Winfield. It is the first of many trumpet interchanges, serving the surface road via a connector road with a toll plaza. Until spring 2003, when it was moved south to mile 17, the Southern Terminal barrier toll (marked as exit 4 on toll tickets) was located under the US 160 bridge. When the Turnpike first opened, the US 160 interchange was a reversed diamond with four loop ramps, so that all traffic using the interchange had to pass under the bridge and thus through the toll plaza.[1981 USGS topographic map][1996 USGS aerial photo], showing the new configuration and scars from the old ramps The new configuration was built ca. 1988.National Bridge Inventory
In the median at mile 26[KTA Services] is the Belle Plaine Service Area. The service area opened in May 1998, burned down on April 6, 2002 due to a grease fire, and was later rebuilt. It contains a Kansas Travel Information Center.Kansas Turnpike Authority, [Belle Plaine Service Area - Travel Information Center]
PDF, accessed July 2, 2006
Exit 33 (Mulvane[KDOT Interchange Sketches]) connects to K-53 via a trumpet ramp, just east of the west end of K-53 at U.S. Route 81. The interchange was built ca. 1985.
Exit 39 (Haysville) is a diamond interchange with a connector road to Grand Avenue. Grand Avenue runs west to U.S. Route 81 and Haysville and east to Derby. It was built ca. 1989.
The next interchange is exit 42 (South Wichita[1982 USGS topographic map]), which is the south end of Interstate 135. I-135 heads north through Wichita towards Salina; U.S. Route 81 joins at the first interchange and Interstate 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 ca. 1961.
Exit 45 (K-15 Wichita[1960 General Highway Map, Sedgwick County, Kansas]
PDF) is a trumpet connection to K-15 in southern Wichita. It opened in 1956 as one of the original interchanges.
Wichita to Topeka
Exit 50 (East Wichita) is a double-trumpet connection to the parallel Kellogg Avenue, which carries U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 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 127th Street East. The interchange opened ca. 1994 along with the nearby piece of K-96.
Exit 57 (Andover) connects to Southwest 70th Street northeast of downtown Andover. The Turnpike uses a diamond interchange with the connector road to 70th Street. This interchange opened ca. 1985.
The Towanda Service Area is located in the median at mile 65.
Exit 71 (El Dorado[1979 USGS topographic map]) is 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 at West 6th Avenue just north of K-254. Exit 71 opened with the original Turnpike in 1956.
Exit 76 (El Dorado North[[Citing sources citation needed]]) connects to U.S. Route 77 via a trumpet ramp. It opened ca. 1986.
Exit 92 (Cassoday[1967 USGS topographic map]) is a diamond interchange with a connector to K-177. The interchange was not present when the Turnpike opened in 1956,[[Citing sources citation needed]] but was built soon after as an east-facing folded diamond with two separate toll plazas. The present configuration was built ca. 1995.
In the median at mile 97 is the Matfield Green Service Area. It contains a memorial to football coach Knute Rockne, who died in a plane crash near Bazaar, Kansas.Kansas Turnpike Authority, [Knute Rockne - The player, the coach, the man]. URL accessed 03:54, 29 January 2006 (UTC)
Exit 127 (Emporia[1979 USGS topographic map]) is a trumpet connection to a complicated partial interchange between Interstate 35 and U.S. Route 50. It is the south end of Interstate 335, as I-35 leaves the Turnpike there to head northeast on its own to Kansas City via Ottawa. The interchange, as opened in 1956 with the original Turnpike, connected directly to US 50 at Overlander Street; the present configuration opened ca. 1966 along with the connecting piece of I-35.
The Emporia Service Area is in the median at mile 132.
Exit 147 (Admire[1971 USGS topographic map]) is a trumpet connection to U.S. Route 56, which heads west to Council Grove and east to Osage City. It was one of the original 1956 interchanges.
Exit 177 (South Topeka) is a trumpet interchange at the north end of Interstate 335, where Interstate 470 joins the Turnpike to the east and heads west on its own to junctions with U.S. Route 75 and Interstate 70. A trumpet connection just north of the toll plaza runs east to U.S. Route 75 Alternate, formerly intersecting US 75 Alternate at another trumpet.[1990 USGS topographic map] The interchange originally connected only to US 75 Alternate (then US 75); I-470 was added ca. 1960.
Topeka to Kansas City
Exit 182 (East Topeka) is the west half of the junction between Interstate 70 and Interstate 470, where I-470 ends and I-70 joins the Turnpike. It consists of an offramp from the eastbound Turnpike that splits with ramps to U.S. Route 40 east/K-4 east and I-70 west towards Salina (which is also US 40 and K-4 west), and a similar westbound onramp. Toll plazas are located along the ramps next to the Turnpike.At its opening with the Turnpike in 1956,[[Citing sources citation needed]] Exit 182 was originally a full trumpet. It initally served a connector road that interchanged with 21st Street, crossed 10th Street and ended at Deer Creek Parkway south of US 40.[1991 USGS topographic map] A partial junction with I-70 was added ca. 1965, when that road was built west through Topeka. The new interchange was built ca. 2001.
A service area was formerly located in the median between exits 182 and 183. It closed in May 2002 when the present Topeka Service Area opened.[[Citing sources citation needed]]
Exit 183 (East Topeka) is the merge between Interstate 70 and Interstate 470. The toll plaza is located on I-70 west of the merge, east of its junction with U.S. Route 40, K-4, and the exit 182 ramps. It opened August 1, 2001 to replace the old exit 182.Ben Prusia, [New East Topeka, KS Turnpike Exits Open Today]
The Topeka Service Area is on the north side of the Turnpike, accessed via right-side ramps in both directions, at mile 188. It opened in May 2002 to replace the former service area between exits 182 and 183, and includes a full food court.
Exit 197 (Lecompton[KTA News Releases], K-10 closed Friday, May 12 due to cycling race: "Highway K-10 southbound from the Lecompton interchange (MP 197) will be closed") is a folded diamond at the west end of K-10, with two separate toll booths, one in the southwest quadrant and one to the northeast. The road that takes K-10 to the Turnpike continues north to end at North 1800 Road. In addition to Lecompton, K-10 serves the west and south parts of Lawrence. The interchange opened November 7, 1996.Richie Kennedy, [Lawrence Traffic (was Re: Nation's Worst Traffic Jams)]
Exit 202 (West Lawrence[1994 USGS topographic map]) is a trumpet connection to the south/west split of U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 59. The connector - McDonald Drive - intersects 2nd Street and 4th Street at-grade before interchanging with US 40 and US 59. The interchange was one of the original junctions in 1956.
Exit 204 (East Lawrence[1978 USGS topographic map]) connects to the concurrent U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 59 via a trumpet ramp. Just to the north on US 40/US 59 is a junction with U.S. Route 24. The interchange opened in 1956 along with the Turnpike.
The Lawrence Service Area is located in the median at mile 209.
Exit 212[KTA News Releases], KTA to build new interchange near Tonganoxie, February 24, 2006 is a planned interchange with County Road 1 (222nd Street) near Tonganoxie. In late March 2006, the Leavenworth County Commission debated whether the interchange should be built since funds could not be established to rebuild of the southern portion of the county road. Reconstruction of the northern portion is funded and awaiting a start date.Marusarz, Mike. [Turnpike Proposal Problems]. WIBW-TV Topeka. URL accessed 19:36, 24 March 2006 (UTC)
The Eastern Terminal barrier toll is located near mile 217,[[Citing sources citation needed]] and is the east end of the toll system. Thus all travel east of exit 223 is free.
Exit 223 (Bonner Springs[1988 USGS topographic map]), formerly exit 224,[I-70 west at exit 224], August 9, 2003 is a trumpet connection to K-7. In addition to heading south to Bonner Springs, K-7 runs north, mostly with U.S. Route 73, to Leavenworth. The interchange opened in 1956 with the Turnpike, and had a toll plaza on the trumpet connector until the present barrier toll was built in 2000.[[Citing sources citation needed]] The Eastern Terminal toll plaza was located just east of exit 223 from the early 1980s[[Citing sources citation needed]] until 2000.
Kansas City area
Exit 410 is the first interchange for which traffic entering westbound does not have to pay a toll and the first to match the Interstate 70 mileposts. It is a diamond interchange with 110th Street, just south of the Kansas Speedway, and opened ca. 1996 to serve the speedway.
Exit 411 (split into 411A south and 411B north) opened in the early 1980s to serve the newly-built Interstate 435. It is a cloverleaf with one directional ramp, from I-435 south to the Turnpike east. Collector/distributor roads eliminate weaving with the next interchange to the north on I-435 (U.S. Route 24, U.S. Route 40 and U.S. Route 73).
Exit 414 is a simple diamond interchange at 78th Street. It was built ca. 1984.It does not appear on the 1984 Official Transportation Map but is on the 1987 Official Transportation Map.
From the late 1960s[[Citing sources citation needed]] to the early 1980s,[[Citing sources citation needed]] the eastern barrier toll was just east of the present location of exit 414.[1969 Kansas City inset map]
Exit 415 (once exit 231[[Citing sources citation needed]]) serves Turner Diagonal, which carries U.S. Route 40 north from the Turnpike to State Avenue (U.S. Route 24). To the south, Turner Diagonal is unnumbered; US 40 uses the Turnpike east of exit 415. The interchange is composed of a half-cloverleaf for the west-pointing ramps (split into 415A south and 415B north), and a Y connection for the east-pointing ramps, junctioning Turner Diagonal at a trumpet north of the Turnpike.
Exit 417 is a diamond interchange with 57th Street, opened ca. 1986.
Exit 418 (split into 418A south and 418B north eastbound) is a fully directional interchange with Interstate 635. Westbound, as it shares an exit ramp with Park Drive, it is designated exit 419. The interchange opened ca. 1975.
Exit 419 is an east-facing folded diamond with Park Drive. The interchange has been around for a while, but it was rebuilt in its present form ca. 1974 as part of the I-635 construction.
Exit 420 (split into 420A south and 420B north) is a cloverleaf interchange with the north end of the 18th Street Expressway, which carries U.S. Route 69 to the south. (To the north, US 69 joins I-70 and US 40 east.) It was built in 1956 as the east end of the Turnpike.
References
See also
External links
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