K-10 (Kansas highway)

K-10 is a 38 mile (61 km) state highway in the U.S. state of Kansas. It was originally designated in 1929. It is mostly a controlled-access freeway, linking Lawrence to Lenexa. It provides an important toll-free alternate route to Interstate 70 (the Kansas Turnpike). Several scenes for the controversial TV-movie The Day After were filmed on the highway in 1982 portraying a mass exodus evacuating the Kansas City area on I-70.

Route description

The highway's western end begins as a two lane highway at I-70 exit 197 just west of Lawrence. It partially bypasses the city to the south to U.S. Route 59, providing access to Clinton Lake. K-10 turns north on US-59 for about 1½ miles (overlapping it) before turning east on 23rd Street. After exiting Lawrence east-bound, it becomes a freeway, passing through the city of Eudora, and then the cities of De Soto and Olathe, suburbs of Kansas City. It then terminates at an interchange with Interstate 435 in Lenexa.

History

K-10 originally extended west of Lawrence to Herington, via Alta Vista, Alma, and Topeka. In 1956 the portion between Topeka and K-99 near Alma was designated as US-40 in preparation for upgrading this stretch to...
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