U.S. Route 69 in Kansas

U.S. Highway 69
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap US-69 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT and the cities of Columbus, Pittsburg and Kansas City
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 US State Spurs ← K-68 → I-70

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.

Route description[]

US 69 south of Franklin, KS

US-69 enters Kansas just north of Miami, Oklahoma as a concurrency with the southern terminus of K-7. The highway crosses US-166 west of Treece before K-7 leaves the concurrency with the intersection of US-160 in Columbus, of which U.S. 160 begins another overlap with U.S. 69. The two routes head east for 7 miles (10 km) before US-400 joins the overlap in Crestline and head north, before U.S. 400 leaves the highway south of Pittsburg. As the two highways leave Pittsburg, the route becomes a short 4-lane expressway before US-160 leaves the highway as it exits Frontenac. Just after US-69 meets the eastern terminus with K-47 in Franklin, the route reverts back to a 2-lane highway before entering the town of Arma. US-69 then becomes a 4-lane expressway near Garland. US-69 meets with K-7 for a second time as a partial interchange and the two routes continue north to Fort Scott. As the undivided freeway begins, U.S. Route 54 joins the overlap for 1/2 mile (0.8 km); both US-54 and K-7 leaves the overlap just north of the city limits as US-69 continues north as a divided freeway. The freeway runs through the towns of Pleasanton and Trading Post, as well as more rural areas before entering the Kansas City metropolitan area at 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,^{[citation needed]} 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]

Overland Park toll lanes[]

As Overland Park has grown in recent years, US-69 south of 103rd Street has become the busiest four-lane highway in Kansas. On June 21, 2021, the Overland Park city council approved a toll lane to be added to both directions of US-69 between 103rd Street and 151st Street. Since then, the Kansas Turnpike Authority and the State Finance Council have also approved the project, which was required by a new Kansas law that allows toll lanes to pay for road expansion.^[5]

Junction list[]

This section contains a table that is missing mileposts for one or more junctions. Please help by .

County	Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Cherokee	Lyon–Spring Valley township line	0.000	0.000	US 69 south / Treece Road east / 10 Road west K-7 begins	Southern end of K-7 overlap; continuation into Oklahoma
		2.234	3.595	US-166 – Chetopa, Baxter Springs
	Columbus	12.381	19.925	US-160 west / K-7 north – Oswego, Girard	Southern end of US 160 overlap; northern end of K-7 overlap
	Shawnee Township	19.402	31.224	US-400 east / US-69 Alt. south – Joplin, Miami	Southern end of US 400 overlap; northern terminus of US-69 Alternate
	Pleasant View Township	28.520	45.898	K-103 west – Weir	Eastern terminus of K-103
Cherokee–Crawford county line	Pleasant View–Baker township line	30.487	49.064	US-400 west / K-171 east – Parsons, Joplin	Northern end of US 400 overlap; western terminus of K-171
Crawford	Pittsburg	33.513	53.934	US-69 Bus. north – Pittsburg	Southern terminus of US-69 Bus.
		35.838	57.676	K-126 – McCune, Pittsburg
		38.167	61.424	US-69 Bus. south – Pittsburg	Northern terminus of US-69 Bus.
		40.177	64.659	US-160 east – Lamar	Northern end of US 160 overlap
	Washington Township	43.213	69.545	K-47 west – Girard	Eastern terminus of K-47
		43.370	69.797	US-69 Bus. north – Franklin	Southern terminus of US-69 Bus.
		46.209	74.366	US-69 Bus. south – Arma	Northern terminus of US-69 Bus.
Bourbon	Scott Township	61.325	98.693	K-7 south – Girard	Interchange; southern end of K-7 overlap
	Fort Scott	66.148	106.455	US-54 east – Nevada	Southern end of freeway; southern end of US 54 overlap
	Scott Township	67.048	107.903	US-54 west / K-7 north – Iola, Harding	Northern end of US 54/K-7 overlap
		69.628	112.055	Poplar Road	Diamond interchange
	Osage Township	72.666	116.945	Soldier Road	Diamond interchange
		76.719	123.467	K-31 west – Harding	Eastern terminus of K-31; diamond interchange
Linn				K-239 – Prescott	Diamond interchange
				K-52 west – Mound City	Southern end of K-52 overlap; diamond interchange
	Pleasanton			6th Street/E. 1100th Road	Diamond interchange
				E. 1350 Road	Diamond interchange
				K-52 east – Butler	Northern end of K-52 overlap; diamond interchange
				K-152 – La Cygne	Diamond interchange
Miami				W. 399th Street	Partial cloverleaf interchange
				W. 359th Street	Diamond interchange
	– township line			W. 335th Street	Diamond interchange
				W. 311th Street	Diamond interchange
	Louisburg			K-68 – Ottawa, Louisburg	Diamond interchange
				W. 247th Street	Diamond interchange
				W. 223rd Street	Diamond interchange
Johnson	Overland Park			199th Street	Diamond interchange
				179th Street	Diamond interchange
				167th Street	Southbound exit and northbound entrance; partial diamond interchange
				159th Street	Diamond interchange
				151st Street	Diamond interchange
				135th Street	Partial cloverleaf interchange
				Blue Valley Parkway	Northbound exit and southbound entrance
				119th Street	Diamond interchange
				College Boulevard	Partial cloverleaf interchange
				I-435 / US-50 / US-169 – Wichita, Int'l Airport, Independence	I-435 exit 81; partial cloverleaf interchange
				103rd Street	Partial cloverleaf interchange
				95th Street	Diamond interchange
	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

Special routes[]

Alternate route[]

U.S. Route 69 Alternate (US-69 Alt.) is a special route of U.S. Highway 69, traveling 20.3 miles (32.7 km) between junctions east of Commerce, Oklahoma and north of Crestline, Kansas.

US-69 Alt., cosigned with Historic Route 66, splits from mainline US 69 south of Picher and west of Quapaw. US-69 Alt. and HR-66 head ENE through the towns of Quapaw and Baxter Springs, Kansas. North of Baxter Springs, US 400 joins the concurrency. West of Riverton, HR-66 heads east along K-66, while US-69 Alt. and US 400 head north. North of Crestline, US-69 Alt. and US 400 meet US 69 and US 160 from the west. US-69 Alt. terminates as US 69 and US 160 merge with US 400. The concurrency of US 69, US 400, and US 160 continues north.

Pittsburg business loop[]

U.S. Route 69 Business (US 69 Business) is a business route of US 69 running through Pittsburg. Its southern terminus is at US-69 and its northern terminus is at US-69.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Pittsburg, Crawford County.

mi	km	Destinations	Notes
0.00	0.00	US-69 / US-160	Southern terminus
		K-126 (4th Street)
		US-69 / US-160 (West Atkinson Road / Parkview Drive)	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Arma business loop[]

U.S. Route 69 Business (US 69 Business) is a business route of US 69 running through Arma. Its southern terminus is at US-69 and K-47 and its northern terminus is at US-69.

Major intersections

The entire route is in Crawford County.

Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Washington Township	0.00	0.00	K-47 west	Continuation beyond southern terminus; eastern terminus of K-47
			US-69	Southern terminus
			E 620th Avenue – Mulberry
			US-69 – Fort Scott, Pittsburg	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References[]

External links[]

• Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT

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