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K-96 (Kansas highway)
Encyclopedia
K-96 is a state highway
in central and southern Kansas
. Its western terminus is at the Colorado
state line east of Towner, Colorado
, where it continues as Colorado State Highway 96
; its eastern terminus since 1999 is at U.S. Route 54/U.S. Route 400 east of Wichita
.
The eastern terminus was once at the Missouri
state line, where the road continued as Route 96. With the construction of US-400, K-96 was either concurrent with or bypassed by this road, and the road was decommissioned east of the current eastern terminus. It was concurrent with U.S. Route 75 between Neodesha
and Independence
; and from Independence to Columbus
it was replaced with a realigned U.S. Route 160. East of Alternate U.S. Route 69, it was turned over to the county. In Missouri, Missouri 96 was terminated at Route 171, and the section between Missouri 171 and the Kansas state line was turned into Missouri Supplemental Route
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, just east of Towner, Colorado
. It heads east from this point, bypassing Horace
and crossing K-27
in Tribune
. After crossing into Wichita County
, it bypasses Selkirk to the south and meets K-25 in Leoti
, before running south of both Marienthal
(served by K-167) and Modoc
. K-96 junctions with US-83 in Scott City
, followed by 24 miles (38.6 km) without another highway junction until K-23 at Dighton
.
After leaving Dighton, K-96 runs parallel to Walnut Creek, providing access to a George Washington Carver
Monument and passing north of Beeler
. It meets US-283 at Ness City
. East of Ness City, K-96 runs through Bazine
, Alexander
, and Nekoma
. It crosses US-183 at Rush Center
, then bypasses Timken
and runs through Albert
and Heizer, gradually curving south to enter Great Bend
.
In Great Bend, K-96 begins a concurrency
with US-56 and crosses US-281. The two highways pass through Ellinwood
and Chase
before entering Lyons
, where K-96 heads south with K-14
, while US-56 continues east to McPherson
and Interstate 135. K-96 and K-14 pass through Sterling
and turn east south of town, before K-14 splits off to continue south. K-96 continues east until Nickerson
, where it takes a more southeast course to bypass Hutchinson
to the west and south. South of South Hutchinson
, it has a brief concurrency with US-50.
After splitting from US-50, K-96 provides access to, but does not directly serve, the Amish
community of Yoder
, Haven
, Mount Hope
, and Maize
before entering the Wichita
metropolitan area.
Throughout Wichita, K-96 is a freeway. It concurs with Interstate 235
until that route ends at I-135, which it briefly follows southward until it splits off westbound onto its own freeway alignment. It continues eastbound until reaching the Jabara Airport, where it curves south. K-96 has an interchange (exit 53) with Interstate 35 (the Kansas Turnpike
) before it ends at a trumpet interchange with US-54/400.
K-96 between Rush Center and Wichita is a part of the National Highway System
.
Between Hutchinson and Wichita, K.S.A. 68-1044 designates K-96 as the State Fair Freeway (even though it is not a full freeway).
The choice of the number 96 comes from the telephone number of the Wichita
Automobile
parts store of F.W. "Woody" Hockaday. During the 1910s, Hockaday marked distances between towns at his own expense along the major auto trails
with a large red "H" and arrows pointing the direction. When the state began numbering the routes, they allowed Hockaday to pick the number of the route that was posted with the most signs, which consisted of the Kansas-Colorado Boulevard, the Central Route, and the Ozark Trail.
The Wichita-Hutchinson
segment was straightened in the early 1970s, bypassing the towns of Maize
and Mount Hope
. In recent years, urban sprawl
has brought the highway within city limits. Near the Amish
community of Yoder
, symbolic warning signs were placed on the road to warn drivers of the presence of carriage
s on the cross streets.
By 1996, the roadway had been widened to a four-lane expressway
, and the symbolic warning signs near Yoder were not retained, as the signs did not comply with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
at the time. An interchange
was built at Yoder Road; however, carriage traffic still crossed the roadway at-grade. In September 2000, a minivan
heading home from the Kansas State Fair
struck a carriage, killing the elderly occupants and their horse
s. The driver of the van could not see the carriage in time to avoid the accident, and was cleared of wrongdoing. The Kansas Department of Transportation
received bad publicity in the wake of the accident because of the removal of the carriage warning signs. Despite the non-compliance with the MUTCD, new symbolic signs were installed along the roadway in 2001. The expressway segment of K-96 has been posted with a speed limit
of 70 mi/h since the repeal of the national speed limit. This has also been a contention in accidents along this stretch, and some state legislators have attempted to write legislation to lower the speed limit along this stretch.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in central and southern Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. Its western terminus is at the Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
state line east of Towner, Colorado
Towner, Colorado
Towner is a census-designated place in Kiowa County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 22. The U.S. Post Office at Sheridan Lake now serves Towner postal addresses. The town was originally known as Memphis. It was a frequent attraction for Kansans when their...
, where it continues as Colorado State Highway 96
Colorado State Highway 96
State Highway 96 is a state highway in eastern Colorado. Its eastern terminus is at the Kansas state line east of Towner where it continues as K-96; its western terminus is at State Highway 69 at Westcliffe....
; its eastern terminus since 1999 is at U.S. Route 54/U.S. Route 400 east of Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
.
The eastern terminus was once at the Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
state line, where the road continued as Route 96. With the construction of US-400, K-96 was either concurrent with or bypassed by this road, and the road was decommissioned east of the current eastern terminus. It was concurrent with U.S. Route 75 between Neodesha
Neodesha, Kansas
Neodesha is a city in Wilson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,486. The name is derived from the Osage Indian word, Ni-o-sho-de, and is translated as The-Water-Is-Smoky-With-Mud.-19th century:...
and Independence
Independence, Kansas
Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,483.-Geography:...
; and from Independence to Columbus
Columbus, Kansas
Columbus is the second largest city and county seat of Cherokee County, Kansas, United States, 15 miles south-southwest of Pittsburg, Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,312.-History:...
it was replaced with a realigned U.S. Route 160. East of Alternate U.S. Route 69, it was turned over to the county. In Missouri, Missouri 96 was terminated at Route 171, and the section between Missouri 171 and the Kansas state line was turned into Missouri Supplemental Route
Missouri Supplemental Route
A supplemental route is a state secondary road in the U.S. state of Missouri, designated with letters. Supplemental routes were various roads within the state which the Missouri Department of Transportation was given in 1952 to maintain in addition to the regular routes...
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Route description
K-96 begins at the Colorado border in Greeley CountyGreeley County, Kansas
Greeley County is a county located in West Central Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 1,247, which is the lowest in Kansas. Its county seat and largest town is Tribune...
, just east of Towner, Colorado
Towner, Colorado
Towner is a census-designated place in Kiowa County, Colorado, United States. The population as of the 2010 Census was 22. The U.S. Post Office at Sheridan Lake now serves Towner postal addresses. The town was originally known as Memphis. It was a frequent attraction for Kansans when their...
. It heads east from this point, bypassing Horace
Horace, Kansas
Horace is a city in Greeley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70.-History:The city is named after Horace Greeley of Chappaqua, New York, editor of the New York Tribune....
and crossing K-27
K-27 (Kansas highway)
K-27 is a long north–south state highway that parallels Kansas' western border with Colorado. It begins in Elkhart at the Oklahoma state line and travels through the seven counties that border Colorado until reaching its northern terminus in Cheyenne County north of St...
in Tribune
Tribune, Kansas
Tribune is a city in and the county seat of Greeley County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 741.-History:The city is named after the New York Tribune, of which Horace Greeley of Chappaqua, New York was the editor....
. After crossing into Wichita County
Wichita County, Kansas
Wichita County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 2,234...
, it bypasses Selkirk to the south and meets K-25 in Leoti
Leoti, Kansas
Leoti, pronounced "Lee-oh-TAH", is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,534.- History :...
, before running south of both Marienthal
Marienthal, Kansas
Marienthal is an unincorporated community in Wichita County, Kansas, United States. The post office was established March 18, 1902. Its ZIP code is 67863. The town was founded in 1892 by a group of immigrant Germans from Russia; they named it after their previous hometown of Marienthal, Russia...
(served by K-167) and Modoc
Modoc, Kansas
Modoc is a small unincorporated community in Scott County, Kansas, United States. Its post office was established October 10, 1887, and closed March 21, 1992....
. K-96 junctions with US-83 in Scott City
Scott City, Kansas
Scott City is a city in and the county seat of Scott County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,816.-Geography:Scott City is located at...
, followed by 24 miles (38.6 km) without another highway junction until K-23 at Dighton
Dighton, Kansas
Dighton is a city in and the county seat of Lane County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,038.-19th century:...
.
After leaving Dighton, K-96 runs parallel to Walnut Creek, providing access to a George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
Monument and passing north of Beeler
Beeler, Kansas
Beeler is an unincorporated community in western Ness County, Kansas, United States. It lies along K-96 west of the city of Ness City, the county seat of Ness County. Its elevation is 2,490 feet , and it is located at . Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with the ZIP...
. It meets US-283 at Ness City
Ness City, Kansas
Ness is a city in and the county seat of Ness County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,449. Ness City is famous for its four-story Old Ness County Bank Building located downtown, and nicknamed Skyscraper of the Plains.-Geography:Ness City is located at...
. East of Ness City, K-96 runs through Bazine
Bazine, Kansas
Bazine is a city in Ness County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 334.-Geography:Bazine is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
, Alexander
Alexander, Kansas
Alexander is a city in Rush County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 65.-Geography:Alexander is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 75...
, and Nekoma
Nekoma, Kansas
Nekoma is an unincorporated community in southwestern Rush County, Kansas, United States. It lies along K-96 southwest of the city of La Crosse, the county seat of Rush County. Its elevation is 2,037 feet , and it is located at . Although it is unincorporated, it has a post office, with...
. It crosses US-183 at Rush Center
Rush Center, Kansas
Rush Center is a city in Rush County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 170.-Geography:Rush Center is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were...
, then bypasses Timken
Timken, Kansas
Timken is a city in Rush County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 76.-Geography:Timken is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
and runs through Albert
Albert, Kansas
Albert is a city in Barton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 175.-Geography:Albert is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land.-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 181...
and Heizer, gradually curving south to enter Great Bend
Great Bend, Kansas
Great Bend, named for its location at the historic big bend of the Arkansas River, is the most populous city in and the county seat of Barton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 15,995.-History:...
.
In Great Bend, K-96 begins a concurrency
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with US-56 and crosses US-281. The two highways pass through Ellinwood
Ellinwood, Kansas
Ellinwood is a city in the southeast corner of Barton County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,131.-History:...
and Chase
Chase, Kansas
Chase is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 477.The city should not be confused with Chase County.-History:...
before entering Lyons
Lyons, Kansas
Lyons is a city in and the county seat of Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,739.-History:Although Coronado's exact route across the plains is uncertain and has been widely disputed, he and his men are thought to have camped near the present...
, where K-96 heads south with K-14
K-14 (Kansas highway)
K-14 is a north–south state highway which runs most of the length of the U.S. state of Kansas. The highway runs through the central part of the state.-Route description:...
, while US-56 continues east to McPherson
McPherson, Kansas
McPherson is a city in and the county seat of McPherson County, Kansas, United States, in the central part of the state. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,155. The city is named after Union General James Birdseye McPherson, a Civil War general...
and Interstate 135. K-96 and K-14 pass through Sterling
Sterling, Kansas
Sterling is a city in Rice County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,328. Sterling is home to Sterling College.- History :...
and turn east south of town, before K-14 splits off to continue south. K-96 continues east until Nickerson
Nickerson, Kansas
Nickerson is a city in Reno County, Kansas, United States. It was named in honor of Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway president Thomas Nickerson when the town was founded in 1872. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,070.-Geography:...
, where it takes a more southeast course to bypass Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
to the west and south. South of South Hutchinson
South Hutchinson, Kansas
South Hutchinson is a city in Reno County, Kansas, United States, and a suburb of Hutchinson. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 2,457.-History:Founded in 1887 by Benjamin Blanchard of Terre Haute, Indiana.-Geography:...
, it has a brief concurrency with US-50.
After splitting from US-50, K-96 provides access to, but does not directly serve, the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community of Yoder
Yoder, Kansas
Yoder is a small unincorporated community in Reno County in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Kansas, about 10 miles southeast of the city of Hutchinson on K-96. Although Yoder is unincorporated, with no city government, it does have a U.S. Post Office and its own zip code...
, Haven
Haven, Kansas
Haven is a city in Reno County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,237.-History:The Reno County Museum was originally located in Haven.-Geography:Haven is located at...
, Mount Hope
Mount Hope, Kansas
Mount Hope is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 813.-Geography:Mount Hope is located at...
, and Maize
Maize, Kansas
Maize is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,420.-History:...
before entering the Wichita
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
metropolitan area.
Throughout Wichita, K-96 is a freeway. It concurs with Interstate 235
Interstate 235 (Kansas)
Interstate 235 in Kansas is a 16.52 mile-long north–south bypass spur route of Interstate 35 that travels through the western part of Wichita. Its northern terminus is at an interchange with K-96 and Interstate 135/U.S. Route 81 north of the city, where the freeway continues east as K-254...
until that route ends at I-135, which it briefly follows southward until it splits off westbound onto its own freeway alignment. It continues eastbound until reaching the Jabara Airport, where it curves south. K-96 has an interchange (exit 53) with Interstate 35 (the Kansas Turnpike
Kansas Turnpike
The Kansas Turnpike is a freeway-standard toll road that lies entirely within the U.S. state of Kansas. It runs in a general southwest-northeast direction from the Oklahoma border, and passes through several major Kansas cities, including Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence and Kansas City...
) before it ends at a trumpet interchange with US-54/400.
K-96 between Rush Center and Wichita is a part of the National Highway System
National Highway System (United States)
The National Highway System is a network of strategic highways within the United States, including the Interstate Highway System and other roads serving major airports, ports, rail or truck terminals, railway stations, pipeline terminals and other strategic transport facilities.Individual states...
.
Between Hutchinson and Wichita, K.S.A. 68-1044 designates K-96 as the State Fair Freeway (even though it is not a full freeway).
History
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
Automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
parts store of F.W. "Woody" Hockaday. During the 1910s, Hockaday marked distances between towns at his own expense along the major auto trails
National auto trail
The system of auto trails was an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. Marked with colored bands on telephone poles, the trails were intended to help travellers in the early days of the automobile.Auto trails were...
with a large red "H" and arrows pointing the direction. When the state began numbering the routes, they allowed Hockaday to pick the number of the route that was posted with the most signs, which consisted of the Kansas-Colorado Boulevard, the Central Route, and the Ozark Trail.
The Wichita-Hutchinson
Hutchinson, Kansas
Hutchinson is the largest city in and the county seat of Reno County, Kansas, United States, northwest of Wichita, on the Arkansas River. It has been home to salt mines since 1887, thus its nickname of "Salt City", but locals call it "Hutch"...
segment was straightened in the early 1970s, bypassing the towns of Maize
Maize, Kansas
Maize is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. It is a suburb of Wichita. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,420.-History:...
and Mount Hope
Mount Hope, Kansas
Mount Hope is a city in Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 813.-Geography:Mount Hope is located at...
. In recent years, urban sprawl
Urban sprawl
Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...
has brought the highway within city limits. Near the Amish
Amish
The Amish , sometimes referred to as Amish Mennonites, are a group of Christian church fellowships that form a subgroup of the Mennonite churches...
community of Yoder
Yoder, Kansas
Yoder is a small unincorporated community in Reno County in the south-central part of the U.S. state of Kansas, about 10 miles southeast of the city of Hutchinson on K-96. Although Yoder is unincorporated, with no city government, it does have a U.S. Post Office and its own zip code...
, symbolic warning signs were placed on the road to warn drivers of the presence of carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s on the cross streets.
By 1996, the roadway had been widened to a four-lane expressway
Limited-access road
A limited-access road known by various terms worldwide, including limited-access highway, dual-carriageway and expressway, is a highway or arterial road for high-speed traffic which has many or most characteristics of a controlled-access highway , including limited or no access to adjacent...
, and the symbolic warning signs near Yoder were not retained, as the signs did not comply with the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices
The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices is a document issued by the Federal Highway Administration of the United States Department of Transportation to specify the standards by which traffic signs, road surface markings, and signals are designed, installed, and used...
at the time. An interchange
Diamond interchange
A diamond interchange is a common type of road junction, used where a freeway crosses a minor road. The freeway itself is grade-separated from the minor road, one crossing the other over a bridge...
was built at Yoder Road; however, carriage traffic still crossed the roadway at-grade. In September 2000, a minivan
Minivan
Minivan is a type of van designed for personal use. Minivans are typically either two-box or one box designs for maximum interior volume – and are taller than a sedan, hatchback, or a station wagon....
heading home from the Kansas State Fair
Kansas State Fair
The annual Kansas State Fair is held in Hutchinson each September. The 2012 State Fair runs from September 7 through September 16.The Kansas State Fair is held annually beginning the Friday following Labor Day and lasts for 10 days at the Kansas State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson, Kansas.The largest...
struck a carriage, killing the elderly occupants and their horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s. The driver of the van could not see the carriage in time to avoid the accident, and was cleared of wrongdoing. The Kansas Department of Transportation
Kansas Department of Transportation
The Kansas Department of Transportation is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public roadways of the U.S. state of Kansas.-Organization:*Secretary of Transportation...
received bad publicity in the wake of the accident because of the removal of the carriage warning signs. Despite the non-compliance with the MUTCD, new symbolic signs were installed along the roadway in 2001. The expressway segment of K-96 has been posted with a speed limit
Speed limit
Road speed limits are used in most countries to regulate the speed of road vehicles. Speed limits may define maximum , minimum or no speed limit and are normally indicated using a traffic sign...
of 70 mi/h since the repeal of the national speed limit. This has also been a contention in accidents along this stretch, and some state legislators have attempted to write legislation to lower the speed limit along this stretch.