U.S. Route 159
U.S. Highway 159 (US 159) is a 83.6-mile-long (134.5 km) auxiliary route of US 59. It travels from Nortonville, Kansas at US 59 to New Point, Missouri, also at US 59. The highway permits through traffic on US 59 to bypass the cities of Atchison, Kansas and Saint Joseph, Missouri.
US 159 highlighted in red | |
Route information | |
Auxiliary route of US 59 | |
Length | 83.6 mi[lower-alpha 1] (134.5 km)
|
Existed | 1935–present |
Major junctions | |
South end | |
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North end | |
Location | |
States | Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri |
Counties | KS: Jefferson, Atchison, Brown NE: Richardson MO: Holt |
Highway system | |
Route description
Kansas
US-159 begins in Nortonville, Kansas. It joins with U.S. Route 73 in Horton, Kansas. The two highways overlap and stretch to the Nebraska border, passing through Hiawatha, Kansas before leaving the state north of Reserve, Kansas.
Nebraska
US-159 clips the far southeastern corner of Nebraska. It enters south of Falls City, Nebraska concurrently with U.S. Route 73. In Falls City, US-159 turns east. It leaves the state at the Missouri River bridge in Rulo, Nebraska.
History
When the route was commissioned in 1934, U.S. Route 159 only went between Nortonville, Kansas and Horton, Kansas. In 1945, it was extended north to Craig, Missouri via Falls City, Nebraska. After 1975, the route in Missouri was altered to go east from the Fortescue area to what is now its current terminus near New Point, Missouri. The old route which went to Craig is now Route 111.[1]
In 2013, a new bridge over the Missouri River, located about 650 feet south of the old Rulo Bridge, opened to traffic.[2]
Major intersections
State | County | Location | mi [3][4][5] | km | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Kansas | Jefferson | Nortonville | 0.0 | 0.0 | South end of K-4 Alt. overlap | |
0.5 | 0.80 | North end of K-4 Alt. overlap | ||||
Atchison | Center Township | 3.6 | 5.8 | South end of K-116 overlap | ||
Center–Benton township line | 4.3 | 6.9 | North end of K-116 overlap | |||
8.7 | 14.0 | South end of K-9 overlap | ||||
Grasshopper Township | 22.7 | 36.5 | North end of K-9 overlap | |||
Brown | Horton | 28.3 | 45.5 | South end of US-73/K-20 overlap | ||
28.4 | 45.7 | North end of K-20 overlap | ||||
Hiawatha | 40.3 | 64.9 | Interchange | |||
52.3 0.00 | 84.2 0.00 | Kansas–Nebraska state line | ||||
Nebraska | Richardson | Falls City | 4.11 | 6.61 | North end of US 73 overlap | |
Missouri River | 13.86 17.424 | 22.31 28.041 | Nebraska–Missouri state line | |||
Missouri | Holt | Big Lake | 13.248 | 21.321 | South end of Route 111 overlap | |
Minton Township | 7.771 | 12.506 | North end of Route 111 overlap | |||
Benton Township | 3.242– 3.223 | 5.217– 5.187 | Exit 79 along I-29 | |||
Hickory Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | ||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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See also
Notes
- Total mileage is the sum of each state's length
References
- Sanderson, Dale End of US highway 159.
- Laukaitis, Algis J. (January 19, 2014). "Span of historic Rulo bridge destroyed". Lincoln Journal Star. Lee Enterprises. Retrieved October 1, 2016.
- "County Maps". Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- "Nebraska Highway Reference Log Book" (PDF). Nebraska Department of Roads. 2015. p. 281. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
- Missouri Department of Transportation (July 13, 2012). MoDOT HPMAPS (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 13, 2012.