 K-147 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smoky Valley Scenic Byway | ||||
 K-147 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byKDOT | ||||
| Length | 25.930 mi[2] (41.730 km) | |||
| Existed | August 1, 1956[1]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  K-4 east ofBrownell | |||
| Major intersections |   I-70 /US-40 nearOgallah | |||
| North end | Centre Street in Ogallah | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Kansas | |||
| Counties | Ness,Trego | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
| ||||
K-147 is an approximately 26-mile-long (42 km) north–southstate highway in west-centralKansas. It runs fromK-4 east ofBrownell toOgallah, just north of the junction withInterstate 70 (I-70) andU.S. Route 40 (US-40). K-147 servesCedar Bluff State Park via locally maintained CC Road. The highway south of I-70 and US-40 is part of the Smoky Valley Scenic Byway. The highway travels through a mix of flat farmlands and rolling hills covered with grasslands. K-147 is a two-lane highway its entire length.
K-147 was first established on August 1, 1956, from theTrego County line north to US-40; on June 12, 1957, it was extended south to K-4. Then by 1960, I-70 was complete from south ofCollyer to southeast of Ogallah. At that time, US-40 was re-routed along I-70, and K-147 was extended east along old US-40 to its present northern terminus.
From its southern terminus atK-4 east ofBrownell, K-147 heads northward four miles (6.4 km) through flat rural farmlands then crosses intoTrego County.[3] From the county line, the highway continues north for roughly two miles (3.2 km), and intersects CC Road (RS-1979), which leads west toCedar Bluff State Park. At this point the landscape transitions to rolling hills covered with grasslands. The roadway continues for about 2.1 miles (3.4 km), makes a series of curves, and then crosses the bridge overSmoky Hill River and theCedar Bluff Dam. After crossing the dam it continues north through flat grasslands for about 4.7 miles (7.6 km) then curves west at South Road (RS-907). K-147 continues for about .75 miles (1.21 km), then turns north again at South Road (RS-906). It continues for roughly 2.8 miles (4.5 km) then crossesBig Creek. The highway continues north from here through flat rural farmlands for roughly 5.2 miles (8.4 km), then intersects exit 135 ofI-70 andUS-40, at adiamond interchange. Past I-70 and US-40, K-147 continues north a short distance then turns east onto old US-40. The highway continues for .5 miles (0.80 km) then ends inOgallah at Centre Street. Past its terminus in Ogallah, it continues as locally maintained old US-40.[4][5]
In 2018, per traffic counts from theKansas Department of Transportation,on average traffic varied from 145 vehicles per day near the southern terminus to 275 vehicles per day between I-70 and its northern terminus.[6] K-147 is two lanes and undivided for its entire length.[5] The section of K-147 between its southern terminus to I-70 and US-40 is part of the Smoky Valley Scenic Byway.[7] K-147 is not included in theNational Highway System,[8] a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility, but K-147 does connect to the National Highway System at its junction with I-70 and US-40.[9]
Before state highways were numbered in Kansas, there wereauto 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. The southern terminus of K-147 (K-4) was part of theBeeline Highway, and the northern terminus was part of theGolden Belt Highway.[10]
K-147 was first approved in a December 20, 1955 resolution, as soon as Ness and Trego counties had brought the roadway up to state highway standards. By August 1956, Trego County had brought the highway up to state highway standards, and K-147 was established from the Trego County line north to US-40 in an August 1, 1956 resolution.[1] Then in a June 12, 1957 resolution, it was extended south to K-4, as Ness County had finished required projects.[11][12] In a February 26, 1958 resolution, a new roadway was approved to be built from south of Collyer to southeast of Ogallah, which would be the new I-70. US-40 was re-routed along I-70 as well, and by 1960, K-147 was extended 0.1 miles (160 m) east to its present northern terminus.[5][13][14]
On June 26, 2019, KDOT closed the bridge that carries K-147 over theCedar Bluff Reservoir spillway (Smoky Hill River). Thesteel arch bridge, originally built in 1952, was closed due to safety concerns about structural deficiencies that were found during a recent inspection. Rust found in the bridge deck was not allowing the bridge to expand and contract properly. While the bridge was closed, traffic was detoured using I-70, US-283 and K-4.[15][16] Construction on the new $2.2 million bridge began in early February 2020.[17][18] The project, carried out by Wildcat Construction of Wichita, was completed and opened to traffic on August 18, 2020.[19]
| County | Location | mi[2] | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ness | Waring Township | 0.000 | 0.000 | K-4 –Brownell,LaCrosse | Southern terminus |
| Trego | Riverside Township | 5.936 | 9.553 | CC Road (RS-1979) –Cedar Bluff State Park | |
| Ogallah Township | 24.906 | 40.082 | I-70 /US-40 –Limon,Hays | I-70 exit 135;diamond interchange | |
| Ogallah | 25.930 | 41.730 | Centre Street / Old US-40 | Northern terminus; road continues east as Old US-40 (unpaved) | |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
