K-51 (Kansas highway)

K-51 is a 79.095-mile-long (127.291 km) west-east state highway in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Kansas. K-51 begins at the Colorado state line as a continuation of County Road M and travels eastward and ends at U.S. Route 83 (US-83) near Liberal. Along the way, it overlaps US-56 from Rolla to Hugoton. It travels through portions of Morton, Stevens, and Seward counties.

K-51
K-51 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length79.095 mi[1] (127.291 km)
Existed1927[2]–present
Major junctions
West endCounty Road M at Colorado State Line between Baca County, CO and Morton County
  US-56 from Rolla to Hugoton
East end US-83 near Liberal
Location
CountiesMorton, Stevens, Seward
Highway system
  • Kansas State Highway System
← US-50K-52 →

K-51 was first designated as a state highway in 1927, and at that time ran from K-12 north of Rolla to K-27 in Richfield. Then by 1937, K-51 was realigned to its modern day routing, as K-51 replaced the former K-12 from K-27 in Richfield to US-83 by Liberal and was extended further west to the Colorado border. K-51 origninally overlapped US-270, then in a May 18, 1981 resolution, the US-270 designation was removed.

Route description

K-51 begins at the Colorado state line, acting as a continuation of County Road M. The highway travels due east through fields. K-51 then turns north onto K-27, forming a 10 mile (16 km) long concurrency. K-27 leaves at Richfield. K-51 runs eastward for a few miles before heading south towards Rolla. In Rolla, US-56 is met, and K-51 turns east onto US-56, crossing into Stevens County. Both routes then pick up northbound K-25, with all three routes heading into Hugoton. In the city itself, US-56 and K-25 turn north, leaving K-51 to head east on its own. The route goes eastward, entering Seward County. K-51 comes to an end north of Liberal at US-83.

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2018, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 110 vehicles near the western terminus to 2320 vehicles just west of the city of Hugoton.[3][4] K-51 is not included in the National Highway System,[5] a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.[6] K-51 does connect to the National Highway System at its junction with US-83.[5]

History

Early roads

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 western terminus of K-51 (US-83) was part of the Atlantic and Pacific Highway.[7]

Establishment and realignments

K-51 was first designated as a state highway in 1927. At that time it ran from K-12 north of Rolla to K-27 in Richfield.[2][8] Then by 1931, K-51 was replaced with an extension of K-12.[9] Then between 1936 and February 1937, K-51 replaced the former K-12, from K-27 in Richfield to US-83 by Liberal.[10][11] Also in a July 1, 1937 resolution, K-51 was extended further west to the Colorado border where it continued at Colorado Route 21.[12] Between February 1937 and January 1938, US-270 was extended into Kansas, and overlapped K-51 from the eastern end of the overlap with K-25 to US-83.[11][13] In a January 4, 1939 resolution, K-51 was to be realigned where it crosses the Cimarron River to eliminate two sharp curves.[14] Until 1981, the portion of K-51 between Hugoton and US-83 was shared with a previous alignment of US-270. Then in a May 18, 1981 resolution, the US-270 designation was removed.[15][16]

Major intersections
CountyLocationmi[1]kmDestinationsNotes
Morton​0.0000.000County Road M westContinuation into Colorado
​7.87112.667 K-27 south – ElkhartWestern end of K-27 concurrency
Richfield22.26535.832 K-27 north (Main Street) – Johnson CityEastern end of K-27 concurrency
Rolla39.74663.965 US-56 west (1st Avenue) – ElkhartWestern end of US-56 concurrency
Stevens​47.99477.239 K-25 south – Guymon OKWestern end of K-25 concurrency
Hugoton56.21190.463 US-56 east / K-25 north (Main Street) – Satanta, UlyssesEastern end of US-56/K-25 concurrency
Seward​79.095127.291 US-83 (Road I) – Sublette, LiberalEastern terminus; road continues as Road 13 (unpaved)
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References
  1. Staff (2016). "Pavement Management Information System". Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 22, 2017.
  2. Rand McNally and Company (1927). "Kansas" (Map). Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas of the United States and Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritime Provinces of Canada, with a Brief Description of the National Parks and Monuments. 1:1,600,000. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company. pp. 54–55. OCLC 2078375 – via Rumsey Collection.
  3. 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 April 17, 2020.
  4. Bureau of Transportation Planning (2018). Traffic Flow Inset Map Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). [c. 1:1,584,000]. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  5. Federal Highway Administration (May 8, 2019). National Highway System: Kansas (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Washington, DC: Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  6. Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike; Adderly, Kevin (September 26, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  7. 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 June 15, 2020 – via Rumsey Collection.
  8. National Map Company (1927). "Kansas" (Map). Sectional paved road map. 1:1,600,000. Indianapolis: National Map Company. pp. 18–19. OCLC 4048012 – via Rumsey Collection.
  9. Rand McNally and Company (1931). "Kansas" (Map). Clason's Road Map of Kansas. 1:2,000,000. Denver: Clason Map Company. p. 87 – via Rumsey Collection.
  10. State Highway Commission of Kansas (1936). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  11. State Highway Commission of Kansas (1937). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  12. State Highway Commission of Kansas (July 1, 1937). "Resolution for designation of K-51". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  13. State Highway Commission of Kansas (1938). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  14. State Highway Commission of Kansas (January 4, 1939). "Resolution for relocation and redesignation of road in Morton County". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  15. State Highway Commission of Kansas (January 4, 1939). "Resolution to withdraw a US Numbered Route from the State Highway System in several counties in Kansas". Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
  16. http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1981-82Mapside.pdf
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