:K-52 (Kansas highway)
{{Short description|Highway in Kansas}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{good article}}
{{Infobox road
|state=KS
|type=KS
|route=52
|map={{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=290|type=line|raw={{Wikipedia:Map data/Wikipedia KML/K-52 (Kansas highway)}}}}
|map_custom=yes
|map_notes=K-52 highlighted in red
|length_mi=23.045
|direction_a=West
|terminus_a={{Jct|state=KS|K|31}} near Mound City
|junction={{plainlist|
- {{Jct|state=KS|K|7}} in Mound City
- {{Jct|state=KS|US|69}} from Pleasanton to Trading Post
}}
|direction_b=East
|terminus_b={{Jct|state=MO|Route|52}} at Missouri state line
|counties=Linn
|previous_type=KS
|previous_route=51
|next_type=KS
|next_route=53
}}
K-52 is an approximately {{convert|23|mi|km|adj=mid|-long}} east–west state highway in eastern Kansas. Its western terminus is at an intersection with K-31 southeast of Mound City. K-52 then overlaps U.S. Route 69 for {{convert|8|mi|km|spell=in}} through Pleasanton and Trading Post, then splits off to the east. {{Convert|3|mi|km|spell=in}} later, it crosses into Missouri, becoming Route 52.
Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails. K-192 follows a short section of the former Jefferson Highway in Mound City. The former routing through Pleasanton follows the former Ozark Trails and Kansas City-Fort Scott-Miami-Tulsa Short Line. K-52 was first established as a state highway on January 7, 1937, and went from K-38 in Blue Mound northeastward to K-7 in Mound City. It was extended west then south to US-54 in Moran by the end of 1937. It was realigned to the west of Pleasanton in 1987 and eight years later, the highway was truncated to its current western terminus.
Route description
K-52's western terminus is at K-31 east of Blue Mound. The highway begins travelling east then after about {{convert|0.3|mi|km}} curves north at 500th Road. It passes by a cemetery and through a forested area before curving northeast at 600th Road. The highway passes through a forested area for a short distance then transitions to flat rural farmlands. It continues for about {{convert|2.1|mi|km}} then enters Mound City and intersects K-7. K-52 turns north and begins to overlap K-7 as 9th Street. After roughly {{convert|0.23|mi|km}} K-52 turns east onto Main Street, as K-7 continues north. The highway continues along Main Street for about {{convert|0.7|mi|km}} then curves northeast onto North Main Street. After {{convert|0.3|mi|km}} it exits the city then curves east.{{cite map|author=Bureau of Transportation Planning|title=City of Mound City|date=October 1, 2003|url=https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/moundcity.pdf|series=KDOT City Maps|scale=Scale not given|publisher=Kansas Department of Transportation|location=Topeka|format=PDF|access-date=October 31, 2020|archive-date=November 4, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201104223256/https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/moundcity.pdf|url-status=live}} K-52 continues through flat farmlands for about {{convert|5|mi|km|spell=in}} then reaches an interchange with US-69. K-52 turns north and begins to overlap the four-lane freeway.{{cite map |author = Bureau of Transportation Planning |date = June 2010 |url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/PastPublishedCounty/linnJune2010.pdf |title = Linn County |scale = [c. 1:211,200] |series = General Highway Map |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = October 31, 2020 |archive-date = May 4, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200504085641/http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/PastPublishedCounty/linnJune2010.pdf |url-status = live }}
K-52 and US-69 cross over a BNSF Railway track then curve north. They then pass under East 1000th Road and then curve northwest. About {{convert|0.3|mi|km}} later, the highway reaches an interchange with East 6th Street, which travels west to Pleasanton. The highway continues through flat rural farmlands, as it curves north and crosses Muddy Creek. The freeway continues for {{convert|0.5|mi|km}} and then curves northeast before it reaches an interchange with East 1350 Road. It continues northeast and soon crosses Big Sugar Creek, then Marais des Cygnes River {{convert|0.9|mi|km}} later. It continues another {{convert|1|mi|km|spell=in}} and reaches another interchange, where K-52 leaves the freeway. K-52 continues for about {{convert|0.6|mi|km}} then curves east. The highway continues through flat rural farmlands for roughly {{convert|2.5|mi|km}} then curves southeast and enters into Missouri becoming Missouri Route 52.
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2019, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 850 vehicles per day near the eastern terminus to between 6,060 and 6,310 vehicles per day along the overlap with US-69. The second highest was 2,570 vehicles per day slightly east of Mound City.{{cite map |author = Bureau of Transportation Planning |year = 2020 |url = https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/CountMaps/Districts/countmap2019.pdf |title = Traffic Flow Map Kansas State Highway System |scale = [c. 1:1,584,000] |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = October 31, 2020 |archive-date = April 16, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210416122948/http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/CountMaps/Districts/countmap2019.pdf |url-status = live }} The only section of K-52 that is included in the National Highway System is its concurrency with US-69.{{cite map|url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/kansas/ks_kansas.pdf|title = National Highway System: Kansas|publisher = Federal Highway Administration|access-date = July 29, 2019|location = Washington, DC|archive-date = March 4, 2016|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160304035300/http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/kansas/ks_kansas.pdf|url-status = live}}{{efn|The National Highway System is a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.{{cite web|first1 = Stefan|last1 = Natzke|first2 = Mike|last2 = Neathery|first3 = Kevin|last3 = Adderly|url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/|work = National Highway System|title = What is the National Highway System?|publisher = Federal Highway Administration|date = September 26, 2012|access-date = July 29, 2019|location = Washington, DC|archive-date = July 4, 2012|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120704194551/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/|url-status = live}}}}
History
Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails which were an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. K-192 follows a short section of the former Jefferson Highway in Mound City. The former routing through Pleasanton follows the former Ozark Trails and Kansas City–Fort Scott–Miami–Tulsa Short Line.{{cite map |author = Rand McNally and Company |author-link = Rand McNally |year = 1924 |map = Kansas |title = AutoTrails Map, Southern Nebraska, Eastern Colorado, Kansas, Northeastern New Mexico, Northern Oklahoma |map-url = https://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~201708~3000668:AutoTrails-Map,-Southern-Nebraska,-?sort=pub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_date%2Cpub_list_no%2Cseries_no&qvq=q:Kansas%20roads;sort:pub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_date%2Cpub_list_no%2Cseries_no;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=113&trs=175 |scale = 1:1,600,000 |location = Chicago |publisher = Rand McNally and Company |oclc = 2078375 |via = Rumsey Collection |access-date= November 1, 2020 }}
K-52 was first established as a state highway on January 7, 1937, and ran from K-38 in Blue Mound northeastward to K-7 in Mound City. By the end of 1937, K-38 was decommissioned and became an extension of K-31 and K-52 was extended further west to Kincaid then south to end at US-54 in Moran.{{cite map |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |year = 1937 |url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1937Mapside.pdf |title = 1937 Kansas State Map |scale = Scale not given |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = May 4, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200504064902/http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1937Mapside.pdf |url-status = live }} K-31 originally left K-52 in Blue Mound and went south. Then in an October 9, 1957 resolution, it was realigned further east along K-52, then turned south at K-52's current western terminus.{{cite web |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |date = October 9, 1957 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003708666&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution for Relocation and Redesignation of Road in Bourbon and Linn Counties K-31 and K-65 |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032826/https://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/PdfPop.aspx |url-status = live }} Sometime between 1960 and 1962, US-59 was realigned along K-52 from Moran to Kincaid.{{cite map |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |year = 1960 |url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1960Mapside.pdf |title = 1960 Kansas State Map |scale = Scale not given |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = May 4, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200504063759/http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1960Mapside.pdf |url-status = live }}{{cite map |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |year = 1962 |url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1962Mapside.pdf |title = 1962 Kansas State Map |scale = Scale not given |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = May 5, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200505092315/https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1962Mapside.pdf |url-status = live }} Originally K-52 zig-zagged from K-31 northeastward to K-7 in Mound City, but was approved to be straightened in a February 11, 1964 resolution. The new straightened alignment was completed by 1965.{{cite web |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |date = February 11, 1964 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003709887&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution for Relocation and Redesignation of Road in Linn County |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032811/https://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003709887&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |url-status = live }}{{cite map |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |year = 1965 |url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1965Mapside.pdf |title = 1965 Kansas State Map |scale = Scale not given |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = November 1, 2020 |archive-date = May 5, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200505092027/https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1965Mapside.pdf |url-status = live }} On March 30, 1950, a resolution was passed to slightly realign K-52/US-69 near Trading Post.{{cite web |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |date = March 30, 1950 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003709894&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution for Relocation and Redesignation of Road in Linn County |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032823/https://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/PdfPop.aspx |url-status = live }} In a May 7, 1987 resolution, K-52/US-69 was realigned from going through Pleasanton to travel to the east of the city.{{cite web |author = Kansas Department of Transportation |date = May 7, 1987 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003709854&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution to Relocate a segment of highway in Linn County |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032846/https://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/PdfPop.aspx |url-status = live }} In a January 26, 1995 resolution, K-52 was truncated from Moran to end at K-31, its current western terminus. This was done due to the concurrency having no purpose and was confusing to some travelers.{{cite web |author = Kansas Department of Transportation |date = January 26, 1995 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003825772&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution to withdraw the K-52 designation from segments of highway Allen, Anderson and Linn Counties |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032812/https://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003825772&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |url-status = live }} In an April 29, 2008 resolution, K-52 and US-69 was realigned by Pleasanton onto a new four-lane highway. Also a {{convert|0.381|mi|km|adj=on}} extension was built to link the southern end of the old K-52/US-69 overlap to the new one.{{cite web |author = Kansas Department of Transportation |date = April 29, 2008 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003769309&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Rural Resolution to Realign a portion of US-69 on the State Highway System in Linn County |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032817/https://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/PdfPop.aspx |url-status = live }} In another April 29, 2008 resolution, K-52 and US-69 was realigned by Trading Post onto a new four-lane highway. The north end of the K-52 and US-69 overlap was moved slightly north to the new interchange.{{cite web |author = Kansas Department of Transportation |date = April 29, 2008 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003769203&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Rural Resolution to Realign a portion of US-69 on the State Highway System in Linn County |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = September 2, 2019 |archive-date = August 1, 2021 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210801032824/https://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003769203&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |url-status = live }} The two new sections of freeway were completed by 2009.{{cite map |author = Kansas Department of Transportation |year = 2009–2010 |url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/2009-10Mapside.PDF |title = 2009–2010 Kansas State Map |scale = Scale not given |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = November 1, 2020 |archive-date = October 10, 2020 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201010040613/http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/2009-10Mapside.PDF |url-status = live }}
{{Clear}}
Major intersections
{{Jcttop|state=KS|county=Linn|unnum=yes|length_ref={{cite web|author=Staff|url=https://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/matreslab/pmis/query.asp|title=Pavement Management Information System|publisher=Kansas Department of Transportation|year=2016|access-date=April 22, 2017|location=Topeka|archive-date=May 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200503223650/https://www.ksdot.org/bureaus/matreslab/pmis/query.asp|url-status=live}}}}
{{KSint
|township=Mound City
|ctdab=Linn
|mile=0.000
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|31|city1=Blue Mound|city2=Garnett|city3=Mapleton}}
|notes=Western terminus; highway continues west as K-31}}
{{KSint
|location=Mound City
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|mile=4.392
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|7|dir1=south|city1=Fort Scott}}
|notes=Western end of K-7 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|type=concur
|mile=4.626
|road={{Jct|state=KS|K|7|dir1=north|city1=Osawatomie}}
|notes=Eastern end of K-7 overlap
}}
{{KSint
|township=Potosi
|ctdab=Linn
|lspan=3
|type=concur
|mile=10.917
|road={{jct|state=KS|US|69|dir1=south|city1=Fort Scott}}
|notes=Western end of US 69 overlap; diamond interchange; west end of freeway section
}}
{{KSint
|mile=13.617
|road=E. 1100 Road {{endash}} Pleasanton
|notes=Diamond interchange
}}
{{KSint
|mile=16.180
|road=E. 1350 Road
|notes=Diamond interchange
}}
{{KSint
|township=Valley
|ctdab=Linn
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|mile=19.680
|road={{jct|state=KS|US|69|dir1=north|city1=Louisburg}}
|notes=Eastern end of US 69 overlap; diamond interchange; east end of freeway section
}}
{{KSint
|mile=23.045
|road={{Jct|state=MO|MO|52|dir1=east|road|State Line Road}}
|notes=Continuation into Missouri
}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=concur}}
Notes
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Attached KML}}
- [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/MapsState.asp Kansas Department of Transportation State Map]
- [http://www.ksdot.org/burtransplan/maps/HistoricStateMaps.asp KDOT: Historic State Maps]