Kansas Turnpike facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by KTA | ||||
| Length | 236 mi (380 km) | |||
| Existed | October 1956–present | |||
| Component highways |
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| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  I-35 at the Oklahoma state line |
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| East end |     I-70 / US-24 / US-40 / US-69 in Kansas City |
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| Highway system | ||||
Kansas numbered highways
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I-335 from Emporia to 
US-283
→The Kansas Turnpike is a special road in Kansas, United States, that you pay to use. It's like a superhighway that helps people travel across the state faster. This road is about 236 miles (380 kilometers) long. It stretches from the border with Oklahoma all the way to Kansas City. Along the way, it passes through big cities like Wichita, Topeka, and Lawrence. The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) owns and takes care of this important road.
Contents
Exploring the Kansas Turnpike
What is a Turnpike?
A turnpike is a road where drivers pay a fee, called a toll, to use it. This money helps pay for building and fixing the road. The Kansas Turnpike is one of these roads.
Building the Turnpike
The Kansas Turnpike was built between 1954 and 1956. This was before the big Interstate Highway System was fully planned. At first, the turnpike was not part of the Interstate System. But in 1956, it became an official part of it.
Today, different parts of the Kansas Turnpike are also sections of four major Interstate Highways:
Who Uses the Turnpike?
About 120,000 people use the Kansas Turnpike every single day! The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) helps these drivers. They run a special radio station that gives updates about the road.
The KTA has also built places called service areas. These are like rest stops where people can take a break. Drivers can buy gasoline and food there. One service area even has a memorial for American football coach Knute Rockne, who sadly died nearby.
How the Turnpike is Paid For
The Kansas Turnpike Authority does not use tax money to pay for repairs. Instead, the money collected from drivers who use the road (the tolls) is used to keep the turnpike in good shape. This means the people who use the road help pay for its upkeep.
Images for kids
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A ticket from the Kansas Turnpike, issued at Interchange 127
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Northbound at exit 42 where I-135 begins while the turnpike turns more northeast
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Exit 127, the Emporia interchange, marking the beginning of the I-335 designation and the departure of I-35 from the Turnpike
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A view from the I-35 portion of the turnpike, between mileposts 29 and 30
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The Towanda Service Area
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Knute Rockne memorial at Matfield Green rest stop (2009)
