Originating in Bonner Springs west of Kansas City, U.S. 73 travels 91.12 miles through northeastern Kansas to Falls City, Nebraska. The south end changed three times from 1983 to 2008.
U.S. 73 Kansas Guides
U.S. 73 initially overlaps with U.S. 24/40 and K-7 for 1.59 miles between the Kansas Turnpike (I-70) and State Avenue along the Bonner Springs / Kansas City line. U.S. 24/40 turn west along State Avenue to Basehor while U.S. 73 remains paired with K-7 north 38.47 miles to Lansing, Leavenworth and Atchison.
U.S. 73 branches west from K-7 on a 1.41 mile long overlap with U.S. 59 in Atchison before continuing to Shannon and Lancaster. Curving northwest, U.S. 73 enters Brown County between Huron and Everest. K-20 accompanies the highway west into Horton.
Resuming a northern heading, U.S. 73 combines with U.S. 159 for 24.99 miles from K-20 in Horton to Hiawatha, Reserve and the Nebraska state line.
The previous south end of U.S. 73 was located at the Missouri state line along I-70/U.S. 24-40 on the Lewis and Clark Viaduct in Kansas City. With concurrence by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) on October 1, 1983, U.S. 73 was truncated west to the interchange joining U.S. 24/40 on State Avenue with K-7 north of Bonner Springs.
U.S. 73 was relocated southward onto a new alignment between Lancaster and Atchison by July 1, 1985. Approved by AASHTO on June 27, 1985, the results of this action removed U.S. 73 from Main Street and Pratt Road in Atchison and created the overlap with U.S. 59. The former route followed 286th Road west to Lancaster and Broadway Street north from K-9.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) sought to reestablish U.S. 73 along U.S. 24/40 (State Avenue) east from K-7 to the interchange with Interstate 435 in Kansas City.
To allow US 73 guide signs to Leavenworth to be placed on I 435 in accordance with Kansas department of Transportation signing policy.AASHTO however disapproved the request on May 26, 1987:
The Committee was concerned that this segment would have an overconcentration of U.S. Routes since it already carries a U.S. 24 and U.S. 40 designation. Direction of traffic to Leavenworth could be accommodate by other signing.
KDOT appealed the previous denial for the two mile extension of U.S. 73 along State Avenue in Kansas City in a letter dated July 20, 1987.
This would allow guide signing to the cities of Lansing and Leavenworth. The present guide signing to these cities is via Kansas Route 5, which is a narrow, winding two lane road that is being considered for removal from the State Highway System. Directing the Lansing-Leavenworth traffic off of Interstate 435 at State Avenue (US 24, US 40 & US 73) would provide them with a four lane roadway to Leavenworth.
However AASHTO once again disapproved the request:
The Route Numbering Committee believes the objective of routing traffic to Leavenworth can be accomplished with guide signing without the proposed change. The overconcentration of three U.S. route numbers over this segment remains the primary objection.
Despite this, U.S. 73 was eventually cosigned with U.S. 24/40 on State Avenue to Interstate 435 anyway.
U.S. 73 ended at the exchange joining U.S. 24/40 (State Avenue) with Interstate 435 in Kansas City, Kansas until 2008. 10/16/04
Further north, U.S. 73 was relocated onto a new alignment from Metropolitan Avenue in Leavenworth to Lowemont. Offering improved horizontal and vertical alignment and eliminating substandard curves and grades, the change was approved by AASHTO on June 10, 1991. The previous route followed CR 14 on Santa Fe Trail west from Fort Leavenworth. The eastern segment between CR 14 and N 16th Street was completely removed.
The final change to U.S. 73 in the Kansas City area was approved by AASHTO on October 17, 2008. U.S. 73 was dropped from State Avenue and redirected southward along K-7 to the Bonner Springs Interchange along the Kansas Turnpike (I-70). The southward extension was made to
to enable destination signing along I-70 for the cities of Leavenworth and Lansing.
Connect with:
Interstate 70
U.S. 24
U.S. 40
U.S. 59
Highway 5
Highway 7
Page Updated 10-26-2021.