Cities/Towns in the Central States with “Connectors”

[GMoney0805]

Just had this concept running through my head for a while and thought I could start a list of them.

MN 219: MN 1 to Goodridge from the south, MN 89 to Goodridge from the north
MN 222: MN 92 to Oklee
MN 223: MN 92 to Leonard
MN 226: MN 34 to Dorset
MN 237: I-94/US 52 to New Munich
MN 241: I-94/US 52 to St. Michael
MN 250: MN 30 to Lanesboro
MN 253: I-90 to Bricelyn
MN 254: I-90 to Frost
MN 257: MN 15 to Hanska
MN 263: I-90 to Ceylon
MN 264: I-90 to Round Lake
MN 267: MN 30 to Iona
MN 270: US 75 to Hills
MN 271: MN 19 to Hendricks
MN 274: MN 23 to Wood Lake
SD 101: SD 22 to Gary
SD 224: SD 37 to Alpena
SD 239: SD 10/SD 45 to Long Lake

Former Connectors:
MN 127: I-94/US 52 to Osakis
MN 224: US 59 to White Earth
MN 225: MN 34 to Ponsford
MN 228: US 10 to Vergas
MN 232: MN 65 to Palisade
MN 262: I-90 to Granada
MN 268: US 75 to Edgerton
MN 273: MN 19 to Belview
MN 275: US 212 to Boyd


Long list but appreciate feedback thanks!


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[MNHighwayMan]

MN-248 goes from US-61 to Altura, although it also passes through Rollingstone. (Two-for-one? Or does that disqualify it?)

IA-98 goes from IA-16 to Leando, although it also passes through Douds.

Also, you can add almost every single Spur route in Nebraska.

More former ones:

MN-66 (US-169 to Good Thunder)
MN-227 (US-71 to Nimrod)
MN-235 (MN-29 to Urbank)
MN-258 (US-14 to Comfrey)
MN-261 (US-212 to Winsted)
MN-262 (I-90 to Granada)
MN-266 (I-90 to Wilmont)
MN-268 (US-75 to Edgerton)
MN-273 (MN-19 to Belview)

Iowa also has a ton of former connectors, too many to list. See the route listings at Jason Hancock's Iowa Highways Page for details on those.

[GMoney0805]

Two city connectors don't disqualify at all! I'm liking this! Thanks man


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[GMoney0805]

Also there are/were a lot of the high 200 to mid 300 roadways that serve University Experiment Stations and/or Hospitals, such as:

MN 289: MN 73 to Minnesota Correctional Facility- Moose Lake

MN 290: MN 200/MN 371 to Ah-Gwah-Ching Center

MN 291: US 61 to Minnesota Veterans Home-Hastings

MN 292: US 61/US 63 to Minnesota Correctional Facility-Red Wing

MN 294: US 71/MN 23 to Willmar State Hospital

MN 295: US 169 to Minnesota Security Hospital

MN 298: MN 60/MN 299 to Minnesota Correctional Facility-Faribault and Minnesota State Academy for the Blind

MN 299: MN 60/MN 298 to Minnesota State Academy for the Blind

MN 301: US 10 to Minnesota Correctional Facility-St. Cloud

MN 329: US 59 to West Central Experiment Station

MN 330: US 14 to University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center

MN 333: MN 99 to Minnesota Security Hospital




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[paulthemapguy]

Iowa used to have a ton of these, mostly numbered between 155 and 428.  Most of them connected a main route to a town.  Iowa 316, a short spur connecting Iowa 5 to the town of Runnells, is one of the very few surviving examples.

Kansas has a bunch of these too, mostly with 3-digit numbers.  There must be more than 40 of them. KS-219 is one example.

[GMoney0805]

Iowa used to have a ton of these, mostly numbered between 155 and 428.  Most of them connected a main route to a town.  Iowa 316, a short spur connecting Iowa 5 to the town of Runnells, is one of the very few surviving examples.

Kansas has a bunch of these too, mostly with 3-digit numbers.  There must be more than 40 of them. KS-219 is one example.

I'm going to check that out


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[kphoger]

Kansas has a bunch of these too, mostly with 3-digit numbers. 

Are there any in Kansas that aren't three digits?

[GMoney0805]

Not sure.


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[kphoger]

Kansas has a bunch of these too, mostly with 3-digit numbers. 

Are there any in Kansas that aren't three digits?

Not sure.

Hmm, lessee......

K-88 is a connector from K-9 to Vermillion @ 0.3 miles.
K-85 is a connector from US-24 to Morland @ 0.8 miles.
K-84 is a connector from US-24 to Penokee @ 0.9 miles.
K-67 is a connector from US-36 to Norton prison @ 1.0 miles.
K-78 is a connector from US-56 to Miller @ 1.1 miles.
K-89 is a connector from US-50 to Halstead @ 1.5 miles.
K-30 is a connector from I-70 to Maple Hill @ 2.0 miles.
K-22 is a connector from US-36 to Haddam @ 3.1 miles.
.
.
.


I had no idea there were so many two-digit connectors in Kansas!

[froggie]

Also there are/were a lot of the high 200 to mid low 300 roadways that serve University Experiment Stations and/or Hospitals, state facilities.

FTFY.

Since this thread appears to be Minnesota-centric, here's a few more general details about the Minnesota "connectors":

- With few exceptions, every town connector was authorized by the Legislature in 1949 and all used state route numbers in the 217-287 range.  The exceptions to this are MN 220 (which is arguably a full trunk highway serving several towns) and MN 252 (which was former US 169 and not designated until ca. 1981).  Though MN 280 is a modern-day almost-freeway, it too was designated as a connector under the 1949 legislation.

- A handful of connectors were authorized later, starting in 1958, with numbers within the 308-361 range.  Two of these routes (the former MN 324 and still-existing MN 361) were created under a 1960s-era law specifically aimed at providing connections between select towns and the Interstate system.  The most recent of these additions is MN 336, which was added in 1991.

- Connector routes to state facilities, with a few later exceptions, have/had route numbers in the 288-303 range.  All routes in this range were authorized in 1951.  A handful of state facility connector routes were added in later years:  309, 323, 326, 329, 330, and 333.  As of 2017, the remaining facility routes on the state highway system are 289, 292, 298, 299, 301, 329, and 330.  All are turnback candidates.

[MNHighwayMan]

still-existing MN 361

Not really. All the signs (minus the one mistake sign that got resurrected on I-35) for 361 are gone, and in the last log that MnDOT put out, the only remaining bits of MN-361 were the bridges. The rest of the road has been turned back to Chisago/Pine Counties–whether or not MnDOT still maintains the bridges, I don't know.

[froggie]

^ I'm aware 361 is in the process of being turned back, but it hasn't been completed yet.

[MNHighwayMan]

^ I'm aware 361 is in the process of being turned back, but it hasn't been completed yet.

For whatever it's worth, the route was entirely signed with county markers when I was last there in 2017.

[GMoney0805]

Haha didn't intend to center it on Minnesota. It's just mainly what I'm familiar with haha


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[Scott5114]

In Oklahoma, these types of connectors tend to be, but are not always, lettered spurs. An example being SH-74B, which connects SH-74 to SH-76, passing through Cole.

However, there are inexplicably some routes that look just like these, which get full numbers instead. Instances include SH-130, which connects SH-76 to US-62/277, or SH-42, which connects SH-152 to Dill City, and so on.

[rte66man]

In Oklahoma, these types of connectors tend to be, but are not always, lettered spurs. An example being SH-74B, which connects SH-74 to SH-76, passing through Cole.

However, there are inexplicably some routes that look just like these, which get full numbers instead. Instances include SH-130, which connects SH-76 to US-62/277, or SH-42, which connects SH-152 to Dill City, and so on.

OK152 used to be OK41.  Sorta fits with that.

[GMoney0805]

still-existing MN 361

Not really. All the signs (minus the one mistake sign that got resurrected on I-35) for 361 are gone, and in the last log that MnDOT put out, the only remaining bits of MN-361 were the bridges. The rest of the road has been turned back to Chisago/Pine Counties–whether or not MnDOT still maintains the bridges, I don't know.

That is interesting that only bridges could be parts of a state highway.


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[MNHighwayMan]

That is interesting that only bridges could be parts of a state highway.

That happens, sometimes, when jurisdiction transfers are dependent on some sort of work to happen first, on the state's dime. In this case, it was likely major bridge repairs or replacement. Not sure on the specifics in this case.

[GMoney0805]

Makes sense to me


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[route56]

Hmm, lessee......

K-88 is a connector from K-9 to Vermillion @ 0.3 miles.
K-85 is a connector from US-24 to Morland @ 0.8 miles.
K-84 is a connector from US-24 to Penokee @ 0.9 miles.
K-67 is a connector from US-36 to Norton prison @ 1.0 miles.
K-78 is a connector from US-56 to Miller @ 1.1 miles.
K-89 is a connector from US-50 to Halstead @ 1.5 miles.
K-30 is a connector from I-70 to Maple Hill @ 2.0 miles.
K-22 is a connector from US-36 to Haddam @ 3.1 miles.

I had no idea there were so many two-digit connectors in Kansas!

From what I can tell, the 6X, 7X, and 8X series "connectors" date back to the beginning of Kansas Numbered highways.

K-60: Connects US 36 with US/K-383 on the east side of Alemeda in Norton County, 4.3 miles
K-64: Connected US 281 with US 54 on the southeast side of Pratt, served the headquarters for the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks, and Tourism and its predecessor agencies, 3.6 miles. (Withdrawn in 2015)
K-71: Connects K-63 to Bern, 4.6 Miles
K-72: Connect US 24-40 to Baeshor (presumed withdrawn in 1978)
K-74: Connected US 73/K-7 to Potter, 3.4 miles (withdrawn in 2013)
K-76: Connected US 24-59 to Williamstown, 0.3 miles (withdrawn in 2014)
K-79: Connects K-16 to Circleville, 3.6 miles
K-80: Connects K-15 to Morganville, 3.8 miles
K-86: Connected US 50N/US 56 to Canton, 0.3 miles (withdrawn in 2009)
K-87: Connects US 36 with the village of Viets, 8.6 miles

K-82 was originally a connector as well, connecting K-15 to Wakefield.

[GMoney0805]

There's also a lot of routes that are connectors between two highways or even connect a highway to another state, such as (in no particular order):
MN 117: MN 27 to South Dakota/Roberts CR 19
MN 317: MN 220 to North Dakota/ND 17
ND 54: I-29 to Minnesota/MN 1
ND 59: I-29 to Minnesota/MN 171
MN 171: US 75 to North Dakota/ND 59
SD 158: SD 15/SD 20 to Minnesota/Lac qui Parle CSAH 44
SD 123: SD 15 to US 12
ND 97: US 52 to ND 41
ND 91: US 52 to ND 3
SD 324: I-29 to SD 13
MN 269: MN 23 to South Dakota/SD 11
MN 308: MN 11 to MN 89
MN 219: MN 1 to MN 89
MN 277: MN 40 to MN 7
MN 102: MN 32 to MN 9
MN 310: MN 11/MN 89 to Canada
ND 4: US 281/ND 5 to Canada



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[m2tbone]

So, does the I-70 Connector (at US Hwy 63) in Columbia, MO, count as one of these?  It's not very long, but it's the only way to connect between those two major freeways at the moment.


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[kphoger]

No, what we're talking about are short state highways that run from a major highway to a small town and then end there.

[J N Winkler]

K-86: Connected US 50N/US 56 to Canton, 0.3 miles (withdrawn in 2009)

I have wondered if this was at one point part of a much longer state highway.  It overlaps Ridge Road (as it is called in the Wichita area), which is one of the longest paved roads in Kansas that is entirely under local agency jurisdiction (from 90th Avenue North in Sumner County, on approximately the same latitude as K-55, north to an intersection with K-4 at Gypsum, in southeast Saline County) if the break occasioned by Eisenhower Airport in Wichita is ignored.

As for the three-digit connectors, numerous ones (generally K-2XX) were created in the Wichita area soon after I-235 was built.  They are now long gone.