U.S. Route 83 (US-83) is a part of the U.S. Highway System that runs from the Veterans International Bridge in Brownsville, Texas north to the Canadian border, north of Westhope, North Dakota, where it continues as Manitoba Highway 83. In the U.S. state of Kansas, US-83 is a main north–south highway that runs from the Oklahoma border north to the Nebraska border.

U.S. Highway 83 marker
U.S. Highway 83
Map
US-83 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by KDOT
Length227.50 mi[1] (366.13 km)
Existedc. 1931[2]–present
Major junctions
South end US 83 / US 270 at Oklahoma state line
Major intersections
North end US 83 at Nebraska state line
Location
CountryUnited States
StateKansas
CountiesSeward, Haskell, Finney, Scott, Logan, Thomas, Sheridan, Decatur
Highway system
  • Kansas State Highway System
K-82 K-84
K-22K-22 K-22

In 1926, the highway that first became known as US-83 was established as K-22. Then between 1930 and 1931, US-83 was extended into Kansas along K-22, which was decommissioned. Then between 1941 and 1944, US-83 and US-183 were swapped within Nebraska and a small portion into Kansas. US-83 was changed to turn north just northeast of Selden and the former alignment of US-83 from northeast of Selden to US-183 east of Woodruff became US-383, now K-383.

Route description

edit

US-83 enters the Sunflower State, overlapped with US-270 in Seward County, approximately four miles (6.4 km) south of Liberal. From here it continues north to Liberal where it intersects US-54 and US-270 ends. North of Liberal, US-83 begins a concurrency with US-160, and the highways remain joined until reaching Sublette, the seat of Haskell County. US-83 and US-160 split north of Sublette; US-160 heads west toward Ulysses, and US-83 continues north toward Garden City.

 
US-50 and US-400 westbound approaching northern end of US-83 overlap

At Garden City, US-50 and US-400 join US-83 for a brief concurrency on a bypass around the east and north sides of the city while US-83 Business follows the former routing through downtown. All three routes cross K-156, also known as Kansas Avenue, in the northwest portion of the city. At the north end of the US-50/US-83 Business route, US-83 splits and heads north toward Scott City, while US-50 and US-400 remain joined through the rest of the state. The highway passes through largely unpopulated areas of Finney County and Scott County before reaching a junction with K-96 in downtown Scott City.

In northern Scott County, K-4 has its origins at US-83, heading east toward Healy, and US-83 traverses through rolling farmlands until reaching Oakley, the seat of Logan County. US-83 reaches US-40 less than a mile west of I-70, and the two highways jog west for a brief multiplex before US-83 splits and crosses I-70.

North of I-70, US-83 intersects US-24 then curves northeast, east of Gem in Thomas County. US-83 continues its northeasterly track through Rexford and Selden. After passing through Selden, US-83 intersects the southern terminus of K-383 and the northern terminus of K-23. From here, US-83 turns north, crosses into Decatur County then continues north and intersects US-36 in Oberlin. Oberlin is the last area of significant population the highway passes in Kansas; the next city is McCook, Nebraska.

History

edit
K-22
Existed1926[3]c. 1931[2]

In 1926, the highway that first became known as US-83 was established as K-22.[3] Then between 1930 and 1931, US-83 was extended into Kansas along K-22, which was decommissioned.[2] Between July 1938 and 1939, US-183 was altered to follow US-36 east to K-1 in Phillipsburg, which created a short overlap between US-83 and US-183 near Norton.[4][5] Then between 1941 and 1944, US-183 and US-83 were swapped within Nebraska and a small portion into Kansas. US-83 was changed to turn north just northeast of Selden and US-183 was changed to continue north past Phillipsburg, which eliminated the overlap between the two in Norton. The former alignment of US-83 from northeast of Selden to east of Woodruff became US-383, now K-383.[6][7]

In a July 2010 study, US-83 was planned to be reconstructed from Sublette to Scott City and included a diamond interchange to be built at the K-144 intersection.[8]: 40–41  In February 2016, KDOT accepted a bid of $22.3 million (equivalent to $28.3 million in 2024) to convert the junction with K-144 to a diamond interchange as well as reconstruct a 6-mile (9.7 km) section of US-83.[9] On June 26, 2017, K-144 was closed and on June 27, 2017, US-160 was closed from K-190 east to US-83 and K-144.[10] On September 20, 2017, US-160 and K-144 reopened, with only minor work remaining to complete the entire project.[11]

Major intersections

edit
CountyLocationmi[12]kmDestinationsNotes
Seward0.0000.000 
 
 
 
US 83 south / US 270 east
Continuation into Oklahoma
Liberal3.1165.015  
 
US-54 / US-270 ends
Western terminus of US-270; northern end of US-270 overlap
12.78520.575 
 
K-51 west
Eastern terminus of K-51
21.62734.805 
 
US-160 east
Southern end of US-160 overlap
28.65046.108 
 
K-190 west
Eastern terminus of K-190
Haskell35.64457.363  US-56
41.66367.050 
 
  US-160 west / K-144 – Ulysses
Interchange; northern end of US-160 overlap; western terminus of K-144
Finney 
 
 
US 83 Bus. north
Southern terminus of US-83 Bus.
Garden City 
 
 
 
 
 
 
US-50 east / US-400 east / US 50 Bus. west
Southern end of US-50 and US-400 overlap; eastern terminus of US-50 Business
 
 
K-156 east
Western terminus of K-156; former US-156
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
US-50 west / US-400 west / US 50 Bus. east / US 83 Bus. south
Northern end of US-50 and US-400 overlap; western terminus of US-50 Bus.; northern terminus of US-83 Bus.
ScottScott City  K-96
 
 
K-4 east
Western terminus of K-4
 
 
K-95 north
Southern terminus of K-95
 
 
K-95 south
Northern terminus of K-95
LoganOakley 
 
 
 
US-40 east to I-70
Southern end of US-40 overlap
 
 
US-40 west
Northern end of US-40 overlap
Thomas  I-70 – Hays, DenverI-70 exit 70; diamond interchange
  US-24
Sheridan 
 
 
 
K-23 south / K-383 north
Northern terminus of K-23; southern terminus of K-383 (former US-383)
DecaturOberlin  US-36
 
 
US 83 north
Continuation into Nebraska
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Business route

edit
U.S. Highway 83 Business
LocationGarden City

U.S. Route 83 Business (US-83 Bus.) is a business route in Garden City. It begins at US-83 and travels north and ends at US-50, US-83, and .

References

edit
  1. ^ Federal Highway Administration, National Highway Planning Network GIS data version 2005.08
  2. ^ a b c 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.
  3. ^ a b Rand McNally and Company (1926). "Kansas" (Map). Rand McNally Auto Road Atlas of the United States, including a Brief Description of the National Parks and Monuments. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company. pp. 56–57.
  4. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (1938). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  5. ^ State Farm Insurance Companies Travel Bureau (1939). "Nebraska" (Map). Rand McNally Road map: Nebraska. 1:1,267,200. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company. pp. 58–59. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Rumsey Collection.
  6. ^ State Highway Commission of Kansas (1941). Kansas State Highway System (PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  7. ^ State Farm Insurance Companies Travel Bureau (1944). "Kansas" (Map). State Farm Road map: Kansas. 1:1,235,520. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company. Retrieved July 26, 2020 – via Rumsey Collection.
  8. ^ Kansas Department of Transportation (July 2010). "83-106 KA-1008-01; Haskell, Finney, & Scott counties US-83 Projects Identification & needs study" (PDF). Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 16, 2020.
  9. ^ Kansas Department of Transportation (February 10, 2016). "Bid approved for US-83 expansion project in Haskell County" (PDF). Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  10. ^ Kansas Department of Transportation (June 20, 2017). "Detours Ahead as KDOT works to tie U.S. 160 and K-144 into new Overpass Exchange in Haskell County" (PDF). Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  11. ^ Kansas Department of Transportation (September 20, 2017). "U.S. 160/K-144 reopen in Haskell County" (PDF). Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  12. ^ Staff (2016). "Pavement Management Information System". Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 21, 2017.
edit
KML is not from Wikidata
  U.S. Route 83
Previous state:
Oklahoma
Kansas Next state:
Nebraska