K-141 (Kansas highway)

K-141 is a 13.470-mile-long (21.678 km) north–south state highway in Ellsworth County in central Kansas. The highway connects K-4 west of Marquette and K-140 northeast of Carneiro with Kanopolis Lake. K-141 is a part of the Prairie Trail Scenic Byway, a scenic byway designated to highlight the history, culture, and nature of the area. The highway is a two-lane road its entire length.

K-141
K-141 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length13.470 mi[1] (21.678 km)
ExistedAugust 16, 1955[2]–present
Tourist
routes		Prairie Trail Scenic Byway
Major junctions
South end K-4 about 7 miles (11 km) west of Marquette
North end K-140 about 3.4 miles (5.5 km) east of Carneiro
Location
CountiesEllsworth
Highway system
  • Kansas State Highway System
← K-140→ K-143

Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were Auto trails, the northern terminus follows the former Golden Belt. On August 16, 1955, K-141 was designated as a state highway. Between 1961 and 1962, the alignment was straightened and realigned to cross the Kanopolis Lake Dam. On October 13, 1967, U.S. Route 40 (US-40) was rerouted onto Interstate 70 (I-70) from Dorrance to Salina. At that time K-141 was extended from its northern terminus eastward along old US-40 to Salina. This extension was brief because on November 27, 1968, old US-40 from Ellsworth eastward to Salina was designated K-140 and K-141 was truncated to end at the new K-140, its original northern terminus.

Route description

K-141 is a north–south route with a total length of 13.470 miles (21.678 km). The entire route travels primarily through rural grassland.[3]

K-141 begins at a southern terminus with K-4 west of the town Marquette. From there, the highway heads north for about 2.25 miles (3.62 km) through rural farmlands before turning north-northwest. After the turn, K-141 intersects Langley Point Road, which connects the highway to South Shore State Park, then travels along the top of Kanopolis Dam. Immediately after crossing the dam, the highway turns northwest, then gently curves back to a northerly direction as it passes the unincorporated community of Venango. K-141 continues traveling in a northward direction through small rolling hills covered with a mix of grasslands and farmlands until it is one mile (1.6 km) south of K-140, at which time it turns northeast, crosses Spring Creek and a Union Pacific Railroad tracks, then turns back north and reaches its northern terminus at K-140 northeast of the unincorporated community of Carneiro.[3]

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2017, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 455 vehicles per day near the intersection of Avenue M to 520 vehicles per day slightly north of the southern terminus.[4] K-141 is not included in the National Highway System.[5] The National Highway System is a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.[6] From the southern terminus northward five miles (8.0 km) it is paved with full design bituminous pavement, the next five miles (8.0 km) is paved with partial design bituminous pavement and the final 3.470 miles (5.584 km) is paved with full design bituminous pavement.[7][8]

History

Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were Auto trails, which were an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. The northern terminus follows the former Golden Belt. Slightly south of the southern terminus was the route of the former Bee Line.[9]

On October 6, 1954, the Kansas State Highway Commission, now known as Kansas Department of Transportation, passed a resolution to make Kanopolis Lake Road a state highway as soon as Ellsworth County had brought it up to state highway standards. Then in an August 16, 1955 resolution, it was designated K-141 as the county had finished required projects.[2] Originally K-141 turned east onto Avenue T, southeast of the Kanopolis Lake Dam. After about .5 miles (0.80 km) it turned north at and began to follow 29th Road. It then turned east onto Avenue R then north onto 30th Road .5 miles (0.80 km) later. It then curved west onto Avenue M then met its current alignment about two miles (3.2 km) later. Then between 1961 and 1962, the alignment was straightened and realigned to cross the Kanopolis Lake Dam.[10][11] In an April 25, 1962 resolution, the northernmost 1.4 miles (2.3 km) of K-141 was realigned to eliminate an inadequate alignment.[12] On October 13, 1967, US-40 was rerouted to overlap the newly constructed section of I-70 from Dorrance to Salina. At that time K-141 was extended from its northern terminus eastward along old US-40 to Salina.[13] This extension was brief because on November 27, 1968, old US-40 from Ellsworth eastward to Salina was designated K-140 and K-141 was truncated to end at the new K-140, its original northern terminus.[14]

Major intersections

The entire route is in Ellsworth County.

Locationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Langley Township0.0000.000 K-4 – Lindsborg, HoisingtonSouthern terminus
Carneiro Township13.47021.678 K-140 – EllsworthNorthern terminus; former US-40
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Kansas Department of Transportation. "2013 Condition Survey Report". Retrieved March 11, 2014.
  2. State Highway Commission of Kansas (August 16, 1955). "Certification of Completion of County Road in Ellsworth County and officially placing same on State Highway System". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  3. Google (August 16, 2020). "Overview map of K-141" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  4. Bureau of Transportation Planning (2018). Traffic Flow Map Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). [c. 1:1,584,000]. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  5. Federal Highway Administration (May 8, 2019). National Highway System: Kansas (PDF) (Map). [c. 1:3,900,000]. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  6. Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike; Adderly, Kevin (September 26, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved July 29, 2019.
  7. Staff (July 19, 2012). "Pavement Management Information System Query". Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
  8. Staff (May 9, 2012). "Pavement Management Information System Glossary". Kansas Department of Transportation. Missing or empty |url= (help)
  9. Rand McNally and Company (1924). "Kansas" (Map). AutoTrails Map, Southern Nebraska, Eastern Colorado, Kansas, Northeastern New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma. 1:1,600,000. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company. OCLC 2078375. Retrieved August 16, 2020 – via Rumsey Collection.
  10. State Highway Commission of Kansas (1961). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  11. State Highway Commission of Kansas (1962). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  12. State Highway Commission of Kansas (April 25, 1962). "Resolution for relocation and redesignation of road in Ellsworth County". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved August 15, 2020.
  13. State Highway Commission of Kansas (October 13, 1967). "Resolution for Relocation and Redesignation of Road in Russell, Ellsworth and Saline Counties". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved August 22, 2019.
  14. State Highway Commission of Kansas (November 27, 1968). "Resolution for Location and Redesignation of Road in Ellsworth and Saline Counties". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved August 22, 2019.

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