Wikipedia

K-187 (Kansas highway)

K-187 is an approximately 8-mile-long (13 km) north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. Located entirely within Nemaha County, K-187 runs from K-9 in Centralia north to U.S. Route 36 (US-36) west of Seneca. The highway passes through grasslands characteristic of the Great Plains and is a two-lane road for its entire length.

K-187 marker
K-187
Map
K-187 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length7.999 mi[2] (12.873 km)
ExistedMarch 9, 1955[1]–present
Major junctions
South end K-9 in Centralia
North end US-36 west of Seneca
Location
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountiesNemaha
Highway system
  • Kansas State Highway System
← K-186→ K-188

Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails. K-187's southern terminus closely follows the former Kansas White Way and the northern terminus closely follows the former Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway. K-187 was established by the Kansas State Highway Commission, now known as the Kansas Department of Transportation, as a state highway on March 9, 1955, and its alignment has not changed since.

Route description

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K-187's southern terminus is at K-9, also known as John Riggins Avenue, in Centralia. The highway travels north along 2nd Street and soon exits the city as it becomes surrounded by rural farmlands.[3][4] The roadway reaches a crossing over Weyer Creek, a tributary of North Fork Black Vermillion River, before intersecting Stringtown Road. The highway continues through rural farmlands to an at-grade crossing with a Union Pacific Railroad track. From here K-187 continues north a short distance to its northern terminus at US-36 west of Seneca.[4][5]

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2019, they determined that on average the traffic ranged from 915 vehicles per day north of Centralia to just over 1,000 vehicles per day in Centralia.[6] The entire length is a paved two-lane highway.[2][5] K-187 is not included in the National Highway System,[7][a] but does connect to it at its northern terminus.[7]

History

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Prior to the formation of the Kansas state highway system, 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. K-187's southern terminus closely follows the former Kansas White Way, which travelled from Colorado Springs, Colorado, east to St. Joseph, Missouri.[9] The northern terminus closely follows the former Pikes Peak Ocean to Ocean Highway, which was formed early in 1912, and travelled from New York City to Los Angeles.[9][10]

K-187 was assigned by the State Highway Commission of Kansas, now known as KDOT, on March 9, 1955.[1] That same day, a separate resolution was passed to realign K-187's southern terminus (K-9) to travel east from Centralia instead of south out of the city.[11] On August 1, 1955, a $18,295 (equivalent to $208,086 in 2024) bid was approved to pave the entire length of the highway.[12] In late May 1957, a $9,909 (equivalent to $107,496 in 2024) bid was approved to repave the entire length of K-187.[13] From July 26 to 27, 1981, thunderstorms produced as much as 8 inches (20 cm) of rain over Kansas. The flood waters washed a bridge out on K-187.[14] The bridge was replaced and re-opened to traffic that same year.[15] On January 1, 2022, KDOT announced that two separate bids were approved for work on K-187. One was a $942,370 bid to replace the bridge over Weyer Creek, and the other was a $1,460,270 bid to replace the bridge over the Fisher Creek Drainage.[16][17] The highway's alignment has not changed since it was established.[1][18]

Major intersections

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The entire route is in Nemaha County.

Locationmi[2]kmDestinationsNotes
Centralia0.0000.000  K-9 (John Riggins Avenue) – Corning, FrankfortSouthern terminus
Richmond–Marion
township line		7.99912.873  US-36 – Marysville, SenecaNorthern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The National Highway System is a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c State Highway Commission of Kansas (March 9, 1955). "Resolution for Addition to State Highway System Nemaha County". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved July 30, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c Staff (2016). "Dist. 1 Condition Survey Report" (PDF). Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. p. B1-43. Retrieved February 12, 2022.
  3. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (July 2004). City of Centralia (PDF) (Map). Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Overview map of K-187" (Map). Google Maps. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Bureau of Transportation Planning (January 2010). Nemaha County (PDF) (Map). [c. 1:211,200]. General Highway Map. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 27, 2020.
  6. ^ Bureau of Transportation Planning (2020). Traffic Flow Map Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). [c. 1:1,584,000]. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  7. ^ a b Federal Highway Administration (April 14, 2015). National Highway System: Kansas (PDF) (Map). Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  8. ^ 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 July 4, 2012. Retrieved January 10, 2022.
  9. ^ a b 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.
  10. ^ "The Pikes Peak Ocean To Ocean Highway The Appian Way Of America". Federal Highway Administration. June 27, 2017. Retrieved March 26, 2021.
  11. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (March 9, 1955). "Resolution for Relocation and Redesignation of Road in Nemaha County". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved September 17, 2019.
  12. ^ "Highway Group Approves Area Bids". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. August 1, 1955. p. 8. Retrieved February 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Highway Commission Approves Bids For Road Improvement". Marshall County News. Marysville, Kansas. May 20, 1957. p. 6. Retrieved February 8, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ^ "Heavy Rains Put Homes, Roads Under". The Wichita Eagle. Wichita, Kansas. July 28, 1981. p. 3. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. ^ bridgereports.com (2020). "K187 Hwy over Nemaha River Drainage". bridgereports.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  16. ^ "KDOT". The Atchison Daily Globe. Atchison, Kansas. January 1, 2022. p. A3. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "KDOT announces approved December bids". The Atchison Daily Globe. Atchison, Kansas. January 1, 2022. p. A1. Retrieved February 9, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  18. ^ Kansas Department of Transportation (2021). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map) (2021–2022 ed.). Scale not given. Highway & Transportation Map. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
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