Length: 36.611 miles
West Endpoint:
Junction US 50N at Hrrington (1926-1956)
Junction US 40, 6th and Iowa Street, Lawrence (1956-1996)
I-70/Kansas Turnpike Exit 197 northwest of Lawrence (1996-)
East Endpoint:
Missouri State Line, Kansas City (1926-1984)
I-435 exit 1B (de facto)/I-35 exit 222 (de jure) in Lenexa (1984-present)
Counties Served:
Douglas, Johnson
Historical Counties Served:
Jefferson (1926-1935)
Dickinson, Morris, Wabaunsee, Shawnee (1926-1956)
Wyandotte (1926-1984)
History
In 1929, K-10 began at US 50N at Herington, proceeded north and east through White City, Dwight, Alta Vista, Alma, and McFarland before turning east at Paxico and entering Topeka on 10th Avenue to US 75, then north across the Kansas River at the Topeka Boulevard bridge. Once across the river, K-10 followed the north bank of the river and turned east through Grantville, Newman, and Perry before meeting US 73W at Williamstown. K-10 followed US 73W through Lawrence before turning east to Kansas City. By 1932, K-10 had been paved from Kansas City west to the Douglas/Johnson County line, and from Lawrence to Grantville; as well as gravel from the Douglas/Johnson County line to Lawrence, west out of Topeka to Valencia Road, and between Paxico and Alma.
In May 1935, the road was in the process of being paved from the Douglas/Johnson County Line to Eudora, and bids were taken to finish paving the road west to Lawrence. A Newspaper article from May 1935 indicated that the newly-paved roadway would feature an “experimental” section – a 20-foot road on a 120-foot right of way, with shoulders and ditches to meet the specifications of a “modal highway” At the same time, the highway was being paved from Topeka to Valencia Road, and graveled from Paxico to Alma as well as Alta Vista to Dwight. The May 1935 article indicated that K-10 would be rerouted on the alignment of US 40 south of the Kansas River, while US 40 would follow K-10’s alignment north of the river, easing congestion in Downtown Lawrence. K-10 was routed onto US 40’s alignment, but US 40 was not re-routed. Instead, US 24 was extended west from Kansas City and took K-10’s former alignment between Lawrence and Topeka.
By 1941, the alignment between Valencia Road and Paxico was straightened and graveled and the existing alignment from Alta Vista to Herington was graveled. By 1954, the entire route was paved from Topeka to Alma and between Alta Vista and Dwight. The segment between Dwight and Herington was paved by 1956.
In August of 1955, a new paved alignment from K-99 between Eskridge and Alma west to Alta Vista was designated, bypassing the last unpaved section of K-10 (which had been graveled). While the new route was built to be the new alignment of K-10, it was never signed as such. In January of 1956, the new alignment from K-99 to Alta Vista and K-10 from Alta Vista to Herringion was re-designated as K-4. The change became effective when the new Alta Vista to K-99 route opened to traffic. Between 1953 and 1956, US 40 was designated along K-10 from Topeka west to K-99. Thus, when the new road was opened to traffic, K-10’s west end was moved to US 40 at Lawrence.
Before 1956, K-10 and US 73W (later US 59) were routed along Massachusetts Street through Downtown Lawrence to US 40. When a new road, today known as Iowa Street, was built on what was then the west side of town, K-10 and US 59 were routed along it to 40.
The K-10 Freeway began construction in 1974. The first section completed was between Lexington Avenue in DeSoto and K-7 north of Olathe, which opened to traffic on November 8, 1976. The section from Lawrence to DeSoto opened in 1978. The section from K-7 east to I-435, originally designated K-12, began construction in 1980. In August of 1982, the grading was completed, but work stopped until the beginning of 1984. The last stretch of road was completed on December 18, 1984. When the freeway between Lawrence and Johnson County was planned, the highway commission considered re-aligning K-10 to bypass Lawrence. Although the bypass was dropped, it would be revived by Douglas County.
The South Lawrence Trafficway was first proposed by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce in 1985. Douglas County issued $4 million in bonds to entice KDOT to fund the route. A 1987 lawsuit by Les Blevins of rural Lawrence challenged the county’s authority to issue the bonds without a public vote. Ultimately, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled that Douglas County should have held a vote, initially ordering the bonds suspended pending a vote. Later, the ruling would be revised to indicate that Douglas County’s bond issue could proceed without a vote; however, future bond issues would require a public vote before the bonds are issued. A referendum on the SLT bonds was held in November of 1990 approving the bonds. Opponents sued again, saying that an explanatory statement was biased. The Kansas Supreme Court ruled in 1992 that due to the unique nature of this bond issue, the referendum was advisory, meaning that the county could legally proceed on the trafficway even if the referendum had been rejected.
Construction of the western leg of the SLT began in 1994 and was completed as a “super-two” highway by the end of 1996. In 1993, Haskell Indian Nations University complained that the SLT as proposed would negatively affect the university, particularly cultural and religious practices held along the south end, near where the Trafficway was to be built. The Federal Highway Administration ordered a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement drafted. The parties could not agree on a final routing, so the Federal Highway Administration attempted to withdraw from the project. A lawsuit by trafficway opponents successfully resulted in an injunction that suspended any construction activity until the SEIS was completed. The lack of consensus remained, and the final SEIS was published with a “no action” decision to remove the court injunction. Soon afterward, KDOT started the process on a new EIS, with a 32nd Street alignment, approximately 1/8 mile south of 31st, and relocating 31st off of the Haskell right of way, as well as a more extensive mitigation proposal for the Baker Wetlands than previously discussed. The Final EIS, released in early 2003, approves the 32nd Street alignment. The Federal Highway Administration adopted the 2003 EIS in February 2008. Opponents to the 32nd Street alignment, led by the Prairie Band Pottawatomie tribe, filed a suit against the Federal Highway Administration and KDOT challenging that the 2003 EIS was biased toward the 32nd Street alternative, that an alignment suggested by the tribe had been improperly rejected, the noise study was done incorrectly, and that the cost of the 32nd Street alternative was under-estimated. The US District Court ruled in November 2010 that the noise study was not properly done and that the 32nd Street alignment’s cost was underestimated; however, the court determined these shortcomings were not fatal. The court also rejected the allegation of bias and the tribe’s suggestion had been properly considered and rejected, ultimately affirming the 2003 EIS. The plaintiffs filed an appeal of the ruling in April 2011. Part of the mitigation area on the west side of the existing wetlands was completed in 2010. The 10th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the District Court’s decision in July 2012.
The eastern leg of the South Lawrence Trafficway was contracted in August 2013 and built from 2014 to 2016, opening to traffic on November 9, 2016.
The contracting process for expanding the west leg of the SLT into a four-lane freeway is set to begin in June 2024. Upon completion, K-10 will become a controlled-access highway throughout its entire stretch.
Timeline
- 1926: Paved from the north city limits of Topeka to the Shawnee/Jefferson County line.
- 1927:
- Paved from northwest of Newman to Lawrence.
- Paved from 1 mile east of Zarah east ~5.2 miles
- 1928:
- Graded from DeSoto east 3 miles.
- Brick paved from 3 miles west of the south junction with K-7 to Zarah (including the K-7/K-10 concurrency)
- 1929:
- Graded from Alma to McFarland
- Graded from the Douglas/Johnson County line to Desoto.
- Paved from the west city limits of Desoto to the Kill Creek bridge east of Desoto.
- 1930:
- Graveled from Alma to Paxico
- Graveled from 4 miles east of the Wabaunsee/Shawnee county line to 3 1/2 miles west of Topeka.
- 1931:
- Graveled from Dwight to the Morris/Wabaunsee county line.
- New alignment graded from US 73W (23rd/Massachusetts Street in Lawrence) east to the Douglas/Johnson County Line.
- 1932:
- Graveled from US 73W to the Douglas/Johnson County line.
- Paved from the Douglas/Johnson County Line east to DeSoto and from the Kill Creek Bridge east of Desoto to 3 miles west of the south junction with K-7.
- 1933: Graveled from K-13 to the north city limits of Alta Vista.
- 1934:
- The stretch from 1st Street to 6th Street in Alma was paved.
- New alignment graded and paved near Zarah, including a railroad overpass.
- 1935:
- New gravel alignment from the Wabaunsee/Shawnee County line east 4 1/2 miles.
- The road was from one and a half miles east of Eudora to the Douglas/Johnson County line.
- 1936:
- Paved from US 73W to 1 1/2 miles west of Eudora.
- K-10 was rerouted onto US 40 between Lawrence and Topeka, while the former route was redesignated as US 24. The new route is paved
- 1937:
- Graveled from 3 miles south of Dwight to Dwight
- Graveled from 6 miles east of Zarah to Shawnee.
- 1938:
- Graveled from White City to 3 miles south of Dwight, including a new alignment 5 1/2 miles east of White City.
- New gravel alignment from south of Maple Hill east to the Wabunsee/Shawnee County line.
- New paved alignment from 6 miles east of Zarah to the junction with US 50 1/2 mile south of Shawnee.
- 1940:
- Graveled from Herrington to 3 1/2 miles south of White City.
- 1941:
- A new gravel alignment was established from Paxico to the area south of Maple Hill.
- 1942:
- A new railroad overpass was constructed northwest of McFarland.
- The route was graveled from Alta Vista to Alma.
- 1946:
- New paved bypass of Desoto.
- 1947:
- Paved from 6th Street to the north city limits in Alma.
- 1949:
- A new gravel alignment was built from K-99 to Paxico, incorporating the 1942 railroad overpass and another railroad overpass near Paxico.
- 1951:
- The gravel alignment from Dwight to the Morris/Wabaunsee county line was re-graded.
- Expanded to four lanes on a new alignment from Nieman Road to Merriam Drive in Johnson County, which included a grade separation at Merriam Drive.
- 1952:
- Blacktop from Dwight to Alta Vista
- Blacktop from K-99 to 4 1/2 miles east of the Wabaunsee/Shawnee county line.
- 1953:
- Modification of the Merriam Drive grade separation.
- 1955:
- Blacktop from 2 miles south of Latimer to 3 miles south of Dwight.
- Widened to 4 lanes from US 59 (Iowa Street) to Lenard Avenue in Lawrence
- 1956:
- New alignment graded from Alta Vista to K-99.
- With the opening of the new road from Alta Vista to K-99, K-10 was shortened to end at 6th and Iowa Street in Lawrence.
- The stretch of K-10 between Herington and K-99, including the new road, was redesignated as K-4.
- The stretch of K-10 between K-99 and Topeka was re-designated as US 40.
- The concurrency of US 40/K-10 between Topeka and Lawrence was removed.
- 1967:
- Grade separation at Mission Road. Part of eventual interchange with I-35.
- 1969:
- Widened to 4 lanes from near Pflumn to Nieman.
- 1971:
- Widened to 4 lanes from Leanard to Noria Road in Lawrence.
- Shawnee Mission Parkway opened as a Super-Two alignment from K-7 to Pflumn.
- 1974:
- Shawnee Mission Parkway widened to 4 lanes from K-7 to Renner.
- 1975:
- Shawnee Mission Parkway widened to 4 lanes from Renner to Pflumn.
- November 8, 1976:
- A New Freeway alignment between DeSoto and K-7 opened.
- 1978:
- A New Freeway alignment between Lawrence and DeSoto opened.
- December 18, 1984:
- The new freeway alignment between K-7 and I-435 opened to traffic.
- The highway was constructed as K-12 but designated K-10 upon opening.
- The previous alignment of K-10 located east of K-7 was redesignated as K-12.
- The new freeway alignment between K-7 and I-435 opened to traffic.
- 1996:
- South Lawrence Trafficway from I-70 northwest of Lawrence to US 59 opened.
- November 9, 2016:
- South Lawrence Trafficway from US 59 on the south side of Lawrence to the K-10 freeway east of Lawrence opened.
Junction Guide
DOT Milepost | Total Miles | Junction |
---|---|---|
10-23/0.000 | 0.000 | I-70 (Begin K-10) |
10-23/1.874 40-23/11.061 | 1.874 | West junction US 40 (US 40 joins K-10) |
40-23/12.972 | 3.785 | Clinton Parkway |
40-23/14.756 | 5.569 | Wakarusa Drive |
40-23/17.616 10-23/8.429 | 8.429 | Iowa Street/US 59 (US 40 leaves K-10 and Joins US 59) |
10-23/10.724 | 10.724 | Haskell Avenue |
10-23/13.651 | 13.651 | 23rd Street |
10-23/14.869 | 14.869 | E 1900 Road |
10-23/17.843 | 17.843 | Church Street/E 2200 Road, Eudora |
10-23/19.628 | 19.628 | N 1400 Road |
10-23/20.192 10-46/0.000 | 20.192 | Douglas/Johnson county line |
10-46/4.445 | 24.637 | Lexington Avenue, DeSoto |
10-46/5.966 | 26.158 | Kill Creek Road |
10-46/11.788 | 31.980 | K-7 |
10-46/16.419 | 36.611 | I-435 |
AADT (2021)
Location | Count | Truck % |
---|---|---|
I-70 to US 40 | 17,500 | 4.5% |
US 40 to Clinton Parkway | 18,400 | 7.3% |
Clinton Parkway to 27th/Wakarusa | 15,100 | 5.0% |
27th/Wakarusa to US 59 | 19,400 | 4.6% |
US 59 to Haskell Avenue | 21,400 | 3.7% |
Haskell Avenue to 23rd Street | 20,000 | 3.8% |
23rd Street to E1900 | 28,900 | 6.0% |
E 1900 Road to Eudora | 27,400 | 6.2% |
Eudora to N 1400 Road | 26,500 | 6.8% |
N 1400 Road to Evening Star Road | 27,800 | 6.7% |
Evening Star Road to Edgerton Road | 30,600 | 5.6% |
Edgerton Road to Lexington Avenue | 28,300 | 5.6% |
Lexington Avenue to Kill Creek Road | 31,000 | 5.6% |
Kill Creek Road to Cedar Creek Parkway | 36,784 | 5.1% |
Cedar Creek Parkway to K-7 | 41,200 | 5.1% |
K-7 to Woodland Road | 60,000 | 5.3% |
Woodland Road to Ridgeview Road | 74,000 | 4.8% |
Ridgeview Road to Renner Road | 77,600 | 5.1% |
Renner Road to I-435 | 77,800 | 5.0% |