U.S. Route 56
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U.S. Route 56 (US 56) is an east–west United States highway that runs for approximately Template:Convert in the Midwestern United States. US 56's western terminus is at Interstate 25 Business (I-25 Bus.), US 412 and New Mexico State Road 21 (NM 21) in Springer, New Mexico and the highway's eastern terminus is at US 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. Much of it follows the Santa Fe Trail.
Route descriptionEdit
The highway passes through New Mexico, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. The eastbound shoulder also touches a corner of Texas at a small road junction near the New Mexico/Oklahoma border.
New MexicoEdit
US 56 runs concurrent with US 412 for its entire length in New Mexico, and are signed as such through the state. The two routes begin in Springer and head east towards Abbot, where they serve as the northern terminus of State Road 39. Continuing east, US 56/412 meet the southern terminus of NM 193 south of Farley, the northern terminus of NM 120 east of Gladstone, and the southern terminus of NM 453. US 56/412 intersect US 64 and US 87 in Clayton, New Mexico, and US 64 joins with US 56/412 in their trek northeast. The three routes serve as the southern terminus of NM 406 as they enter the Kiowa National Grassland. The three routes then cross into Oklahoma together.
OklahomaEdit
US-56's short path through Oklahoma consists of a diagonal slice across the western part of the Oklahoma Panhandle. US-56/64/412 enter Oklahoma near the southwest corner of the Panhandle, where they also enter Rita Blanca National Grassland. They leave the grassland near Felt. Three miles<ref name="odot-2007-map">Template:Cite map</ref> (4.8 km) southwest of Boise City, US-385 joins the concurrency. The routes then enter Boise City, where they enter a traffic circle around the Cimarron County Courthouse that involves US-56, US-64, US-385, US-412, State Highway 3, and SH-325. After leaving the traffic circle, US-56 overlaps US-64, US-412, and SH-3. Template:Convert east of the courthouse, US-56 meets US-287 at an interchange. US-56/64/412/SH-3 continue northeast for Template:Convert,<ref name="odot-2007-map"/> where US-56 splits to travel northeast on its own.
The route parallels the Cimarron Valley Railroad for the remainder of its time in Oklahoma. Keyes is the next town on US-56, and it also serves as the northern terminus of SH-171 where the two highways intersect. US-56 crosses into Texas County east of Sturgis. Just before crossing the Kansas line, US-56 meets the north end of SH-95. US-56 then enters Kansas on the east edge of Elkhart.
KansasEdit
US-56 enters the state at the Kansas/Oklahoma border near Elkhart. It weaves its way across the state from southwest to northeast, passing through such towns as Dodge City, Great Bend, McPherson, Council Grove, and Baldwin City. It joins with I-35/US-50 east of Gardner, and goes northeast with I-35 into the Kansas City Metro Area. It exits the state as part of Shawnee Mission Parkway in Merriam.
MissouriEdit
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For one mile (1.6 km) in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, Route 56 follows the noted boulevard Ward Parkway along with 47th St through the Country Club Plaza. The route ends at an intersection with U.S. Route 71. It also includes Blue Parkway and Swope Parkway at certain points.
HistoryEdit
In the early 1950s, towns along what was then the K-45 corridor, connecting Ellsworth, Kansas to the Oklahoma state line at Elkhart, formed the Mid-Continent Diagonal Highway Association<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> to push for a new highway from Springer, New Mexico (on US 85) northeast across the Oklahoma Panhandle, along K-45, and continuing to Manitowoc, Wisconsin on Lake Michigan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> By mid-1954, it was being promoted as U.S. Route 55 between the Great Lakes and the Southwestern United States.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first submissions to the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) to establish the route were made in 1954; all placed the northeast end at Manitowoc, Wisconsin (absorbing US 151 from Cedar Rapids, IowaTemplate:Citation needed), while they varied on whether the southwest end was to be at Albuquerque, New Mexico or Nogales, Arizona.<ref name="ODOT discussion">Oklahoma Department of Transportation, Chronological History Documentation: US 56 Template:Webarchive (correspondence between ODOT, AASHO, and other DOTs)</ref> The first route considered in northeast Kansas was via US 40 from Ellsworth to Topeka and K-4 and US 59 via Atchison to St. Joseph, Missouri.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A revised route adopted in March 1955, due to AASHO objections to the original route, which traveled concurrently with other U.S. Highways for over half of its length, followed K-14, K-18, US 24, K-63, K-16, and US 59 via Lincoln and Manhattan.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In July, the US 50-N Association proposed a plan that would have eliminated US 50N by routing US 55 along most of its length, from Larned east to Baldwin Junction, and then along US 59 to Lawrence and K-10 to Kansas City; towns on US 50N west of Larned, which would have been bypassed, led a successful fight against this.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
However, in September of that year, the Kansas Highway Commission accepted that plan, taking US 55 east to Kansas City.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On June 27, 1956, the AASHO Route Numbering Committee considered this refined plan for US 55, between Springer, New Mexico and Kansas City, Missouri, with a short US 155 along the remaining portion of US 50N from Larned west to Garden City. The committee approved the request, but since the proposed route was more east–west than north–south, it changed it to an even number – US 56 – and the spur to US 156.<ref name="ODOT discussion"/>
On June 26, 1958, AASHO denied the New Mexico Department of Transportation's request to extend US 56 west from Springer to Santa Fe, which would have followed US 85, US 84 and US 285.<ref name="1958 AASHTO">Template:AASHTO minutes</ref>
US 56 originally took a different route between Boise City, Oklahoma and Elkhart, Kansas. The original route followed US 64 east to an intersection south of Eva. It then split off to the north towards Elkhart.<ref name="odot-1957-map">Template:Cite map</ref> By 1961, the section north of US 64 had been overlaid with SH-95.<ref name="odot-1961-map">Template:Cite map</ref> The following year, US 56 was rerouted over SH-114, bringing it to its current diagonal path across the Oklahoma Panhandle.<ref name="odot-1962-map">Template:Cite map</ref> The old alignment is still on the Oklahoma highway system as the north half of SH-95.
Major intersectionsEdit
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Related routesEdit
Herington business loopEdit
Template:Infobox road small U.S. Route 56 Business (US-56 Bus.) is a short business loop through Herington, Kansas. US-56 begins at US-56 and US-77 south of Herington. At this intersection, there is no access to eastbound US-56 or northbound US-77 from US-56 Bus. and no access to US-56 Bus. from westbound US-56 or southbound US-77. US-56 Bus. heads north through flat lands with scattered trees for Template:Convert then enters Herington. The highway continues for roughly Template:Convert then curves east and becomes Trapp Street. US-56 Bus. then crosses Lime Creek as it continues through the city. After roughly Template:Convert the highway exits the city and reaches its eastern terminus at US-56 and US-77.
US-56 Bus. and US-77 Bus. was approved through Herington in a meeting on October 13, 1979. US-77 Bus. was approved to be decommissioned in a meeting on June 9, 1991, leaving just US-56 Bus..<ref name="1991 AASHTO">Template:AASHTO minutes</ref>
- Major intersections
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Temporary routeEdit
Template:Infobox road small U.S. Route 56 Temporary (US-56 Temp.) was a Template:Convert temporary route of US 56 in Oklahoma. It began on modern US-56 northeast of Boise City, Oklahoma and followed US 64 and SH 3 east to SH 95. It then traveled north along SH 95 to Elkhart, Kansas. The route was approved on July 11, 1956, along existing highways, when the current routing of US-56 was being constructed.<ref name="ODOT discussion"/> By 1962, US 56 was rerouted over SH 114, bringing it to its current diagonal path across the Oklahoma Panhandle.<ref name="odot-1961-map"/><ref name="odot-1962-map"/>
- Major intersections
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See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
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External linksEdit
- Endpoints of U.S. Highway 56
- Kansas Highway Maps: Current, Historic, KDOT
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