Length: 423.764 miles
West Endpoint:
Colorado State Line near Kanorado
East Endpoint:
Missouri State Line on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct in Kansas City
Counties Served:
Sherman, Thomas, Logan, Gove, Trego, Ellis, Russell, Lincoln, Ellsworth, Saline, Dickinson, Geary, Riley, Wabaunsee, Shawnee, Douglas, Leavenworth, Wyandotte
Exit Guides
Colorado state line to I-135, Salina
I-135, Salina to the Kansas Turnpike
Kansas Turnpike
Kansas Turnpike to I-470, Kansas City Missouri
History
Kansas’s claim to the first project in the US completed under the 1956 Federal Highway Act was an 8-mile stretch of US 40 west of Topeka which was opened on November 14, 1956. However, improvements in the Junction City to Topeka corridor predate the Highway act, albeit as an improved two-lane roadway. This project, although still a two-lane road, was the first segment to be a controlled-access highway. (Today, such a project is known as a “Super Two” roadway) By 1960, US 40 was upgraded to a four-lane freeway between Maple Hill and the Westgate Bridge, and the I-70 designation appeared for the first time.
The initial plans for the highway system in Topeka did not include a freeway through downtown. Instead, US 40 would have bypassed the city to the north via the Westgate bridge and US 24, while I-70 would have met the Kansas Turnpike at the South Topeka Exit. When the segment serving downtown Topeka was added, the I-70 and US 40 designations were moved to the new highway, with the southern route designated as I-470 and the Westgate Bridge designated as a Bypass of US 75.
The new downtown freeway was built in such a way that thru traffic on I-70 was directed onto service ramps in three locations. The interchange with the Westgate Bridge was a trumpet interchange with the thru movement from east to north and south to west – reflecting the original plan to direct through traffic onto the bridge. The Downtown Freeway also did not directly connect to the Turnpike. Instead, it connected to the original access road built as part of the Turnpike. The freeway would have continued east to re-join US 40 and eventually turn north on a new Kansas River bridge. The interchange between the Turnpike access road was designed as a partial cloverleaf interchange, but with no ramps from the downtown freeway to the access road going north, or from the access road going south to the downtown freeway. Finally, the East Topeka interchange remained a trumpet interchange, with the Turnpike as the through route.
While the Junction City to Topeka corridor built upon previous improvements, the rest of the highway was built on a new alignment generally parallel to US 24 from the Colorado state line east to Colby and parallel to US 40 from Oakley to Junction City, with a diagonal alignment connecting Colby and Oakley. As the new alignment opened up (see the timeline below for specific dates) the parallel two-lane highways were turned back to the counties. However, the segment between Salina and Russell was built a significant distance north of the old US 40 alignment. It was eventually decided that old US 40 between Ellsworth and Salina would be retained, and was re-designated K-140.
The main changes in I-70’s alignment since its completion have been in the eastern part of the state. First, when the Westgate Bridge was widened to four lanes in the 1970s, the interchange with I-70 was reconfigured as a semi-directional “T” interchange with I-70 as the thru route. By the early ’90s, the interchange with the Turnpike spur was eliminated, the Turnpike spur was abandoned, and I-70 was tied directly into the East Topeka interchange. In the mid-’90s, the proposed new bridge on the east side of Topeka would be called the Oakland Expressway, designated as K-4, and selected as a KDOT system enhancement project. This led to rebuilding the East Topeka interchange complex as a directional interchange with free-flowing movement on both I-70 and the Turnpike. Construction of the new interchange, with new flyover connections between I-70, the Turnpike, and the Oakland Expressway, was built between 1999 and 2001.
Timeline:
- 1956:
- October 25: Kansas Turnpike opened to traffic
- November 10: US 40 upgraded to a “Super Two” between Eskridge/Keene Road near Maple Hill to Valencia Road in western Shawnee County. This project is Kansas’s claim to being the “First section of Interstate completed.” At this point, the highway is likely designated solely as US 40.
- 1957:
- US 40 completed from Auburn Road west of Topeka to Wanamaker Road in Topeka as a Super-Two, and from Wanamaker Road to Gage Boulevard as a four-lane freeway.
- The Wanamaker Road interchange is initially built as a five-ramp partial cloverleaf, with a loop ramp from northbound Wanamaker to westbound US 40.
- The Fairlawn Road interchange is a split Diamond, with the eastbound off-ramp and westbound on-ramp connecting to 6th Avenue and the eastbound on-ramp and westbound off-ramp connecting to Fairlawn
- The Danbury Lane interchange is a full diamond.
- The interchange at the south end of the Westgate Bridge is built as a trumpet interchange with US 40 curving north onto the bridge.
- At this point, the highway is still likely designated solely as US 40
- The Muncie Expressway in Kansas City is completed from the east end of the Kansas Turnpike at 18th Street over Muncie Boulevard to a tie-in with the 5th Street Trafficway south of Central Avenue.
- US 40 completed from Auburn Road west of Topeka to Wanamaker Road in Topeka as a Super-Two, and from Wanamaker Road to Gage Boulevard as a four-lane freeway.
- 1959: US 40 upgraded to a four-lane freeway from K-30 near Maple Hill to Wanamaker Road. The I-70 designation is likely to have been first used at this point.
- 1960:
- Completed from Collyer to Ogallah
- Completed from K-15 in Abilene to Humbolt Creek Road east of Fort Riley, tying into the previously constructed Junction City-Topeka corridor improvements at Humbolt Creek Road.
- Muncie Expressway completed to the Intercity Viaduct.
- 1962:
- Completed from K-23 near Grainfield to Collyer.
- Completed from Ninth Street in Salina to K-15 in Abilene.
- Junction City-Topeka corridor from K-99 north of Alma to K-30 in Maple Hill upgraded to a four-lane freeway.
- Completed from Gage Boulevard to 1st Avenue in Topeka.
- By this year: A loop ramp from westbound I-70 to southbound Wanamaker Road is added and the ramp from southbound Wanamaker to Westbound I-70 is rebuilt.
- 1963:
- Old K-18 from K-177 south of Manhattan to K-99 north of Alma upgraded to a four-lane freeway.
- Lewis and Clark Viaduct completed and westbound I-70 moved onto the new structure.
- 1964:
- November 24: Opened to traffic from Dorrance to Ninth Street in Salina
- December 2: Opened to traffic from 1st Avenue to 8th Street in Topeka. (Polk-Quincy Viaduct and Downtown Topeka ‘cut.’) The road is complete from 8th Street to Shunganunga Creek, but there is no connection.
- December 24: Old K-18 from Humbolt Creek Road to K-177 upgraded to a four-lane freeway and opened to traffic
- 1965:
- Sometime this year: Completed from Ogallah to Hays.
- June 16: Completed from Shunganunga Creek to the Kansas Turnpike and opened to traffic at 8th Street in Topeka. I-70 is completed from Dorrance to the Missouri State Line
- December 17: Opened to traffic from Colby to Grainfield.
- 1966:
- November 17: Opened to traffic from Hays to Dorrance. I-70 is now complete from Colby to the Missouri State Line.
- 1967: Completed from US 24 near Levant to Colby
- 1969: Completed from K-25 at Goodland to US 24 near Levant
- June 18, 1970: Opened to traffic from the Colorado State Line to K-25 at Goodland, completing I-70 in Kansas.
- 1977: In conjunction with the construction of a new southbound span of the Westgate Bridge, the interchange with the Westgate bridge is rebuilt as a semi-directional “T” interchange with I-70 as the through route. The eastbound off-ramp to Gage Boulevard is tied into the new eastbound off-ramp for the Westgate Bridge.
- 2001: East Topeka interchange rebuilt as a directional interchange with free-flowing
Junction Guide
| KDOT Milepost | Total Miles | Junction |
|---|---|---|
| 70-91/0.000 | 0.000 | Colorado/Kansas State Line |
| 70-91/1.355 | 1.355 | Exit 1: K-267 |
| 70-91/17.142 | 17.142 | West City Limits Goodland |
| 70-91/17.313 | 17.313 | Exit 17: K-27/US 24B |
| 70-91/19.308 | 19.308 | Exit 19: East Jct US 24B |
| 70-91/19.326 | 19.326 | East City Limits Goodland |
| 70-91/27.289 | 27.289 | Exit 27: K-253 |
| 70-91/35.280 70-97/0.000 | 35.280 | Sherman/Thomas County Line |
| 70-97/1.158 | 36.438 | Exit 36: K-184 |
| 70-97/10.673 | 45.953 | Exit 45: US 24 East |
| 70-97/18.481 | 53.761 | West city limits Colby |
| 70-97/18.670 | 53.950 | Exit 53: K-25 |
| 70-97/18.860 | 54.140 | East city limits Colby |
| 70-97/34.865 | 70.145 | Exit 70: US 83 |
| 70-97/39.554 70-55/0.000 | 74.834 | Thomas/Logan County Line |
| 70-55/0.809 70-32/0.000 | 75.643 | Logan/Gove County Line |
| 70-32/0.368 | 76.011 | Exit 76: US 40 |
| 70-32/10.276 | 85.919 | Exit 85: K-216 |
| 70-32/18.269 | 93.912 | Exit 93: K-23 |
| 70-32/20.238 | 95.881 | Exit 95: K-23 North |
| 70-32/24.231 | 99.874 | Exit 99: K-211 |
| 70-32/31.891 | 107.534 | Exit 107: K-212 |
| 70-32/37.508 70-98/0.000 | 113.151 | Gove/Trego County Line |
| 70-98/2.016 | 115.167 | Exit 115: K-198 |
| 70-98/13.887 | 127.038 | West City Limits WaKeeney |
| 70-98/14.013 | 127.164 | Exit 127: US 283/West Jct US 40B |
| 70-98/14.342 | 127.493 | East City Limits WaKeeney |
| 70-98/15.046 | 128.197 | Exit 128: East Jct US 40B |
| 70-98/22.244 | 135.395 | Exti 135: K-147 |
| 70-98/30.594 70-26/0.000 | 143.745 | Trego/Ellis County Line |
| 70-26/1.865 | 145.610 | Exit 145: K-247 |
| 70-26/13.398 | 157.143 | Exit 157: US 183 Bypass |
| 70-26/15.604 | 159.349 | Exit 159: US 183 |
| 70-26/24.971 | 168.716 | Exit 168: K-255 |
| 70-26/31.215 70-84/0.000 | 174.960 | Ellis/Russell County Line |
| 70-84/0.988 | 175.948 | Exit 175: 176th Street |
| 70-84/9.991 | 184.951 | Exit 184: US 281 |
| 70-84/14.026 | 188.986 | Exit 189: 189th Road/Old US 40 |
| 70-84/24.587 | 199.547 | Exit 199: 200th Boulevard |
| 70-84/30.051 70-27/0.000 | 205.011 | Russel/Ellsworth County Line |
| 70-27/0.941 | 205.952 | Exit 206: K-232 |
| 70-27/14.032 | 219.043 | Exit 219: West Jct K-14 |
| 70-27/16.945 | 221.956 | Exit 221: East Jct K-14 |
| 70-27/20.374 | 225.385 | Exit 225: K-156 |
| 70-27/23.248 70-53/0.000 | 228.259 | Ellsworth/Lincoln County Line |
| 70-53/5.241 | 233.500 | Exit 233: 29th Road |
| 70-53/7.247 70-85/0.000 | 235.506 | Lincoln/Saline County Line |
| 70-85/15.306 | 250.812 | Exits 250 A-B: I-135/US 81 |
| 70-85/16.592 | 252.098 | West City Limits Salina |
| 70-85/17.098 | 252.604 | Exit 251: K-143 |
| 70-85/17.350 | 252.856 | East City Limits Salina |
| 70-85/30.532 70-21/0.000 | 266.038 | Saline/Dickinson County Line |
| 70-21/0.504 | 266.542 | Exit 266: Solomon Road |
| 70-21/9.059 | 275.097 | West City Limits Abilene |
| 70-21/9.141 | 275.179 | Exit 275: K-15 |
| 70-21/9.271 | 275.309 | East City Limits Abilene |
| 70-21/14.908 | 280.946 | Exit 281: K-43 |
| 70-21/20.163 | 286.201 | Exit 286: Chapman |
| 70-21/23.455 70-31/0.000 | 289.493 | Dickinson/Geary County Line |
| 70-31/5.537 | 295.030 | Exit 295: US 77/K-18 West |
| 70-31/7.124 | 296.617 | Exit 296: US 40B East/Washington Street |
| 70-31/8.482 | 297.975 | Exit 298: East Street/Chestnut Street |
| 70-31/9.085 | 298.578 | Smoky Hill River |
| 70-31/9.189 | 298.682 | West City Limits Grandview Plaza |
| 70-31/10.389 | 299.882 | Exit 300: US 40B West/K-57 |
| 70-31/11.282 | 300.775 | East City Limits Grandview Plaza |
| 70-31/13.468 | 302.961 | Exit 303: K-18 East |
| 70-31/24.482 | 313.975 | Exit 313: K-177 |
| 70-31/26.533 70-81/0.000 | 316.026 | Geary/Riley County Line |
| 70-81/0.155 | 316.181 | Exit 316: Deep Creek Road |
| 70-81/5.970 70-99/0.000 | 321.996 | Riley/Wabaunsee County Line |
| 70-99/5.488 | 327.484 | Exit 328: K-99 |
| 70-99/8.019 | 330.015 | Exit 330: K-185 |
| 70-99/10.951 | 332.947 | Exit 333: K-138 |
| 70-99/19.025 | 341.021 | Exit 341: K-30 |
| 70-99/24.009 70-89/0.000 | 346.005 | Wabaunsee/Shawnee County Line |
| 70-89/7.074 | 353.079 | Exit 353: K-4 West |
| 70-89/9.073 | 355.078 | West City Limits Topeka |
| 70-89/9.162 | 355.167 | Exit 354 West: I-470 |
| 70-89/9.731 | 355.736 | Exit 354 East: US 75 South |
| 70-89/11.708 | 357.713 | Exit 358: US 75 North/Gage Blvd |
| 70-89/15.018 | 361.023 | Begin Polk-Quincy Viaduct |
| 70-89/15.657 | 361.662 | End Polk-Quincy Viaduct |
| 70-89/17.907 | 363.912 | Exit 364A: California Avenue |
| 70-89/21.023 | 367.028 | KTA Toll Plaza |
| 70-89/25.707 | 371.712 | Topeka Service Plaza |
| 70-89/26.103 70-23/0.000 | 372.108 | Shawnee/Douglas County Line |
| 70-23/13.656 | 385.764 | Exit 202: West Lawrence |
| 70-23/14.661 | 386.769 | Kansas River |
| 70-23/15.009 | 387.117 | Exit 204: East Lawrence |
| 70-23/17.297 70-52/0.000 | 389.405 | Douglas/Leavenworth County Line |
| 70-52/3.073 | 392.478 | Lawrence Service Area |
| 70-52/6.010 | 395.415 | Exit 212: Tonganoxie/Eudora |
| 70-54/16.568 70-105/0.000 | 405.973 | Leavenworth/Wyandotte County Line West City Limits Bonner Springs |
| 70-105/1.779 | 407.749 | Exit 224: K-7/US 73 North US 24/US 40 West |
| 70-105/3.124 | 409.094 | East City Limits Bonner Springs West City Limits Kansas City |
| 70-105/5.411 | 411.381 | Exits 411 A-B: I-435 |
| 70-105/10.877 | 416.847 | Exit 417: 57th Street |
| 70-105/12.598 | 418.568 | Exits 418 A-B: I-635 |
| 70-105/14.262 | 420.232 | Exit 420 A-B: US 69 South/18th Street |
| 70-105/14.311 | 420.281 | END KTA |
| 70-105/15.250 | 421.220 | Exit 421B: I-670 |
| 70-105/15.621 | 421.591 | Exit 422A: US 69 North/US 169 South/7th Street |
| 70-105/16.312 | 422.282 | Exit 422D: Central Avenue |
| 70-105/16.663 | 422.633 | Exit 423A: 5th Street |
| 70-105/17.071 | 423.041 | Lewis and Clark Viaduct |
| 70-105/17.791 | 423.764 | Kansas/Missouri State Line |
AADT (2019)
| Location | Count | Truck % |
|---|---|---|
| Colorado state line to Goodland | 12,200 | 19.7% |
| Goodland to Edson | 12,300 | 26.8% |
| Edson to Brewster | 10,100 | 36.1% |
| Brewster to US 24 | 9,780 | 37.5% |
| US 24 to Colby | 11,000 | 32.3.% |
| Colby to US 83 | 11,400 | 37.5% |
| US 83 to US 40 | 10,000 | 40.1% |
| US 40 to K-216 | 13,500 | 28.3% |
| K-216 to K-23 | 10,800 | 33.6% |
| K-23 to K-23 spur | 11,400 | 33.6% |
| K-23 spur to K-211 | 12,000 | 32.8% |
| K-211 to K-198 | 11,700 | 33.6% |
| K-198 to US 283 | 11,580 | 31.3% |
| US 283 to US 40B | 14,100 | 27.5% |
| US 40B to K-147 | 13,300 | 31.1% |
| K-147 to US 183 Bypass | 13,700 | 30.7% |
| US 183 Bypass to US 183 | 16,700 | 26.1% |
| US 183 to 270th Avenue | 18,100 | 21.2% |
| 270th Avenue to K-255 | 14,700 | 25.3% |
| K-255 to Walker Avenue | 14,000 | 26.5% |
| Walker Avenue to US 281 | 13,600 | 27.8% |
| US 281 to Old US 40 | 12,000 | 30.5% |
| Old US 40 to Dorrance | 11,300 | 32.3% |
| Dorrance to K-232 | 12,843 | 28.6% |
| K-232 to West Junction K-14 | 13,900 | 31.1% |
| I-70/US 40/K-14 concurrency | 13,400 | 33.1% |
| East Junction K-14 to K-156 | 13,500 | 33.7% |
| K-156 to 290th Road | 16,800 | 31.0% |
| 290th Road to I-135 | 18,400 | 28.6% |
| I-135 to K-143 | 21,300 | 15.9% |
| K-143 to Solomon | 17,800 | 20.9% |
| Solomon to K-15 | 19,200 | 19.4% |
| K-15 to K-43 | 16,900 | 22.2% |
| K-43 to Chapman | 16,500 | 22.7% |
| Chapman to US 77 | 18,277 | 18.9% |
| US 77 to US 40B, Junction City | 24,500 | 18.2% |
| US 40B to East Street, Junction City | 25,200 | 18.5% |
| East Street to K-57, Junction City | 34,600 | 14.2% |
| K-57 to K-18 | 26,600 | 17.8% |
| K-18 to K-177 | 15,200 | 26.9% |
| K-177 to K-99 | 20,400 | 21.3% |
| K-99 to K-185 | 20,800 | 20.7% |
| K-185 to K-138 | 21,500 | 18.3% |
| K-138 to K-30 | 21,700 | 17.7% |
| K-30 to Carlson Road | 22,700 | 16.7% |
| Carlson Road to K-4 | 26,200 | 15.2% |
| K-4 to I-470 | 30,600 | 15.7% |
| I-470 to US 75 North | 63,400 | 10.6% |
| Gage to MacVickar, Topeka | 52,000 | 10.7% |
| MacVickar to Downtown Topeka | 47,700 | 10.9% |
| Through Downtown Topeka | 37,200 | 12.9% |
| Downtown Topeka to East Topeka | 41,500 | 10.9% |
| East Topeka to K-10 | 44,600 | 14.6% |
| K-10 to West Lawrence | 31,900 | 17.8% |
| West Lawrence to East Lawrence | 33,800 | 17.2% |
| East Lawrence to 222nd Street | 34,300 | 17.0% |
| 222nd Street to K-7 | 33,700 | 17.2% |
| K-7 to I-435 | 55,700 | 13.6% |
| I-435 to 57th Street | 74,400 | 10.6% |
| 57th Street to I-635 | 93,700 | 8.5% |
| I-635 to 18th Street | 85,200 | 9.9% |
| 18th Street to I-670 | 85,600 | 10.3% |
| I-670 to 7th Street | 22,400 | 32.1% |
| 7th Street to 5th Street | 21,000 | 33.9% |
| 5th Street to Missouri Line | 15,400 | 41.4% |