Interstate 235 Kansas

Overview

Interstate 235 is the western belt line of Wichita. Freeway connections join the 16 mile route with K-96 west toward Hutchinson and U.S. 54/400 to Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). The urban loop connects with Interstate 135 at both ends and mostly parallels the Big Ditch (the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway for the Arkansas River) and its associated levee system. Traffic counts top out on the commuter route at 50,500 vehicles per day (vpd) as recorded in 2015 between U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg Avenue) and West 13th Street N (Exit 8).

History

Portions of Interstate 235 date back to the mid 1950s,¹ with construction underway through the 1960s. The cloverleaf interchange joining the freeway with U.S. 54 (Kellogg Avenue) opened in 1962,² and per the 1962 Kansas Official Highway Map, all of I-235 south to the Kansas Turnpike and north to U.S. 81 (Broadway Avenue) was as well. The freeway link east to K-254 (and eventually I-135) was completed by 1966.³

A 2006-07 Corridor Study Plan involving Interstate 235 at Kellogg Avenue and Central Avenue identified ways to improve traffic flow along the freeway loop. Preliminary designs for improvements to the road commenced in 2008, with construction on a multiyear project announced in Summer 2011. With work split into phases, the Red Project focused on replacing two of the loop ramps at the cloverleaf interchange joining I-235 and U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg Avenue) with flyover ramps. A third loop ramp was improved geometrically, while auxiliary lanes were added to I-235 between both interchanges. Subsequent work reconstructed the freeway mainline of Interstate 235.¹

Costing $103 million, the Red Project started on November 10, 2015. Added were a two lane flyover taking motorists from I-235 south to U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg Avenue) east and a single lane flyover accommodating traffic from I-235 north to Kellogg Avenue west. Additional work expanded the Kellogg Avenue overpass above West Street and separated the West Street off-ramp on U.S. 54/400 east with the ramps from Interstate 235. Construction wrapped up in Summer 2019.¹

The timetable for the estimated $239 million Blue, Yellow and Green projects will be determined later. The Blue Project replaces loop ramps in the northwest and southeast quadrants of the exchange between I-235 and U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg Avenue) with flyover ramps. It also grade separates the westbound ramps to I-235 from the West Street entrance ramp. The Yellow Project rebuilds the bridges for Kellogg Avenue over the Big Ditch. The Green Project replaces ramps at the diamond interchange on I-235 at Central Avenue.⁴

A $35 million project added two flyovers connecting I-235 north with 13th Street N across the Big Ditch and from 13th Street east to the freeway south. The new ramps opened following a ribbon cutting ceremony held on November 21, 2014. A feasibility study for the new bridges was approved by the city of Wichita in 1994, with construction finally starting in late 2012.⁵

Route Information

North End – Wichita, KS
South End – Wichita, KS
Mileage – 16.52
Cities – Wichita
Junctions –

Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List

Interstate 235 under construction in the 1961 Rand McNally North American Road Atlas. The 1960 edition displayed the beltway as a proposed route, and by the 1962 edition, I-235 was already complete to U.S. 81 north of Wichita.

1967 Kansas Official Highway Map
The north end of Interstate 235 defaulted traffic onto K-254 until I-135 was completed through north Wichita. The belt line was also designated as U.S. 81 Bypass until June 26, 1985, when AASHTO approved its elimination.

North End – Wichita, Kansas

North East at

A folded diamond interchange (Exit 15) connects Broadway (old U.S. 81) with I-235 north and K-96 east between the Little Arkansas River and the junction with Interstate 135, U.S. 81, K-15 and K-254. 11/01/16

Two lanes continue east from the Broadway on-ramp to a lane drop for K-96 east onto I-135 south (Exit 16A) to northeast Wichita. 11/01/16

A diagrammatic sign outlines the single lane ramps for Interstate 135, K-96 east and the continuation of I-235 east onto K-254. K-254 provides a direct route to the Kansas Turnpike north from El Dorado to Emporia and Topeka while K-96 follows a belt route east to the Turnpike and U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg Avenue) near Andover. 11/01/16

Exit 16A departs from the ending Interstate 235 north for I-135, U.S. 81/K-15 south back toward Downtown Wichita and to the Kansas Turnpike south for Oklahoma City. 11/01/16

Left Exit 16B separates from the transition of I-235 north onto K-254 east. Interstate 135 runs north through the suburbs of Park City and Valley Center over the next five miles. 11/01/16

West at

The initial sign for I-135 and I-235 posted along K-254 west stands at the split diamond interchange with Hillside Street and 45th Street N. 10/05/21

K-254 crosses the Middle Fork of Chisholm Creek a half mile from Exits 16 B/A for Interstate 135 north to McPherson and I-135 south and K-96 east into Wichita. 10/05/21

Exit 16 B leaves K-254 west for I-135, U.S. 81/K-15 north through Park City, Valley Center and Newton. Interstate 235 overtakes the ending state highway as K-96 west joins from an upcoming loop ramp. 10/05/21

Left Exit 16 A links K-254 west with I-135, U.S. 81, K-15/96 south to central and east Wichita. Interstate 235 leads west with K-96 to the Arkansas River and south along Big Ditch toward Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). 11/01/16

South at

K-254 west, I-235 north and K-96 east come together at a directional cloverleaf interchange (Exits 11B/A) with I-135, U.S. 81/K-15 just south of the Park City limits in one mile. 11/01/16

45th Street N passes over Interstate 135 south as Exit 11 A branches east to the K-254 freeway to Kechi. The freeway along K-254 west transitions into I-235 south and K-96 through northwest Wichita. 10/05/21

Exit 11B quickly follows from I-135 south for K-96 west to Maize and I-235 south along the Big Ditch to the Sedgwick County Zoo and Eisenhower National Airport (ICT). 11/01/16

North at

K-96 overlaps with I-135/U.S. 81 and K-15 north from a freeway around the northeast side of Wichita to Interstate 235. The state highway combines with I-135 north after Exit 10 B with Hydraulic Avenue, and ahead of Exit 11 B with I-235 south. 10/05/21

Interstate 235 north ends opposite K-254 west at a directional cloverleaf interchange with left side ramps. K-254 constitutes a freeway to the northeast suburbs of Kechi and Bel Aire and an expressway east to the Kansas Turnpike (I-35) at El Dorado. 10/05/21

K-254 commences a 27.31 mile long route to U.S. 54 in El Dorado from Exit 11 A and I-235. I-235 west doubles as K-96 for 0.94 miles to a three-wye interchange adjacent to the Arkansas River. 10/05/21

A tight loop ramp (Exit 11 B) carries commuters from I-135 north to I-235 south / K-96 west. K-96 and I-235 serve the western suburbs beyond the Big Ditch. K-96 overall constitutes a 70 mile per hour expressway to Maize and Hutchinson. 10/05/21

North End Throwback

A diagrammatic sign outlined the left side ramp (Exit 16A) for I-135 south opposite the loop ramp bringing K-96 west onto the transition of K-254 west to I-235 south. New signs show K-96 cosigned with the Wichita west belt line while. 10/20/03

Interstate 135 south at I-235 (Exit 11B) before the addition of K-96 west. Photo by Ben Prusia (03/02).

A diagrammatic overhead outlined the forthcoming loop ramp (Exit 11B) for the continuation of K-96 west onto Interstate 235 south at Exit 11B. Photo by Jeff Royston (03/19/05).

A second diagrammatic sign was posted at the off-ramp (Exit 11A) for K-254 east. These signs were replaced by 2015. 10/20/03

Sign changes made at Exit 11B by 2015 dropped the control cities of Salina and Hutchinson and kept U.S. 81 and K-15 as side mounted shields for their continuation along I-135 north to Newton. 10/20/03

South End – Wichita, Kansas

South at

Interstate 235 makes a sweeping S-curve through the diamond interchange (Exit 1 B) with MacArthur Road ahead of the beltway end at I-135/U.S. 81. 10/05/21

I-135/U.S. 81 partition just beyond I-235 at 47th Street S before the toll plaza for the Kansas Turnpike. 10/05/21

An end sign appears for Interstate 235 south as Left Exit 1 A departs for I-135/U.S. 81 north through central Wichita to Salina. The mainline defaults onto I-135 south for I-35 (Kansas Turnpike) south to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and northeast to Kansas City. 10/05/21

South at

I-135/U.S. 81 split with K-15 as they turn southwest through South City in Wichita to Hydraulic Avenue (Exit 2) and Interstate 235 north (Exit 1C). 11/01/16

Exit 1C provides access to the western suburbs of Wichita and industrial areas from Oatville north to Eisenhower National Airport (ICT) via I-235 north. U.S. 81 south parts ways with I-135 just prior to the freeway end at the tolled Kansas Turnpike. 11/01/16

North at

Beyond the toll collection point for the Kansas Turnpike, I-135 north enters the parclo interchange (Exit 1 A) with 47th Street S. Exit 1 B was a loop ramp for U.S. 81 south prior to the 2009-11 reconstruction of the exchange at 47th Street. Exit 1 C follows for I-235 north. 10/04/21

A directional T interchange (Exit 1 C) lies to the immediate north of 47th Street S, as U.S. 81 north accompanies Interstate 135 from the arterial toward Downtown Wichita. Signs for I-235 omit control cities throughout the city of Wichita. 10/04/21

Left Exit 1 C separations from I-135/U.S. 81 north to Interstate 235 north. The west belt line provides a bypass of Downtown Wichita for points west along the U.S. 54/400 (Kellogg Avenue) corridor to Kingman, Pratt and Dodge City. 10/04/21

North End Throwback

South at

Diagrammatic overhead formerly posted a half mile ahead of Exit 1 A for Interstate 135 and U.S. 81. 11/01/16

Replaced by 2018, a second diagrammatic sign for I-135/U.S. 81 appeared beyond the Union Pacific Railroad underpass. 11/01/16

I-235 enters the three-wye interchange with I-135/U.S. 81 beyond the Broadway (old U.S. 81) underpass. 11/01/16

North at

The initial sign for Interstate 235 posted at the former loop ramp (Exit 1B) for U.S. 81 (47th Street) south to Hayesville. 10/20/03

Replaced sign bridge at the northbound split of I-135 and I-235 in south Wichita. Salina was dropped as a control city for the pull through panel and U.S. 81 added. 10/20/03

Sources:

235 – Kellogg – Central Home, ~~http://www.235kelloggcentral.com/~~ Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), project web site.
“West Wichita interchange one of many road projects starting in 2016.” Wichita Eagle, The (KS), February 27, 2016.
“Northwest Expressway Being Studied.” Wichita Eagle, The (KS), April 27, 1997.
235 – Kellogg – Central Home, Phasing Plan, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT).
“I-235 flyover bridges, set to open Friday, will ease west-side traffic jams.” Wichita Eagle, The (KS), November 19, 2014.

Page updated June 30, 2022.