K-57 (Kansas highway)

K-57
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length	31.200 mi[1] (50.212 km)
Major junctions
South end	K-4 in Dwight
North end	US-77 near Milford Lake
Location
Counties	Geary, Morris
Highway system
Kansas State Highway System Interstate U.S. State Spurs ← US-56 K-58 →

K-57 is a 31.2-mile-long (50.2 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. It is a north-south highway that connects Junction City to Milford Lake, as well as serving as a southeasterly connection to Council Grove. The highway's mileposts are signed the wrong way; generally the mileage starts at the southern or western terminus. However, the mileposts begin at the northern terminus.

Route description

K-57 in Milford State Park

K-57 begins at US-77 east of Milford Lake, where it heads southwest towards the reservoir. It enters Milford State Park and traverses the dam at the lake. The highway meets a spur of K-244, and turns southeast before meeting K-244. K-57 intersects US-77 once again, and enters Junction City as Jackson Street. It turns east at 18th Street near Junction City Municipal Airport. After traveling east 4 blocks, the highway turns onto Washington Street, where it travels south for a mile (1.6 km) before turning east onto 6th Street and exiting the city. The portion between US-77 and 6th street is also signed as Alternate US-77. K-57 approaches Grandview Plaza, where it crosses the Smoky Hill River at the western city limit. The highway passes through the southern edge of town while paralleling I-70. East of the town, it turns southeast, and passes under I-70 with a diamond interchange. K-57 travels southeast through rural Geary County, winding through the Flint Hills. The highway enters Morris County 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Dwight, and meets its southern terminus in the town at K-4.^[2]

History

K-57 first appeared on the map in 1932.^[3] The highway was once much longer, and spanned a large portion of eastern Kansas. The southern terminus was at the Missouri border southeast of Pittsburg on what is current-day K-171. Much of the old alignment is now county-owned roads, and after being moved to other, overlapping highways over the years, last appeared on the 2003-2004 map.^[4]

Major junctions

County	Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Morris	Dwight	0.000	0.000	K-4 – Herington, Council Grove, Eskridge	Southern terminus; road continues south as K-4 west
Geary	Grandview Plaza	19.623	31.580	I-70 / US-40 / K-18 east / US-40 Bus. begins – Topeka	Southern end of US-40 Bus. concurrency; no access to I-70/US-40/K-18 west; I-70 exit 300
				To I-70 / US-40 / K-18 / J Hill Road – Salina, Topeka
	Junction City	22.126	35.608	US-40 Bus. west (Washington Street south)	Northern end of US-40 Business concurrency
	​	25.785	41.497	K-244 begins / US-77 – Herington, Marysville	Eastern terminus of K-244; southern end of K-244 concurrency
	​	26.151	42.086	K-244 west	Northern end of K-244 concurrency; no southbound access to K-244 west, no northbound access from K-244 east
	​	27.552	44.341	K-244 Spur south	Northern terminus of K-244 Spur
	​	31.200	50.212	US-77 – Marysville, Junction City	Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References