Kansas Highways: Numbers 80-99

US 81

Length: 230.785 miles

South Endpoint: Oklahoma State Line south of Caldwell

North Endpoint: Nebraska State Line (CG/JJW) north of Belleville

Counties Served:
Sumner, Sedgwick, Harvey, McPherson, Saline, Ottawa, Cloud, Republic

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US 81B (McPherson)

Previously Designated: US 81A (1945-1981)

Length: 7.432 miles

South Endpoint:
US 81 South of McPherson (1949-1969)
I-135/US 81 exit 58, concurrent with K-61 (1969-present)

North Endpoint: I-135/US 81 exit 60, concurrent with US 56

County Served: McPherson

History

The US 81 Business route in McPherson was initially created as an “Alternate” route when a bypass alignment for US 81 was completed around the west side of McPherson in 1949. US 81A followed the original alignment of US 81 along Main Street in McPherson.

Am August 24, 1966 resolution designated the new I-35W around McPherson, along with a relocated K-61 on the south side of McPherson. This resolution retained the US 81 bypass from K-61 to US 56 (which was subsequently designated K-153) but turned back US 81A. A subsequent resolution, dated March 29, 1967, restored US 81A between the new K-61 and US 56. I-35W in the McPherson area, along with K-61, opened on July 3, 1969.

The State Highway Commission never sought the inclusion of this route, among others, as part of the US Highway system. After the Highway Commission was reformed into the Kansas Department of Transportation, KDOT submitted this route for approval as a business loop of I-135 and an alternate route for US 81. AASHTO rejected the I-135 business loop, but approved the US 81 request as a business route at their October 1979 meeting. KDOT would issue a resolution implementing the change in April 1981.

Junction Guide

AADT (2019)

US 81A (Salina) (1968-1981)

Length: 6.450 miles

Historic South Endpoint:
I-35W/US 81 exit 88 south of Salina (1970-1972)
I-135/US 81 exit 95, concurrent with I-70/US 40 (1972-1981)

Historic North Endpoint: US 81 north of Salina

Counties Served: Saline

History

This alternate route for US 81 was designated in a January 10, 1968 Highway Commission resolution. It mostly followed the former US 81 alignment from I-35W near Water Well Road through Salina, reconnecting to the new US 81 freeway extension via a new two-lane route north of Salina.

In 1972, the old US 81 from Water Well Road to I-70 was turned back, and US 81’s south end shifted to the I-70/I-35W [later I-135] interchange.

The State Highway Commission never sought the inclusion of the bypass, among others, as part of the US Highway system. After the Highway Commission was reformed into the Kansas Department of Transportation, KDOT elected not to apply for formal approval and instead remove the designation from I-70 and re-designate the rest as a Kansas numbered route, K-143, on March 19, 1981.

US 83

Length: 227.310 miles

South Endpoint:
Oklahoma State Line south of Liberal

North Endpoint:
Nebraska State Line north of Oberlin

Counties Served:
Seward, Haskell, Finney, Scott, Logan, Thomas, Sheridan, Decatur, Norton, Phillips

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US 83 Spur

Historic South Endpoint: Junction US 83 south of Garden City

Historic North Endpoint:

Historic County Served: Finney

K-85

Length: 0.800 miles

South Endpoint: North city limits of Morland

North Endpoint: Junction US 24 north of Morland

County Served: Graham

AADT (2019): 400 (22.5% truck)

K-87

Length: 8.625 miles

South Endpoint: Viets

North Endpoint: US 36 west of Baileyville

County Served: Nemaha

Junction Guide

AADT (2019)

K-89

Length: 1.544 miles

South Endpoint: North city limits of Halstead

North Endpoint: Junction US 50 north of Halstead

County Served: Harvey

AADT (2019): 2,040 (7.4% truck)

History

K-89 was originally designated as K-59. The number change is a consequence of the extension of US 59 through Eastern Kansas. The entire length of the Halstead spur was concrete paved in 1936. The route was widened from 9-foot lanes to 12-foot lanes and received an asphalt overlay in 1965.

K-94

Length: 10.780 miles

South Endpoint: Clark State Fishing Lake

North Endpoint: US 54 in Kingsdown

Counties Served: Clark, Ford

Junction Guide

AADT (2019)

K-96

Length: 300.201 miles

West Endpoint: Colorado State Line west of Tribune

East Endpoint:
US 66 west of Galena (1927-1941)
Missouri State Line east of Columbus (1941-1998)
US 54–400 in Wichita (1998-)

Counties Served:
Greeley, Wichita, Scott, Lane, Ness, Rush, Barton, Rice, Reno, Sedgwick

Historical Counties Served:
Butler, Greenwood, Wilson, Montgomery, Labette, Cherokee (1927-1988)

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K-98

Length: 9.048 miles

West Endpoint:
Meade County Lake (1936-1960)
K-23 west of Fowler (1960-present)

East Endpoint:
US 54/US 160/K-23 in Meade (1936-1937)
Junction K-23 south of Meade (1937-1956)
Junction US 54 south of Fowler (1956-present)

History

K-98 was established in 1936 to connect the town of Meade to the Meade County Lake State Park. The number was assigned from the State Lake series.

The following year, K-23 was extended south from Meade, replacing the northernmost 7.67 miles of K-98.

When the former K-56 needed to be re-designated due to the introduction of US 56, the State Highway Commission elected to re-designate K-56 as an extension of K-98

By 1958, a new proposal for the relocation of K-23 was presented to the commission that would extend south from the State Park south into Oklahoma, which Oklahoma would continue on south to US 64 near Forgan. Although construction did not begin on this new route until 1961, state maps show that K-23 had replaced the southern segment of K-98 (truncating 98 back to the former K-56) by 1960.

Junction Guide

AADT (2019)