K-106 (Kansas highway)

K-106 begins at an intersection with K-18 and begins travelling north through small rolling hills covered with a mix of farmlands and grasslands. After about one mile (1.6 km) the highway crosses Battle Creek, a tributary of the Solomon River. It continues north to an intersection with Ivy Road, which connects to Rock City, a group of 200 spherical boulders designated as a National Natural Landmark. Here K-106 levels out and transitions to farmlands, as it continues north past an AG by Air airport. As it passes by the airport it crosses Salt Creek then curves east. It continues east for .5 miles (0.80 km) then curves northeast and enters the city of Minneapolis.[3] As it enters the city it crosses the Solomon River then a Union Pacific Railroad track. It then curves east at and begins to follow 1st Street. It then turns south at Rothsay Avenue and leaves 1st Street. It continues south then turns east and begins to follow Laurel Street then passes Highland Cemetery as it exits the city.[4] As it continues east it crosses Lindsey Creek then soon reaches a diamond interchange with US-81. Past US-81 the highway curves southeast and begins to parallel US-81. After just over one mile (1.6 km), K-106 curves east. It continues through flat rural farmlands before intersecting North 180th Road. It continues for one mile (1.6 km) then curves north and ends .3 miles (0.48 km) later at Ottawa State Fishing Lake.[3][5]

The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2018, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 190 vehicles per day at the eastern terminus to 1850 vehicles per day just west of the junction with US-81.[6] K-106 is not included in the National Highway System.[7] The National Highway System is a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility. K-106 does connect to the National Highway System at its junction with US-81.[8] All but 1.522 miles (2 km) of K-106's alignment is maintained by KDOT. The entire section within Minneapolis is maintained by the city.[9]

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. The former Blue Line follows K-106's southern terminus. The highway crosses the former Sunflower Trail and Meridian Highway in Minneapolis.[10]

K-106 was assigned by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) on July 8, 1944, when US-81 was moved slightly east to a new alignment. At that time it began at the Minneapolis city limits and ran east along Laurel Street to US-81.[2] In a May 25, 1949 resolution, a road was extended from the north side of the city east along 10th Street to US-81 and became known as K-106N and the original K-106 became K-106S.[13] Between 1953 and 1956, K-106S and K-106N became K-106, a complete loop through the city.[14][15] On July 11, 1956, KDOT passed a resoulution to extend K-106 southward 7.554 miles (12.157 km) to K-18, and the section along Laurel Street formally known as K-106N was eliminated.[16] The portion of K-106 from Heartland Drive east to Ottawa Lake was originally K-93. In a June 14, 1994 resolution, K-93, which was designated May 1, 1936, was added to K-106 when a new alignment of US-81 was built.[11][12]

The entire route is in Ottawa County.

Location	mi[1]	km	Destinations	Notes
Culver Township	0.000	0.000	K-18 – Junction City, Lincoln	Western terminus
Concord Township	10.420	16.769	US-81 – Concordia, Salina	Grade-separated interchange
Ottawa State Fishing Lake	16.254	26.158	Lake Drive	Eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

• Kansas Department of Transportation State Map
• KDOT: Historic State Maps