Topeka Boulevard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Topeka Boulevard or Topeka Avenue (also referred to as Old U.S. 75, or informally as The Boulevard) is a 30.77 mile-long north-south major thoroughfare in the center of the Topeka metropolitan area in Shawnee and Osage counties, in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kansas.
| Length | 30.77 mi[1] (49.52 km) |
|---|---|
| North end | NW 94th St near Hoyt |
| Major junctions |
|
| South end |  US-75 near Scranton |
Route Description
Within Osage County
Topeka Boulevard follows the former route of U.S. Route 75 through the northern section of Osage County and through the entirety of Shawnee County, serving as the primary thoroughfare through Topeka, Kansas. until it reaches the border with Jackson County at NW 94th St. As a result of its former connection, it begins at its southern terminus in northern Osage County, 2.5 miles east of Scranton, Kansas, at a 3-way junction with U.S. Route 75 where it begins as a two-lane county road, more frequently known as Topeka Avenue or Old U.S. 75 in the surrounding areas. The road continues briefly until it reaches a junction with U.S. Route 56. This intersection has historically been known as Four Corners, referencing the four-way stop at the former junction of U.S. Routes 75 and 56. Topeka Avenue proceeds as a two-lane rural road for 2 miles until reaching the south end of Carbondale, Kansas. Through Carbondale, Topeka Avenue assumes the purpose of a slower, commercial street, for approximately 2 miles, remaining as a two-lane road. North of Carbondale, Topeka Avenue serves as a 55 mph speed limit county road. Topeka Avenue passes through the community of Mineral Springs one mile north of Carbondale and reaches the Shawnee-Osage County line two miles north of Mineral Springs.
Within Southern Shawnee County
In Shawnee County, the road is customarily referred to as Topeka Boulevard (in Osage County, the usage of Topeka Avenue is more frequent, and is used in official records, however Topeka Boulevard is additionally commonly used in Osage County, along with "Old 75" or "Topeka Street" in Carbondale). Topeka Boulevard and U.S. Route 75 junction again 2.5 miles north of the county line in Wakarusa in an interchange with an overpass and exit ramps. Past this junction Topeka Boulevard becomes a high-speed four-lane road in the style of a divided highway, with a speed limit of 65 mph in the south end of an industrial area south of Topeka. This particular stretch is a common commute route for workers at major industrial centers and warehouses in the Topeka metropolitan area, including the Topeka Mars Wrigley and the Walmart Fulfillment Center. Topeka Boulevard passes by Heartland Motorsports Park and becomes primarily a commercial and industrial road over an arterial road. Further north along Topeka Boulevard to the west in Williamsport township is the Topeka Regional Airport, formerly and colloquially known as Forbes Field, a former Air Force and Air National Guard base, which additionally contains The Museum Of Kansas National Guard. To the east is the Forbes Industrial Park and the community of Montara Village, developed originally as military housing for Forbes Air Force Base. To the north of this section of the corridor is the unincorporated community of Pauline, Kansas, where Topeka Boulevard meets the south end of the Topeka city limits at SW 57th St, where another major industrial employer, Target Distribution Center is located. Additionally in close proximity is the Home Depot Rapid Deployment Center. As the divided road continues north from this intersection, commercial zoning along Topeka Boulevard primarily constitutes this corridor, as well as mobile home parks around the corridor. 1.5 miles north of the intersection in Pauline lies the Frito-Lay Kansas Warehouse just south of the Kansas Turnpike (I-470). As Topeka Boulevard crosses the Kansas Turnpike under a bridge, it reaches a junction with the Kansas Turnpike, I-470, I-335, and once again U.S. Route 75 via an arterial road accessible at a traffic light controlled intersection. Past this intersection, Topeka Boulevard becomes a four-lane non-divided road and enters a major commercial district containing restaurants, retail stores, supermarkets, hotels, car dealerships, industrial shops, and a wide range of other purposes for buildings, centered around Topeka Boulevard from the Kansas Turnpike junction to SW 29th Street. Within this corridor is a Walmart Supercenter, and at the corner of Topeka Boulevard and SW 37th is Mainline Printing's headquarters, the former site of the now demolished White Lakes Mall. To the north of this commercial area is the Topeka Country Club, across Topeka Boulevard from Kansas state government offices, including the headquarters for the Kansas Army National Guard, the Kansas State Office of Information Technology Services, the Kansas Department of Revenue, the Kansas State of USPFO, and the Kansas Driver's License Exam Station. Approximately a mile north at the intersection with SW 21st St on Topeka Boulevard is the non-profit Evel Knievel Museum. To the north of the Evel Knievel Museum, and one mile southwest of downtown Topeka is the Stormont Vail Events Center, formerly known as the Kansas Expocentre, a multi-purpose arena located in the former Shawnee County fairgrounds, bounded to the north of the Shunganunga Creek, the south of SW 17th St, and west of Topeka Boulevard. However, the Shawnee County Fair is still hosted in this location through the utilization of Domer Livestock Arena and Agriculture Hall on the Stormont Vail Events Center property. Topeka Boulevard for the 0.5 miles north of Stormont Vail Events Center is surrounded by buildings of many purposes; offices, apartments, or simply buildings with residential purposes. This corridor has suffered major urban blight, bordering the Monroe neighborhood, and the Central Park neighborhood, both areas with disproportionate rates of abandoned housing. As a result, most have been repurposed as offices or apartments. Topeka Boulevard enters downtown Topeka at an intersection with SW Huntoon St and SW 12th St, notable for both the world's largest wren statue decorating the intersection, and additionally the "Capital City of Kansas/City of Topeka" sign above the traffic signals. A block north on the west side of Topeka Boulevard is the Charles Curtis House Museum. To the east of Topeka Boulevard are large parking lots purposed for excessive volumes of traffic at the Kansas Judicial Branch building. Topeka Boulevard overlooks the Kansas State Capitol Building which lies one block to its east. As of 2023, Topeka Boulevard's east side of this corridor contains both construction a new KDHE laboratory, and demolition on the higher levels of the Docking State Office Building. Topeka Boulevard borders the west end of Topeka's downtown, with mixed land usage including both commercial retail and restaurants, both private and government owned office buildings, and residential buildings until its junction with I-70 (concurrent to U.S. Route 40 and K-4) at SW 1st Ave before Topeka Boulevard crosses the Kansas River.
North of the Kansas River
Topeka Boulevard crosses the Kansas River on the four-lane Topeka Boulevard Bridge. The bridge was rebuilt in 2008, with black ornamental fencing, aesthetic street lights, and clocks above the road. North of the river Topeka Boulevard continues at an angle to North Topeka's neighborhood roads, with mixed land usage. As it approaches the junction with U.S. Route 24, the corridor becomes more commercialized. The junction with U.S. Route 24 and Topeka Boulevard utilizes a cloverleaf interchange, constructed in 1941 and never replaced. The surrounding areas is known as "The Cloverleaf," being most infamous for its flooding during the Great Flood of 1951, and many local businesses utilize the nickname in their commercial name. To the north of the U.S. Route 24 junction Topeka Boulevard becomes a two-lane road which exits the city limits 0.5 miles north of the interchange. It continues as a two lane county road until the county line, with it mainly being used as a thoroughfare to Topeka for rural residents. Additionally on the northern side of Topeka Boulevard is access to Shawnee North Community Center and Seaman High School. Seaman Middle School, Pleasant Hill Learning Center, and Northern Hills Middle School are located directly on Topeka Boulevard and it serves commonly for school transportation. 4.5 miles north of the school zone, at the Jackson-Shawnee County line, the north-south road known as Topeka Boulevard curves west and becomes NW 94th St or 94 Rd depending on the Shawnee County name usage or the Jackson County name usage. This is the northern terminus of the road by official name. However, this route continues for approximately 2 miles before turning back north into S road, which continues 2 miles north until it reaches Hoyt, Kansas.
History
Topeka Boulevard's heavy volume of commute traffic, commercial usage and length in a metropolitan area with a lesser amount of population is a result of its former status as a US highway route. U.S. Route 75 ran concurrent to Topeka Boulevard, historically called Topeka Avenue, it ran concurrent to the route to Hoyt until the construction and relocation of U.S. Route 75 north of U.S. Route 24 in the 1930's. U.S. Route 75 was rerouted through Topeka via the construction of I-470 and I-70 in the 1960's as a result of Dwight D. Eisenhower's Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956. The portion south of the junction ran concurrent to U.S. Route 75 until the completion of the divided freeway south of Topeka in 2003.
See also
- Topeka Boulevard Bridge
- Topeka Regional Airport
- U.S. Route 75 in Kansas
References
- ↑ Google Maps measure distance tool
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