US 56 in Kansas City, Missouri

[bugo]

Why does US 56 follow 47th right through the heart of the Plaza instead of staying on Ward Parkway and bypassing the crowded district? Why would you want a US highway running through an area that is so congested?

What was US 56's original route through Kansas City, Missouri?

[Scott5114]

Why are all the US 56 signs in Kansas City, MO shit?

I imagine the routing through the Plaza is intentional, so the highway can 'serve' the Plaza. It's kind of a moot point because I doubt anyone actually attempts to follow US 56 east of Gardner, KS, other than roadgeeks.

[NE2]

When US 56 was created, it overlapped US 50 on 47th-Cleaver to Paseo (later to Prospect); US 50 had done something similar since about 1930. US 50 was eventually moved to I-435, but US 56 remained. It was presumably moved to Brookside-Volker when Brush Creek was reconfigured in the late 1990s and the direct connection from Cleaver to Swope was removed. It didn't move to Ward all the way because poo.

Why are all the US 56 signs in Kansas City, MO shit?

I suspect it's city-maintained.

[US71]

When US 56 was created, it overlapped US 50 on 47th-Cleaver to Paseo (later to Prospect); US 50 had done something similar since about 1930. US 50 was eventually moved to I-435, but US 56 remained. It was presumably moved to Brookside-Volker when Brush Creek was reconfigured in the late 1990s and the direct connection from Cleaver to Swope was removed. It didn't move to Ward all the way because poo.

Why are all the US 56 signs in Kansas City, MO shit?

I suspect it's city-maintained.

As of last year, there was one sign in 71 for 56 that was partially button copy

[Ned Weasel]

Why are all the US 56 signs in Kansas City, MO shit?

I suspect it's city-maintained.

As of last year, there was one sign in 71 for 56 that was partially button copy

I think the worst offense is that there's no directional sign showing that WB US 56 splits to the right from SB Ward Parkway.  Sure, there's a directionless reassurance shield, but what does that really tell you?

https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=39.033736,-94.604252&spn=0.00042,0.00066&t=k&z=21&layer=c&cbll=39.033736,-94.604252&panoid=dDecHo0FgV_yQE2Q57hJmg&cbp=12,267.97,,0,4.39

I imagine the routing through the Plaza is intentional, so the highway can 'serve' the Plaza. It's kind of a moot point because I doubt anyone actually attempts to follow US 56 east of Gardner, KS, other than roadgeeks.

I actually think it's useful to have a diagonal state highway that's somewhat higher-powered than a typical surface arterial (at least until the speed limit drops to 35 just east of Roe/Johnson Drive) running from central Johnson County to the Plaza District, even though it's technically not even an expressway once it leaves I-35, and some of the intersections could probably be reconfigured to reduce signal phases.