U.S. Route 71 in Missouri

U.S. Route 71 marker

U.S. Route 71
Route information
Maintained by MoDOT
Length: 316.722 mi[1] (509.715 km)
Major junctions
South end: US 71 at Jane
 
North end: US 71 near Clearmont
Highway system
← I-70I-72 →

U.S. Route 71 (US 71) is a major north–south U.S. Highway that runs from Louisiana to Canada. US 71 enters Missouri from Arkansas in the town of Jane. US 71 serves the cities of Joplin, Kansas City and St. Joseph. At noon on December 12, 2012, the section of US 71 between Pineville, Missouri and Bannister Road in south Kansas City was also designated as a northern extension of Interstate 49 (I-49).

Route description

First reassurance marker on US 71 after entering Missouri from Iowa.

US 71 enters Missouri in Jane coming from Arkansas. Currently, a new bypass is being built known as the Bella Vista Bypass, to go around Jane and Bella Vista, Arkansas to connect with the freeway section of US 71 near Pineville. At this point, Interstate 49 begins its concurrency with US 71. I-49 and US 71 pass through many smaller communities before reaching Joplin. In Joplin, I-49 and US 71 interchanges with Interstate 44 and begin a short concurrency from I-44 exits 11 through 18.

A few miles east of Joplin, I-49 and US 71 leave I-44 and heads north and enters Carthage. Due to the freeway being built, old sections of the highway have been bypassed and become county roads. I-49 and US 71 pass through Nevada and other communities before reaching the Kansas City area. In south Kansas City, at Bannister Road just north of the Grandview Triangle, US 71 ends its concurrency with I-49, and continues into downtown Kansas City as Bruce R. Watkins Memorial Drive. US 71 loses its freeway status for 3 blocks in Kansas City before becoming a freeway again and entering Downtown Kansas City. It is very unlikely that the freeway will continue all the way through, as a court order prevents the stoplights to be bypassed, even though MoDot has the necessary right of way to do so.

In northern Kansas City, US 71 shares many overlaps with interstates, including I-70, I-35, and I-29. US 71 runs with I-29 through Kansas City north of Downtown until St. Joseph.

Once in St. Joseph, US 71 leaves I-29. US 71 runs north to Maryville. US 71 serves the small community of Clearmont before running through countryside into Iowa.

US 71 north of the Arkansas border.

Future

The future of part of the Bella Vista Bypass is on hold. On August 5, 2014, voters in Missouri defeated Amendment 7 at the polls, which would have provided funding various road construction projects in the state. After the measure's defeat, the funding for the connection from the existing southern end of I-49 in Missouri along the Bella Vista Bypass to the state line is in doubt, but Arkansas is moving ahead to construct all but the last connection to the state line.[2]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[1]kmExitDestinationsNotes
McDonaldCaverna0.0000.000 US 71 south – Bella Vista, Fort SmithArkansas state line
0.2530.407 Route OO to AR 279
​4.4067.091 Route 90 – Noel, Jane
​7.36311.850
US 71 Bus. north – Pineville		Northbound access only
​8.95514.412 I-49 begins – Joplin, Kansas CitySouthern end of I-49 overlap
Overlap; see I-49
JacksonKansas City187.674302.032183 I-49 ends / I-435 – Des MoinesNorthern end of I-49 overlap
188.563303.463185 Route W (Bannister Road)South end of the Bruce Watkins Drive Memorial Parkway
189.800–
190.014		305.453–
305.798		186Hickman Mills Drive / Blue River Road / 85th Street / 87th Street
191.238307.76818775th StreetInterchange; northern end of freeway
191.785308.648Gregory BoulevardAt-grade intersection
192.425–
192.780		309.678–
310.249		188Meyer Boulevard / 63rd StreetInterchange
193.252311.00959th StreetAt-grade intersection
197.749318.24655th StreetAt-grade intersection
194.842313.568190 US 56 west (Swope Parkway) / Emanuel Cleaver II BoulevardInterchange; southern end of freeway
195.896315.26419139th Street
196.773–
196.897		316.675–
316.875		192Linwood Boulevard / 31st StreetNo direct southbound exit (signed at 29th Street)
197.155–
197.414		317.290–
317.707		19329th Street / 27th Street
197.883318.462194The PaseoNo direct southbound exit (signed at 22nd Street)
198.179318.93819522nd Street
198.829319.984196Truman RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
198.882320.070197 I-670 west to I-35 south – Wichita, KansasI-70 exit 2L
198.935320.155 I-70 east / US 40 east – St. LouisSouthern end of I-70/US 40 concurrency; US 71 south follows exit 2M; no direct northbound exit (signed at Truman Road)
199.197320.57619811th Street – Downtown Kansas CityNorth end of the Bruce Watkins Drive Memorial Parkway;I-70 exit 2J
199.502321.067 I-29 begins / I-35 south / I-70 west / US 24 west / US 40 west – Wichita, TopekaNorthern end of I-70/US 40 concurrency; southern end of I-29/I-35 concurrency; US 71 north follows exit 2G; US 71 south follows exit 3
199.546321.138 To US 24 east / Route 9 north / Admiral BoulevardNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; I-70 exit 2H
199.609321.240 To US 24 / The PaseoSouthbound exit and northbound entrance; I-35 exit 4A
See I-35
ClayKansas City204.115328.491 I-35 north – Des MoinesNorthern end of I-35 concurrency; US 71 north follows exit 8B; I-29 exit 1B
See I-29
Andrew​260.870419.830 I-29 north / I-229 south – Council Bluffs, St. JosephNorthern end of I-29 concurrency; US 71 north follows exit 56A
​263.481424.032 Route T – Amazonia, Savannah
​266.195428.399
US 59 north / US 71 Bus. south – Savannah		Interchange; northern end of US 59 concurrency; northern end of freeway
​271.914437.603 Route 48 east – Rosendale
NodawayMaryville291.108468.493
US 71 Bus. north / Route V – Maryville
293.590472.487 US 136 east / Route 46 west – Maryville, StanberrySouthern end of US 136 concurrency
​295.705475.891 Route 148 north – Pickering, Hopkins
​296.902477.817
US 71 Bus. south / Route CC – Maryville
​307.845495.429 US 136 west to I-29 – Burlington JunctionNorthern end of US 136 concurrency
​316.722509.715 US 71 north – Braddyville
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 Missouri Department of Transportation (August 29, 2015). Flex Map Viewer (Map). Missouri Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 29, 2015.
  2. ↑ McGeeney, Ryan (August 7, 2014). "Bella Vista Bypass on Ice after Missouri Rejects Tax". NWA Online. Retrieved August 9, 2014.
U.S. Route 71
Previous state:
Arkansas		 Missouri Next state:
Iowa
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