U.S. Route 69 in Kansas

U.S. Route 69 (US-69) is a major north-south U.S. Highway that runs from Port Arthur, Texas to Albert Lea, Minnesota. In Kansas, the highway runs in the far eastern part of the state, usually within 5 miles of the Missouri state line. Most of the highway north of Fort Scott runs as a freeway.

This article is about the section of U.S. Route 69 in Kansas. For the entire route, see U.S. Route 69.

U.S. Route 69
US-69 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length	163 mi (262 km)
Existed	1935–present
Major junctions
South end	US-69 at Oklahoma-Kansas state line
	US-166 in Baxter Springs US-400 north of Baxter Springs US-54 in Fort Scott I-435 / US-50 / US-169 in Overland Park I-35 / US-56 in Lenexa I-635 in Kansas City I-70 / US-40 in Kansas City
North end	US 69 at Kansas-Missouri state line
Location
Counties	Cherokee, Crawford, Bourbon, Linn, Miami, Johnson, Wyandotte
Highway system
United States Numbered Highway System List Special Divided Kansas State Highway System Interstate U.S. State Spurs ← K-68 I-70 →

Route description

US 69 south of Franklin, KS

US-69 enters Kansas just north of Miami, Oklahoma. The highway crosses US-166 west of Treece before beginning an overlap US-160 in Columbus. US-400 joins the overlap in Crestline, before the two highways leave near Pittsburg. US-69 travels north to Fort Scott and runs as a freeway. The freeway designation ends in Linn County, before resuming again a few miles north of Pleasanton. The highway runs through more rural areas before entering Overland Park.

In Overland Park, US-69 interchanges with Interstate 435/US-50/US-169 before beginning an overlap with I-35/US-56 in Lenexa. US-69 and US-56 leave I-35 in Merriam, traveling back into Overland Park. US-56 leaves the highway, running into KCM. US-69 rejoins I-35 again at an interchange with I-635. US-69 leaves I-35 again and runs along the 18th Street Expressway to I-70/US-40 in KCK. US-69 joins I-70/US-40 and leaves again at an interchange with I-670/US-169. US-69 enters Missouri just past the intersection with K-5, crossing the Missouri River.

History

18th Street Expressway

The 18th Street Expressway was the result of one of four feasibility studies conducted by the Kansas Turnpike Authority to extend the turnpike by providing easy access to northeast Johnson County. It was the only one of the four studies to be followed upon, with completion of the 18th Street Expressway Bridge over the Kansas River completed in 1959.[1] It replaced the Argentine Boulevard bridge over the river behind the modern-day BNSF railroad yard.

Originally, the highway was part of the original K-58.[2] Upon completion of the bridge, US-69 was rerouted onto the expressway from Southwest Boulevard (the section of which has since been renamed to Merriam Drive). In 1979, the K-58 designation was removed.

The section of 18th Street between I-70 and the southern end of the Kansas River bridge was tolled at least as late as 1984.[3]

Reconstruction

In early April 2020, a $21.8 million construction project to finish a four-lane expressway from Pittsburg to Kansas City began. The project will expand a six miles (9.7 km) section of US-69 in Crawford County to a four-lane divided expressway, from the K-47 junction north to three miles (4.8 km) north of Arma. The project will be completed by Koss Construction Company of Topeka and will be completed by August 2021.[4]

Junction list

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Cherokee	Lyon–Spring Valley township line			US-69 south / Treece Road east / 10 Road west K-7 begin	Southern end of K-7 overlap; continuation into Oklahoma
				US-166 – Chetopa, Baxter Springs
	Columbus			US-160 west / K-7 north – Oswego, Girard	Southern end of US 160 overlap; northern end of K-7 overlap
	Shawnee Township			US-400 east / US-69 Alt. south – Joplin, Miami	Southern end of US 400 overlap; northern terminus of US-69 Alternate
	Pleasant View Township			K-103 west – Weir
Cherokee–Crawford county line	Pleasant View–Baker township line			US-400 west / K-171 east – Parsons, Joplin	Northern end of US 400 overlap
Crawford	Pittsburg			US-69 Bus. north – Pittsburg
				K-126 – McCune, Pittsburg
				US-69 Bus. south – Pittsburg
				US-160 east – Lamar	Northern end of US 160 overlap
	Washington Township			K-47 west – Girard
				US-69 Bus. north – Franklin
				US-69 Bus. south – Arma
Bourbon	Scott Township			K-7 south – Girard	Interchange; southern end of K-7 overlap
	Fort Scott			US-54 east – Nevada	Southern end of freeway; southern end of US 54 overlap
	Scott Township			US-54 west / K-7 north – Iola, Harding	Northern end of US 54/K-7 overlap
				Poplar Road
	Osage Township			Soldier Road
				K-31 – Harding
Linn	Sheridan Township			K-239 – Prescott
	Potosi Township			K-52 west – Mound City	Southern end of K-52 overlap
	Pleasanton			6th Street/E. 1100th Road
	Potosi Township			E. 1350 Road
	Valley Township			K-52 east – Butler	Northern end of K-52 overlap
	Lincoln Township			K-152 – La Cygne
Miami	Sugar Creek Township			W. 399th Street
				W. 359th Street
	Sugar Creek–Middle Creek township line			W. 335th Street
	Middle Creek Township			W. 311th Street
	Louisburg			K-68 – Ottawa, Louisburg
	Wea Township			W. 247th Street
				W. 223rd Street
Johnson	Overland Park			199th Street
				179th Street
				167th Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				151st Street
				135th Street
				Blue Valley Parkway	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				119th Street
				College Boulevard
				I-435 / US-50 / US-169 – Wichita, Int'l Airport, Independence	I-435 exit 81
				103rd Street
				95th Street
	Lenexa			87th Street	No northbound entrance
				I-35 north / US-56 east	Southern end of I-35/US 56/US 169 overlap; northbound exit and southbound entrance
	Overland Park–Merriam city line			75th Street
	Merriam			67th Street
				I-35 north	Northern end of I-35 overlap/freeway
	Overland Park–Mission city line			US-56 east – KCM	Interchange; northern end of US 56 overlap
				Johnson Drive	Interchange; southbound exit and entrance
				I-35 south / I-635 north – Wichita, Kansas City	Southern end of I-35 overlap/freeway; I-35 exits 231A-B; I-635 exit 1A
Wyandotte	Kansas City			24th Street
				I-35 north – KCM	Northern end of I-35 overlap
				Merriam Lane	Southbound exit and northbound entrance
				Steele Road/Springhorn Lane
				Ruby Avenue
				K-32 (Kansas Avenue)
				I-70 west to Kansas Turnpike – Lawrence, Topeka	Southern end of I-70 overlap
				I-70 east / I-670 east / US-169 – Downtown Kansas City, St. Louis	Northern end of I-70 overlap/freeway
				K-5 west (Sunshine Road)
Missouri River				US 69 Missouri River Bridge; Kansas–Missouri state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

References

1. Lamb, Sherry; Dr. Theodore A. Wilson (December 1986). Milestones: A History of the Kansas Highway Commission and the Department of Transportation. Kansas Department of Transportation. pp. 4–19 to 4–20.
2. Kansas (Map) (1974 ed.). Cartography by H.M. Gousha. Texaco. Kansas City inset.
3. Road Atlas and Travel Guide (Map). Rand McNally. 1984. p. 71. Kansas City inset.
4. Kimberly Barker (February 28, 2020). "$21.8 million U.S. Highway 69 construction project in Kansas to begin". joplinglobe.com. Retrieved 20 April 2020.

External links

Template:Attached KML/U.S. Route 69 in Kansas

KML is not from Wikidata

• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT

U.S. Route 69
Previous state: Oklahoma	Kansas	Next state: Missouri