K-66 (Kansas highway)

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K-66 is a 5-mile (8-kilometre) long state highway in the southeastern corner of the state. Its eastern terminus is on the Missouri state line near Galena (where it continues as Route 66), while its western terminus is at Alternate U.S. Highway 69 and U.S. Route 400 at Riverton. This road is noteworthy in the fact that it used to be the famed Route 66. When the nearby Interstate 44 offered a more direct route between Missouri and Oklahoma, there was no need to keep the Route 66 distinction. Kansas then left it as Kansas Highway 66.

[edit] U.S. 66 in Kansas

The easternmost section of K-66 was not US 66 until 1979. Prior to 1979, US 66 came in from Missouri as Front Street^[1] and turned south on Main Street before joining K-66. US 66 then followed K-66 to Riverton, where K-66 ends. Original US 66 through Kansas continues as a county road to the north and west of U.S. Route 69 Alternate to Baxter Springs, and joins US 69 Alternate to the Oklahoma state line.

Thus the final (1985) alignment of US 66 perfectly matches present U.S. Route 69 Alternate and K-66. US 69 Alternate was created in 1985 when US 66 was decommissioned.^[2]