Interstate 135
I-135 highlighted in red | ||||
Route information | ||||
Auxiliary route of I-35 | ||||
Maintained by KDOT | ||||
Length | 95.738 mi (154.075 km) | |||
Existed | September 13, 1976–present | |||
NHS | Entire route | |||
Major junctions | ||||
South end | ![]() ![]() | |||
North end | ![]() ![]() ![]() | |||
Location | ||||
Country | United States | |||
State | Kansas | |||
Counties | Sedgwick, Harvey, McPherson, Saline | |||
Highway system | ||||
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Interstate 135 (I-135) is an approximately 95.7-mile-long (154.0 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in central and south-central Kansas, United States. I-135, which is signed as north–south, runs between I-35 and the Kansas Turnpike in Wichita north to I-70, U.S. Highway 40 (US-40), and US-81 in Salina. Except for the first 0.46 miles (0.74 km), I-135 overlaps US-81 its entire length. The route also runs through the cities of McPherson, Newton, and Park City.
The highway was designated as Interstate 35W (I-35W) until September 1976, when it was renumbered as I-135 to conform to new AASHTO policies that eliminated most suffixed Interstate Highways. It is currently the longest three-digit "spur", with an odd first digit, in the Interstate System.
In 2021, work began to rebuild the northern junction with I-235.
Route description
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/56/Kta_042.jpg/220px-Kta_042.jpg)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/I-135_end.jpg/220px-I-135_end.jpg)
I-135 begins from the south at exit 42 on the Kansas Turnpike. (The exit is signed as I-135/I-235/US-81 for Wichita and Salina.) US-81 joins I-135 0.5 miles (0.80 km) later at exit 1A (East 47th Street South) and remains concurrent with it for the rest of its length. Less than one mile (1.6 km) from the Kansas Turnpike tollbooth, I-235, a loop around the westside of Wichita, branches off the highway at exit 1C. I-135 continues northward from there, running just east of the Wichita downtown area. It reunites with I-235 at exits 11A and 11B at milepost 11 at the loop's other end.
I-135 leaves Wichita and continues northward to Newton where it turns northwest around milemarker 33. The freeway continues in this direction for 20 miles (32 km), returning to a due north course at McPherson.
The stretch of I-135 in Saline County from the Saline–McPherson county line to the highway's terminus at I-70, is designated as the Ben E. Vidricksen Highway, in honor of a state senator who was active in pushing for the highway's enlargement.[1][2]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9c/I-135_north_end.jpg/220px-I-135_north_end.jpg)
The route ends on the northwest side of Salina, at its intersection at I-70. The road continues as US-81 north of this interchange.
History
Location | Kansas |
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Existed | 1971[3]–September 13, 1976[4] |
Construction on the Canal Route portion of I-135 (in Wichita, where the Chisholm Creek Canal runs through the median of the highway) was begun in 1971.[3] This portion of the route took eight years to complete with a cost of $32 million (equivalent to $108 million in 2023[5]).[3] It was built through the middle of the city's African-American neighborhood, known as McAdams.[6]
Originally, the northern terminus of the highway at I-70 ended as a trumpet interchange. When US-81 was upgraded to a freeway between Salina and Minneapolis, Kansas, the northern terminus was rebuilt as a full cloverleaf interchange, which remains to this day.[citation needed]
Until September 13, 1976, I-135 was signed as Interstate 35W (I-35W). The Interstate's full length was completed in December 1979.[4]
In 2021, work began to rebuild the northern junction with I-235.[7] A two-lane flyover ramp connecting northbound I-135 to southbound I-235 which replaced the previous one-lane loop ramp opened on May 31, 2023.[8]
Exit list
County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sedgwick | Wichita | 0.00– 0.43 | 0.00– 0.69 | ![]() ![]() | Southern terminus; Kansas Turnpike toll booth; I-35/Kansas Tpke. exit 42; trumpet interchange | |
0.46 | 0.74 | 1A | ![]() ![]() | South end of US-81 overlap; last free exit southbound | ||
0.81 | 1.30 | 1C | ![]() ![]() | Left exit and entrance northbound; I-235 exit 1A southbound (to I-135 north); tri-stack interchange; former US 81 Byp. north | ||
2.32 | 3.73 | 2 | Hydraulic Avenue | |||
3.21 | 5.17 | 3A | ![]() ![]() | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; south end of K-15 overlap | ||
3.94 | 6.34 | 3B | Pawnee Street | |||
4.93 | 7.93 | 4 | Harry Street | |||
5.43 | 8.74 | 5A | Lincoln Street | |||
5.96 | 9.59 | 5B | ![]() ![]() | Signed as exit 6A southbound | ||
6.60– 6.76 | 10.62– 10.88 | 6B | 1st Street North, 2nd Street North | Signed as exit 6C southbound | ||
6.98 | 11.23 | 7A | Central Avenue | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
7.48 | 12.04 | 7B | 8th Street North, 9th Street North | |||
8.02 | 12.91 | 8 | 13th Street North | |||
9.00 | 14.48 | 9 | 21st Street North | |||
10.57 | 17.01 | 10 | ![]() ![]() | Signed as exits 10A (K-96) and 10B (29th St., Hydraulic) northbound; south end of K-96 overlap | ||
11.78 | 18.96 | 11A | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | North end of K-96 overlap; I-235 exits 16A-B; I-235 is former US 81 Byp. south | ||
11B | ![]() ![]() | Left exit and entrance southbound | ||||
13.21 | 21.26 | 13 | 53rd Street North | |||
Park City | 14.23 | 22.90 | 14 | 61st Street North | ||
Kechi–Grant township line | 16.25 | 26.15 | 16 | 77th Street North | ||
Grant Township | 17.23 | 27.73 | 17 | 85th Street North | ||
19.23 | 30.95 | 19 | 101st Street North | |||
Sedgwick–Harvey county line | Grant–Darlington township line | 22.27 | 35.84 | 22 | 125th Street North | |
Harvey | Darlington Township | 25.27 | 40.67 | 25 | ![]() ![]() | |
Newton | 28.28 | 45.51 | 28 | SE 36th Street (CR 576) | ||
30.11– 30.32 | 48.46– 48.80 | 30 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | South end of US-50 overlap; north end of K-15 overlap; serves Newton Medical Center; left exit and entrance northbound | ||
31.34– 31.87 | 50.44– 51.29 | 31 | First Street, Broadway Street | |||
32.65 | 52.55 | 33 | ![]() ![]() | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; north end of US-50 overlap | ||
34.78 | 55.97 | 34 | ![]() | |||
Hesston | 40.52 | 65.21 | 40 | Lincoln Boulevard | ||
McPherson | Mound Township | 46.10 | 74.19 | 46 | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Counterclockwise terminus of K-260; serves Mercy Hospital and Moundridge Municipal Airfield |
48.68 | 78.34 | 48 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | Clockwise terminus of K-260; serves Mercy Hospital | ||
Lone Tree–King City township line | 54.44 | 87.61 | 54 | Comanche Road (CR 445) / 18th Avenue (CR 319) | ||
King City Township | 58.39 | 93.97 | 58 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
McPherson | 60.51 | 97.38 | 60 | ![]() ![]() ![]() | ||
McPherson Township | 62.94 | 101.29 | 63 | Mohawk Road | Opened 2017 | |
New Gottland Township | 65.93 | 106.10 | 65 | Pawnee Road (CR 448) | ||
68.03– 68.60 | 109.48– 110.40 | Rest Area, located in the median; left exits and entrances | ||||
Smoky Hill Township | 72.93 | 117.37 | 72 | Smoky Valley Road (CR 429) – Lindsborg, Roxbury | Former US 81 Bus. north, previously signed as I-135 BL north | |
Saline | Smoky View Township | 77.86 | 125.30 | 78 | ![]() ![]() | South end of K-4 overlap; former US 81 Bus. south, previously signed as I-135 BL south |
81.96 | 131.90 | 82 | ![]() ![]() | North end of K-4 overlap | ||
Smolan Township | 86.01 | 138.42 | 86 | ![]() ![]() | ||
Salina | 88.00 | 141.62 | 88 | Water Well Road | ||
89.03 | 143.28 | 89 | Schilling Road | |||
90.04 | 144.91 | 90 | Magnolia Road | |||
92.39 | 148.69 | 92 | Crawford Street | |||
93.43 | 150.36 | 93 | ![]() ![]() | |||
95.74 | 154.08 | 95A-B | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | Northern terminus; north end of US-81 overlap; signed as exits 95A (I-70 east) and 95B (I-70 west); I-70 exits 250A-B; freeway continues north as US-81 (Frank Carlson Memorial Highway); cloverleaf interchange. | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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References
- ^ "Kan. Stat. § 68-1056 - Section 68-1056 - Designating part of interstate highway 135 as the Ben E. Vidricksen highway". Casetext.com. casetext. July 1, 2002. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Ben Vidricksen, former Kansas Senator, dies at 88; flags to be lowered to half-staff Saturday". Topeka Capital-Journal. September 16, 2015. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ a b c "Canal Route on I-135". Kansas Celebrates 50 Years of Interstates. Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
- ^ a b "1970s". Kansas Celebrates 50 Years of Interstates. Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2011-09-21.
- ^ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the MeasuringWorth series.
- ^ "National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form" (PDF). Kansas State Historic Preservation Office. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
- ^ "North Junction reconstruction project begins, will include new flyover ramp from I-135 to southbound I-235". KSN-TV. 2021-04-05. Retrieved 2022-06-04.
- ^ McMillan, Laura (May 31, 2023). "New I-135 ramp opens to I-235 in north Wichita". KSN-TV. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved May 31, 2023.
External links
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
- I-135 at Kurumi.com
- I-135 at AARoads