K-111 (Kansas highway)


K-111 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. K-111's southern terminus is at F Street at the Kanopolis City limits, and the northern terminus is at K-156 northeast of the City of Ellsworth. Along the way it intersects K-140 north of Kanopolis.
When K-111 was first designated in 1948 it was a short spur between Kanopolis and U.S. Route 40, which is modern K-140. Then by late 1967 it had been extended to its current northern terminus.

Route description

K-111 begins at the Kanopolis city limits as a continuation of F Street. From here it heads northward a little over before reaching an intersection with K-140. After passing K-140 it continues northward for roughly before crossing East Spring Creek, a tributary of Spring Creek which flows into Smoky Hill River. After crossing East Spring Creek it continues north for roughly and crosses East Spring Creek again. It then continues another roughly before reaching its northern terminus at K-156.
The Kansas Department of Transportation tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2017, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 225 vehicles slightly north of the junction with K-140 to 465 vehicles slightly south of the junction with K-140. The entire route is paved with partial design bituminous pavement. K-111 is not included in the National Highway System. The National Highway System is a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility. K-111 does connect to the National Highway System at its northern terminus at K-156.

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. K-111 intersects K-140, which follows the Golden Belt Highway.

Establishment and realignments

K-111 was first designated a state highway by KDOT, at the time State Highway Commission of Kansas, on September 28, 1948. At that time it ran from US-40 southward and ended at the Kannapolis city limits. 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-111 was extended northward to US-156, now K-156. Then 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. In an October 13, 1979 AASHTO meeting, it was approved to remove US-156 as a U.S. highway. Then in an April 4, 1981 resolution, US-156 was redesignated as K-156 by KDOT.

Major intersections