| K-61 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by KDOT | ||||
| Length: | 80 mi[1] (128.7 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1932[1] – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | US-54 / US-400 in Pratt | |||
| North end: | I-135 / US-81 / US-81 Bus. south of McPherson |
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| Location | ||||
| Counties: | PR, RN, MP | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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K-61 is a Kansas state highway originating at US-54 and US-400 on the east side of Pratt. Signed as a north–south highway, K-61 is a diagonal highway running southwest and northeast. K-61 is 80 miles (130 km) long.
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K-61 runs through or beside the towns of Preston, Turon, Langdon (unincorporated) and Partridge before beginning a six-mile (10 km) concurrency with US-50. It has a short concurrency with K-14 in and near Arlington.
After breaking to the northeast from US-50, K-61 goes through the east side of Hutchinson (Where it is signed locally as the Ken Kennedy Freeway[2]). It goes through Medora (unincorporated) and Inman before ending at Interstate 135 and US-81 south of McPherson.
Its last two miles share a "wrong-way" concurrency with Business US-81.
Most of K-61 is two lanes. There are four-lane segments during its US-50 concurrency as well as most of its route in McPherson County.
It has controlled access interchanges (with US-50) at North K-96, west of Hutchinson; South K-96, also signed To K-17 in South Hutchinson. After breaking away from US-50, K-61 has controlled access interchanges at Avenue A in Hutchinson, Cherokee Road in Inman, and Spur K-153, K-153 and Business US-81 all in McPherson.
K-61 was commissioned by 1932.[1] It appears on the 1932 state highway map.[3] K-61 originally ended in Hutchinson at US-50. Sometime between 1956 and 1962, K-61 was extended on a previous routing of K-17 between Hutchinson and McPherson.[4]
The Kansas Department of Transportation is planning to turn K-61 into a four-lane expressway from northeast of Hutchinson to McPherson.[5] As of October 2011 the new four-lane alignment in McPherson County is open to traffic, though the section of highway between Hutchinson and the county line is still two lanes.[6] The project is estimated to be completed in spring 2012.[7]
Kansas Department of Transportation. Official State Transportation Map (Map) (2007-2008 ed.). http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/state-pdf/kansas0506.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-05.