K-170 (Kansas highway)

K-170 marker
K-170
Map
K-170 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length21.759 mi[4] (35.018 km)
Existedc. 1930[1][2]–present
HistoryRenumbered from K-70 to K-170 on October 31, 1957[3]
Major junctions
West end K-99 west of Reading
East end K-31 in Osage City
Location
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountiesLyon, Osage
Highway system
  • Kansas State Highway System
← US-169→ K-171

K-170 is a 21.759-mile-long (35.018 km) state highway in the U.S. State of Kansas. K-170's western terminus is at K-99 about 12 miles (19 km) north of Emporia, and the eastern terminus is at K-31 on the west side of Osage City, a mile south of the K-31 intersection with U.S. Route 56 (US-56). K-170 provides access, via county roads, to Lyons County State Fishing Lake.[5]

The highway that became K-170 was first designated by 1930 as K-70, from K-11 and K-22 east to Reading. K-11 was renumbered to K-99, and K-22 was decommissioned in 1938. Then in 1946, the highway was extended east to end in Osage City. In 1957, K-70 was renumbered to K-170 to avoid a numbering confusion with Interstate 70 (I-70).[3]

Route description

K-170's western terminus is at an intersection with K-99 northeast of Emporia. The highway begins traveling east through flat rural farmlands, and after about .5 miles (0.80 km) it crosses Badger Creek, a tributary of the Neosho River. The highway continues east for 1.5 miles (2.4 km) then intersects Road T, which travels north to Lyon County State Lake. It continues east for 5.3 miles (8.5 km) through more flat rural farmlands then enters the city of Reading. It travels approximately .8 miles (1.3 km) through the city. As the highway exits the city it also crosses into Osage County.[6][7] Soon after crossing the county line, the highway expands to four lanes and has an at-grade crossing with a BNSF Railway track. K-170 quickly downgrades back to two lanes and crosses the Marias des Cygnes River about one mile (1.6 km) later. The highway then continues east for about two miles (3.2 km) then crosses Cherry Creek.[5]

Roughly 1.2 miles (1.9 km) past Cherry Creek it crosses Little Cable Creek, then Cable Creek about one mile (1.6 km) later. After crossing Cable Creek, it intersects West 301st Street, which leads to the Eisenhower State Park. At this point, K-170 curves north and travels approximately 3.7 miles (6.0 km) then crosses Mute Creek. It continues north for about .3 miles (0.48 km) then intersects West 269th Street, which leads west to the unincorporated community of Barclay. From this point, it continues north roughly two miles (3.2 km) and enters Osage City. The highway passes by Osage City Reservoir, then expands to four lanes and has an at-grade crossing with the BNSF Railroad track again. K-170 then briefly exits the city and transitions back to two lanes. It then crosses Salt Creek as it reenters the city as Martin Street. The roadway continues north through the city for about .6 miles (0.97 km) then reaches its eastern terminus at K-31 in Osage City.[5][8]

K-170 is signed as east–west its entire length, even though the section from West 301st Street to K-31 runs directly north–south. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2017, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 430 vehicles per day east of Reading to 1,150 vehicles per day south of the terminus of K-31.[9] K-170 is not included in the National Highway System.[10][a]

History

Marker used for National Old Trails Road

Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails, which were an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. The eastern terminus (K-31) was part of the former National Old Trails Road, which was established in 1912, and stretched from Baltimore, Maryland to California.[12] K-31 also followed the Old Santa Fe Trail, which was established in 1821, and connected Santa Fe, New Mexico with Franklin, Missouri.[13][14]

K-170 was commissioned as K-70 by 1930, with the designation applying to a highway running from K-11 and K-22 east to Reading.[1][2] K-11 was renumbered to K-99 on May 17, 1938, along with Oklahoma and Nebraska doing the same to make a three-state, continuous Highway 99.[15][16] Also the K-22 designation was removed between January and July 1938.[17][18][19] In a resolution on December 12, 1945, it was approved to extend K-70 from Reading east then north to Osage City as soon as Osage County had brought the road up to state highway standards.[20] Then in a resolution on October 23, 1946, it was extended, as the county had finished required projects.[20][21] By late 1957, a majority of I-70 had been completed within Kansas and on October 31, 1957, K-70 was renumbered to K-170 to avoid a numbering confusion with I-70.[3][22][23]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[4]kmDestinationsNotes
LyonReading Township0.0000.000 K-99 – Emporia, Admire, AlmaWestern terminus; road continues as Road 250
OsageOsage City21.75935.018 K-31 – Lyndon, BurlingameEastern terminus; highway continues north as K-31 (Martin Street)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Notes

  1. ^ The National Highway System is a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.[11]

References

  1. ^ a b The Clason Map Company (1928). "Kansas" (Map). Clason's Touring Atlas of the United States, with Road Maps of every State and Ontario and Quebec, Canada. Chicago: The Clason Map Company. p. 37.
  2. ^ a b Rand McNally and Company (1930). "Kansas" (Map). Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas of the United States, A Map of Every State in the United States and Every Province of Eastern Canada. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company. pp. 32–33.
  3. ^ a b c State Highway Commission of Kansas (October 15, 1957). "October 15, 1957 Resolution". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Archived from the original on July 30, 2021. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  4. ^ a b Staff (2016). "Pavement Management Information System". Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on March 13, 2016. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Bureau of Transportation Planning (2007). Osage County (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. General Highway Map. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  6. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (November 2003). City of Reading (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. KDOT City Maps. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  7. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2007). Lyon County (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. General Highway Map. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved September 14, 2019.
  8. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (January 2002). City of Osage City (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. KDOT City Maps. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  9. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2018). Traffic Flow Map Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). [c. 1:1,584,000]. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 5, 2020. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  10. ^ Federal Highway Administration (May 8, 2019). National Highway System: Kansas (PDF) (Map). [c. 1:3,900,000]. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  11. ^ Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike; Adderly, Kevin (September 26, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on September 24, 2012. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
  12. ^ Lowe, Judge J. M. (1925). The National Old Trails Road, The Great Historic Highway of America. Kansas City, Missouri: National Old Trails Road Association. Retrieved July 26, 2015 – via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ "History & Culture". Washington, DC: National Park Service. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
  14. ^ Rand McNally and Company (1924). "Kansas" (Map). AutoTrails Map, Southern Nebraska, Eastern Colorado, Kansas, Northeastern New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma. 1:1,600,000. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company. OCLC 2078375. Retrieved June 15, 2020 – via Rumsey Collection.
  15. ^ Oklahoma Department of Transportation. "Memorial Dedication and Revision History, SH 99". Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2020.
  16. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (July 1938). Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). State Highway Commission of Kansas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  17. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (January 1938). Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  18. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (July 1938). Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 4, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2019.
  19. ^ "State Cuts Out Highway 22". The Emporia Gazette. March 25, 1938. p. 7. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  20. ^ a b State Highway Commission of Kansas (October 23, 1946). "Resolution on Osage County Road". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  21. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (1950). Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map) (1950–1951 ed.). Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 20, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
  22. ^ "Kansas Highway Numbers Changed To Avoid Confusion". The Wichita Eagle. October 25, 1957. p. 12. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved June 30, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
  23. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (1962). Official State Transportation Map (PDF) (Map). Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 14, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2008.
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