U.S. Route 66 in Kansas new Interstate highway crossed directly from Oklahoma to Missouri, bypassing Kansas entirely. US-69 Alternate was formed in 1985 when US-66 was decommissioned; the remainder of US-66 in Kansas became K-66. The final (1985) alignment of US-66 therefore perfectly matches present US-69 Alternate and K-66. Coming from the west, US 66 entered Kansas from Oklahoma, concurrent with US-69 Alternate, also called Military Avenue. From the state line, the highway ran north through Baxter Springs. At the intersection of US-66 with West 30th Street, the highway originally traveled east onto West 30th Street and then north onto Roberts Road to get back
U.S. Route 66 in Kansas it had been converted to storage space. Food service establishments fared somewhat better by relying on a strong local clientele after I-44 bypassed the state in 1961, but ultimately lead and zinc mine closures in the Tri-State district plus the diversion of US-66 traffic by I-44 led to the closure of many local Cherokee County businesses. U.S. Route 66 in Kansas U.S. Route 66 (US 66, Route 66), the historic east–west US highway between Chicago, Illinois and Santa Monica, California, passed through one brief segment in the southeastern corner of Kansas. It entered the state south of Baxter Springs and