U.S. Route 159
| |
|---|---|
 | |
| Route information | |
| Auxiliary route of US 59 | |
| Length: |
83.6 mi[lower-alpha 1] (134.5 km)
|
| Existed: | 1935[1] – present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: |
    US-59 / K-4 Alt. in Nortonville, Kan. |
| |
| North end: |
US 59 in New Point, Mo. |
| Highway system | |
U.S. Highway 159 is an auxiliary route of U.S. Highway 59. It currently runs for 85 miles (137 km) from Nortonville, Kansas at U.S. Highway 59 to New Point, Missouri at U.S. Highway 59. The highway permits through traffic on U.S. 59 to bypass the cities of Atchison, Kansas and Saint Joseph, Missouri.
Route description
Kansas
US-159 begins at US-59 in Nortonville. It joins with U.S. Route 73 in Horton. The two highways overlap to the Nebraska border, passing through Hiawatha before leaving the state north of Reserve.
Nebraska
U.S. 159 clips the far southeastern corner of Nebraska. It enters south of Falls City concurrently with U.S. Route 73. In Falls City U.S. 159 turns east. It leaves the state via the Rulo Bridge at the Missouri River in Rulo.
Missouri
US 159 enters northwestern Missouri near Big Lake. It crosses Interstate 29 near Fortescue before ending at US 59 near New Point. Its total length in Missouri is approximately 16 miles (26 km).
History
When the route was commissioned in 1934, U.S. Route 159 only went between Nortonville, Kansas and Horton, Kansas. In 1945, it was extended north to Craig, Missouri via Falls City, Nebraska. After 1975, the route in Missouri was altered to go east from the Fortescue area to what is now its current terminus near New Point, Missouri. The old route which went to Craig is now Route 111.[2]
Future
In March 2009, a new bridge, which will replace the current Rulo Bridge, was approved by Nebraska Department of Roads. It will be located about 650 feet south of the current bridge.[3][4]
Major intersections
| State | County | Location | mi [5][6][7] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Jefferson | Nortonville | 0.0 | 0.0 | US-59 / K-4 Alt. begins | South end of K-4 Alt. overlap |
| 0.5 | 0.8 | K-4 Alt. south | North end of K-4 Alt. overlap | |||
| Atchison | Center Township | 3.6 | 5.8 |  K-116 east | South end of K-116 overlap | |
| Center–Benton township line | 4.3 | 6.9 | K-116 west | North end of K-116 overlap | ||
| 8.7 | 14.0 |  K-9 east | South end of K-9 overlap | |||
| Grasshopper Township | 22.7 | 36.5 | K-9 west | North end of K-9 overlap | ||
| Brown | Horton | 28.3 | 45.5 |   US-73 south / K-20 | South end of US 73 overlap | |
| Hiawatha | 40.3 | 64.9 |  US-36 | |||
| 52.3 0.00 | 84.2 0.00 | Kansas–Nebraska state line | ||||
| Nebraska | Richardson | Falls City | 4.11 | 6.61 | US 73 north | North end of US 73 overlap |
| Missouri River | 13.87 17.424 | 22.32 28.041 | Nebraska–Missouri state line (Rulo Bridge) | |||
| Missouri | Holt | Big Lake | 13.248 | 21.321 |  Route 111 north | South end of Route 111 overlap |
| Minton Township | 7.771 | 12.506 | Route 111 south | North end of Route 111 overlap | ||
| Benton Township | 3.242– 3.223 | 5.217– 5.187 |  I-29 | Exit 79 along I-29 | ||
| Hickory Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | US 59 | |||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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Notes
- ↑ Total mileage is the sum of each state's length
References
Route map: Bing
- ↑ Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 06:08, 25 October 2006 (UTC).
- ↑ Sanderson, Dale End of US highway 159.
- ↑ New bridge at Rulo is approved Omaha World-Herald March 5, 2009
- ↑ New Rulo bridge design plans OK'd Omaha World-Herald March 9, 2009
- ↑ "County Maps". Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ↑ "Nebraska Highway Reference Log Book" (PDF). Nebraska Department of Roads. 2011. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
- ↑ Missouri Department of Transportation (July 13, 2012). Flex Map Viewer (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 13, 2012.
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
←  K-156 | KS | US-160  → | ||
←  US 138 | NE | I-180  → | ||
←  Route 158 | MO | US 160 → | ||