K-239 (Kansas highway)

K-239's western terminus is at a diamond interchange with US-69 west of Prescott. The highway travels east and soon enters Prescott as Miller Street. The roadway has an at-grade crossing with two BNSF Railway tracks before exiting the city.{{cite map|author=Bureau of Transportation Planning|title=City of Prescott|date=March 1, 2011|url=https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/city-pdf/prescott.PDF|scale=|publisher=Kansas Department of Transportation|location=Topeka|format=PDF|access-date=April 9, 2022}} K-239 continues east to a crossing over Indian Creek. The highway proceeds east past some strip mines before reaching the Missouri border, where it curves north.{{cite map|title=U.S. Geological Survey — Prescott quadrangle — Kansas (Linn Co.)|url=https://www.topoquest.com/map.php?lat=38.06564&lon=-94.63989&datum=nad83&zoom=8&map=auto&coord=d&mode=zoomin&size=m&cross=on|scale=1:24,000|series=USGS 7 1/2-minute quadrangle maps|publisher=TopoQuest.com|cartography=U.S. Geological Survey|access-date=April 9, 2022}} The roadway continues along the border for a short distance before curving east and crossing into Missouri becoming Missouri Route A.{{cite map |author = KDOT |year = 2010 |url = http://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/PastPublishedCounty/linnJune2010.pdf |title = 2010 Linn County Map |scale = Scale not given |location = Topeka |publisher = KDOT |access-date = April 10, 2022}}{{google maps|url=https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1ewwYwfJMJBZgnKzl5IVAC7YqvoSBLYaZ&usp=sharing|title=Overview map of K-239|accessdate=April 6, 2022}}

The entire length of K-239 is a two-lane highway. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways. On K-239 in 2020, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 400 vehicles per day near the Missouri border to 1,460 vehicles per day near the western terminus. The second highest was 705 vehicles per day slightly east of Prescott.{{cite map |author = Bureau of Transportation Planning |year = 2021 |url = https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/CountMaps/Districts/countmap2020.pdf |title = Traffic Flow Map Kansas State Highway System |scale = [c. 1:1,584,000] |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation |access-date = April 9, 2022}} K-239 connects to the National Highway System at its western terminus at US-69.{{cite map |author = Federal Highway Administration |author-link = Federal Highway Administration |date = May 8, 2019 |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/nhs_maps/kansas/ks_kansas.pdf |title = National Highway System: Kansas |scale = [c. 1:3,900,000] |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |access-date = July 29, 2019}}

Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails. K-239 crosses the former Kansas City-Fort Scott-Miami-Tulsa Short Line and former Ozark Trails in Prescott.{{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 = David Rumsey Map Collection |access-date =April 10, 2022}}

Originally US-69 travelled directly north–south through Prescott. Then in a resolution passed by the State Highway Commission of Kansas (SHC), now known as KDOT, on July 11, 1962, it was approved to move US-69 onto a new alignment west of the city. At this time K-239 was approved to be created as a spur connecting Prescott to the new US-69. On June 28, 1963, the SHC accepted a bid of $493,783.02 (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|493783|1963}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} to pave the new section of US-69 and a bid of $61,851.08 (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|61851|1963}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} to pave the new K-239.{{cite news|access-date=April 10, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97974146/k239/|page=1|work=The Iola Register|title=Kaw River Bridge Job Is Let|date=June 28, 1963|location=Iola, Kansas}}

In mid-December 1963, the SHC authorized the acquisition of land to extend K-239 eastward.{{cite news|access-date=April 10, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97973878/k239/|page=3|work=The Parsons Sun|title=FBI Questions Youth in Jail|date=December 12, 1963|location=Parsons, Kansas}} Then in a resolution passed on January 8, 1964, the plans were approved for the extension eastward to the Missouri State line to connect to Missouri Route A.{{cite web |author = State Highway Commission of Kansas |date = January 8, 1964 |url = http://dmsweb.ksdot.org/AppNetProd/docpop/pdfpop.aspx?KT142_0_0_0=003709888&clienttype=html&doctypeid=114 |title = Resolution for Location and Designation of Road in Linn County |location = Topeka |publisher = State Highway Commission of Kansas |access-date = August 29, 2019 }}{{Dead link|date=February 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} In July 1964, the SHC asked for bids for grading, bridges and surfacing on the extension of K-239.{{cite news|access-date=April 10, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97974012/k239-others/|page=8|work=Record-Times|title=Highway Construction For SE Kansas|date=July 23, 1964|location=Altoona, Kansas}} On August 31, 1965, the SHC approved a bid of $146,969 (equivalent to ${{Format price|{{Inflation|US-GDP|146969|1965}}}} in {{Inflation-year|US-GDP}} dollars){{inflation-fn|US-GDP}} to pave the new highway.{{cite news|access-date=April 10, 2022|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97974218/k239-k52-k7-i35/|page=9|work=The Wichita Eagle|title=$3.1 Million Bid On State Roads|date=September 1, 1965|location=Wichita, Kansas}} By 1987, the western terminus was converted to a diamond interchange.{{cite map |author = Kansas Department of Transportation|year = 1986 |url = https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1986Mapside.pdf |title = Kansas State Highway System |scale = Scale not given |series = Highway & Transportation Map |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation|access-date = April 11, 2022}}{{cite map |author = Kansas Department of Transportation|year = 1987 |url = https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/HistoricStateMaps/1987Mapside.pdf |title = Kansas State Highway System |scale = Scale not given |series = Highway & Transportation Map |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation|access-date = April 11, 2022}} The highways alignment has not changed since the interchange was built.{{cite map |author = Kansas Department of Transportation|year = 2021 |url = https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksdotorg/bureaus/burTransPlan/maps/state-pdf/StateMap.pdf |title = Kansas State Highway System |scale = Scale not given |series = Highway & Transportation Map |location = Topeka |publisher = Kansas Department of Transportation|access-date = April 10, 2022}}

{{Jcttop|state=KS|location=Sheridan Township|ctdab=yes|county=Linn|length_ref=}}

{{KSint

|mile=0.000

|road={{jct|state=KS|US|69|city1=Fort Scott|city2=Kansas City}}

|notes=Western terminus; diamond interchange

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{{KSint

|mile=5.677

|road={{jct|state=MO|Supp|A}}

|notes=Continuation at Missouri state line

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{{Reflist|refs=}}

{{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]

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Category:Transportation in Linn County, Kansas