text: kansas turnpike the kansas turnpike is a 236 - mile - long ( 380 km ) , freeway - standard toll road that lies entirely within the u.s. state of kansas . it runs in a general southwest - northeast direction from the oklahoma border to kansas city . it passes through several major kansas cities , including wichita , topeka , and lawrence . the turnpike is owned and maintained by the kansas turnpike authority ( kta ) , which is headquartered in wichita . the kansas turnpike was built from 1954 to 1956 , predating the interstate highway system . while not part of the system 's early plans , the turnpike was eventually incorporated into the interstate system in late 1956 , and is designated today as four different interstate highway routes : i - 35 , i - 335 , i - 470 , and i - 70 . the turnpike also carries a piece of u.s. routes 24 and 40 in kansas city . because it predates the interstate highway system , the road is not engineered to current interstate highway standards , and notably lacks a regulation - width median . to reduce the risk of head - on collisions , the kansas turnpike now has a continuous , permanent jersey barrier in the median over its entire length . on opening , there was no fixed speed limit on the highway ; drivers were merely asked to keep to a " reasonable and proper " limit , although shortly afterward signs were erected in certain stretches indicating a maximum speed of 80 miles per hour ( 130 km / h ) . from 1970 to 1974 and again since 2011 , the turnpike 's speed limit has been set at 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) ; that limit during the earlier period applied only during daytime hours . around 120 , 000 drivers use the turnpike daily . the road features numerous services , including a travel radio station and six service areas . one of these service areas is notable for the presence of a memorial to university of notre dame football coach knute rockne , who died near the current highway 's route . the turnpike is self - sustaining ; it derives its entire revenue from the tolls collected and requires no tax money for maintenance or administration . history early history early federal plans for a nationwide system of interregional highways did not include a route along or near the present turnpike , instead connecting oklahoma city and kansas city via southeastern kansas and u.s. route 69 . by the mid - 1940s , this route had shifted to roughly the present interstate 35 alignment , serving wichita . the only major difference from the present route was between wichita and emporia , where the highway ran north to newton before turning northeast along u.s. route 50 . in the early 1950s , toll roads were gaining in popularity as a mechanism for funding new . this trend started with the pennsylvania turnpike in 1940 , which was mimicked by other toll roads in new york , new jersey , several new england states , ohio , and colorado . in october 1951 , the highway council of the kansas chamber of commerce researched the possibility of integrating the state into a potential cross - country turnpike system . eastern kansas was also included in an interstate turnpike system stretching from galveston , texas to saint louis , missouri , via kansas city , that was proposed by oklahoma governor johnston murray . many firms from construction industries , as well as those concerned about the state 's economic development , worked to have legislation passed to allow the turnpike to be constructed . governor ed arn and gale moss , the state highway director , were two major proponents of the turnpike concept . the turnpike idea was an attractive one because initial construction was to be financed by the private sector via sales of revenue bonds , allowing state highway funds to be used for other important projects . the new toll road would also reduce traffic , and thus maintenance costs , on existing roads . there was also a concern that if kansas lagged behind in turnpike construction , it might be bypassed by toll roads in other states , leaving it at an economic disadvantage . the toll concept also had the benefit of ultimately putting the financial burden on the drivers who actually used the road , instead of using tax revenue that had been collected from residents statewide . there was a some opposition to the plan , from both government officials and citizens , due to concerns that the toll revenue might not cover the repayments to investors , bankrupting the turnpike authority and burdening the state government with the remaining debt . there were also worries about the possibility of the turnpike requiring maintenance before the bonds had been repaid . some critics also felt that the high speeds typical of turnpike driving were unsafe . as right - of - way for the project was obtained , the turnpike drew opposition from farmers and ranchers , who objected to the turnpike bisecting their property , making it difficult to access disjointed parcels of land . the kansas chamber of commerce held " turnpike clinics " in several locations across kansas in 1952 , reporting an overwhelmingly positive reception from the public . the kansas turnpike act , defining a turnpike from oklahoma to kansas city , became effective april 7 , 1953 . it created the kansas turnpike authority , with gale moss selected as its first chairman . with a budget of only $ 25 , 000 ( about $ 570 , 000 in 2015 ) , kta 's first office was a former barbershop in the kansas state capitol . given oklahoma 's plans to build a turnpike north from oklahoma city to the kansas state line , and taking into account traffic flow maps prepared by the highway department , a preliminary route was chosen connecting the proposed oklahoma turnpike to kansas city via wichita and topeka . a second route extending from topeka to salina , and further west to the colorado state line ( the modern - day i - 70 corridor ) was also studied . over 173 , 000 drivers were surveyed to determine how many of them would be willing to use the two proposed routes in order to establish their profitability . while the western kansas route was determined not to be feasible , the oklahoma – kansas city route was projected to generate a total revenue of $ 9 million in 1957 ( about $ 181 million in 2015 dollars ) . after considering a number of different alignments , including one bypassing topeka via the present route of i - 35 , the state decided on an " airline " route between wichita and topeka . from wichita south , the turnpike was to parallel u.s. route 81 , continuing into oklahoma ; the interchange with u.s. route 166 at south haven was included to provide an outlet if oklahoma lagged in its construction . the turnpike was to parallel u.s. route 40 from topeka to kansas city . the kansas city end was set at 18th street and muncie boulevard , which was to be extended and upgraded to a freeway ( the muncie expressway ) to the intercity viaduct by the state . after a ruling from the kansas supreme court that found that the kta could issue bonds and oversee the construction and administration of the turnpike , the turnpike authority sold $ 160 million ( around $ 3 . 22 billion in 2015 dollars ) in revenue bonds in september 1954 . kta bonds were quickly bought by investors , who were attracted by the kansas turnpike 's low construction costs — only one - third of that of turnpikes in other states — and projections showing that enough tolls would be collected to pay off investors after nineteen years . ground was broken on december 31 , 1954 at the kansas river bridge near lawrence . construction of the entire length of the turnpike was scheduled to take place all at once , with the turnpike partitioned into 14 parts , and the overall length also divided into 43 smaller portions . the turnpike authority sent out letters en masse to the affected landowners , offering a price and referring appeals to the local district court , which typically valued the land at a lesser amount ; this methodology was not without criticism . during the construction period , the state highway department suffered a " brain drain " as many staffers resigned to take up kta jobs , which paid better salaries ( chairman moss 's kta salary was three times that of his salary as director of highways ) and offered more exciting challenges . after almost 22 months of construction , the road was opened for a day of free travel on october 20 , 1956 between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. an estimated 12 , 000 to 15 , 000 cars traveled on the turnpike . many of those motorists traveled to lawrence for a football game between the university of kansas and university of oklahoma . official opening ceremonies were held at interchanges in each of the three major cities on october 25 . the kansas city celebration included gene autry jumping his horse through a large paper map of the turnpike . john masefield , the british poet laureate , wrote a tribute to commemorate the occasion . on the first day after the official opening , 7 , 197 vehicles traveled the turnpike , with 81 toll collectors and 50 maintenance workers on duty . the turnpike originally had 14 interchanges ; by 2012 , there were 22 . the southern terminus despite oklahoma 's role in instigating the construction of the kansas turnpike , its plans for a connecting turnpike fell through . the oklahoma turnpike authority ( ota ) had not performed a traffic study , as kta had , to prove that the proposed oklahoma turnpike would be profitable . oklahoma also suffered from a poorer credit rating than did kansas . additionally , by this time many states ' turnpike authorities were competing in the bond markets for investor dollars . all of these issues combined made it difficult for ota to issue bonds for its toll road . when funding had been obtained , political issues stalled the proposed toll road further . with no counterpart to the south , the kansas turnpike ended at the state line , at an at - grade intersection with road . just across the state line was an oat field , into which many inattentive motorists crashed . this abrupt end became nationally famous after wyoming governor milward l. simpson and his wife crashed in mid - 1957 . the oat farmer plowed the field to provide a safer landing , and the kta was persuaded to install a huge wooden barrier at the end of the highway . however , within a day , three more drivers had crashed and destroyed the barrier , so the kta closed the turnpike south of the south haven interchange . kta provided the state of oklahoma with financial aid to construct its portion of a temporary road leading to the interchange . the lack of continuity in the highway was one of the primary reasons that the road did not generate much revenue in the years following the opening ; another reason was a lack of education on the part of motorists as to the concept of a toll road . although oklahoma 's plans to construct a toll road from the southern end of the kansas turnpike at the state line to oklahoma city did not materialize , a year and a half after the opening of the turnpike , a 5 - mile ( 8 . 0 km ) connection to us 177 was put into service . eventually i - 35 was completed south to oklahoma city . recent history while the initial turnpike was still being built , the kta authorized four feasibility studies in october 1954 . three of them — a spur to leavenworth and saint joseph , missouri , a spur from wichita to hutchinson , great bend and hays , and a new intercity viaduct to kansas city , missouri — did not go anywhere . but the fourth proposal , a toll bridge on 18th street in kansas city , was pushed through , and the kta agreed to build the turnpike in early 1956 . the 18th street expressway , running south from the turnpike 's east end over the kansas river , opened in 1959 , improving access to northeast johnson county . as the turnpike did not use any state tax revenue for maintenance , the pavement began to deteriorate rapidly , and crews faced difficulty keeping up with the snow in winter conditions in a winter storm during 1960 . in the early 1960s , many senior positions in the kansas turnpike authority were cut , and thanks to this and other austerity measures such as targeting maintenance to save costs in the future , the turnpike slowly became profitable . by 1966 , it was clear that the turnpike had not been built to the higher standards of the interstate highway system ; the roadway had developed ruts and other issues due to deferred maintenance . to temporarily fix the problem , a layer of asphalt oil and a layer of sand and asphalt was used to fill in the ruts , and graded rock coated with asphalt was used to seal the road . since the road had been originally constructed at the same time , and not built in segments over a period of time , similar maintenance issues appeared along the whole length of the road at the same time . bridges and pavement were repaired on a rotating basis , to stagger the cost of needed repairs . the bridge over the kansas river was widened and replaced after 1973 . as economic conditions improved for the authority , equipment was slowly replaced , and workers were given pay increases , both of which were badly needed . in june 1956 , the federal aid highway act of 1956 was signed into law , granting funding to the nationwide interstate highway system . without its oklahoma link , the kansas turnpike was in danger of being bypassed by the interstate system entirely . however , at the end of 1956 , the bureau of public roads and the state of kansas agreed to route i - 35 along the turnpike south of emporia and i - 70 along the piece east of topeka . the state insisted on a separate emporia – kansas city alignment , and the mileage that would have been used to build i - 35 from wichita to emporia via newton was instead used for interstate 35w ( now interstate 135 ) from wichita via newton to salina . oklahoma 's first piece of interstate 35 , from the state line to u.s. highway 177 at braman , opened april 22 , 1958 . the east topeka interchange was completely rebuilt in the late 1990s , with a goal of rerouting i - 70 and improving access to the turnpike . the design was completed in 1997 , and the project was finished in 2001 at a cost of $ 98 . 6 million in 1999 dollars . on the evening of april 6 , 2002 , a grease fire broke out in the hardee 's restaurant at the belle plaine service plaza . by heavy winds , the fire destroyed the building , which also contained a travel information center . four fire departments responded to the scene . the assistant fire chief and fire chief of the wellington fire department gave conflicting statements on whether the unavailability of the wellington water tower , which had been emptied while it was being repainted , had hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze . the fire burned for three hours , with hot spots still smoldering the following day . no injuries were reported . the fire caused $ 2 million in damages . the service plaza was rebuilt , with a reopening celebration occurring on july 24 , 2003 . a 390 - year flood event took place on the night of august 30 , 2003 , at the kansas turnpike 's crossing of jacobs creek , a tributary of the cottonwood river 11 miles ( 18 km ) southwest of emporia ( turnpike milepost 116 ) . a thunderstorm that evening dropped large amounts of rain in the area , with a gauge at plymouth reporting 7 . 1 inches ( 18 cm ) of rainfall in a 24 - hour period . the culvert carrying jacobs creek under the turnpike quickly exceeded its capacity , and water rose onto the turnpike . a pool of water four feet ( 1 . 2 m ) deep formed on the northbound lanes ; the concrete median barrier initially prevented most of the water from crossing to the southbound lanes . seven cars , all headed northbound , stalled in the floodwater . the median barrier then gave way , sweeping the stalled cars across the southbound lanes and down the creek as far as 1 1 ⁄ 2 miles ( 2 . 4 km ) from the highway . six people died in the flood . tolls as of 2014 , the passenger or passengers of two - axle vehicles ( such as cars and motorcycles ) pay a total of $ 12 . 00 to travel the entire length of the turnpike . tolls are calculated based on the length of the route traveled , and the toll is as little as 30 ¢ for motorists driving only a short distance ( 3 miles ( 4 . 8 km ) , for example ) on the turnpike . drivers in vehicles with more than two axles , such as truckers , pay higher tolls . the turnpike runs on a ticket - based collection system . when entering the turnpike , either at one of the termini or at an interchange , a driver is issued a ticket which indicates the toll plaza at which they entered . when leaving the turnpike , this ticket is used to determine the amount of the toll . if a motorist presents a ticket at the same toll plaza it was issued from , the kta charges a " per - minute " fare if the trip was more than fifteen minutes . should the ticket be lost , or should the trip take over eighteen hours to complete , the driver must pay the highest possible toll for that exit . as an alternative to using tickets , motorists can order a transponder , known as a k - tag . k - tag customers can proceed slowly through the toll plaza without stopping to collect a ticket or pay toll . the toll is instead paid through one of two payment plans . k - tag classic , intended for frequent turnpike users , requires the customer to maintain a prepaid account , from which funds are drawn as needed . the plan intended for intermittent users , my k - tag , requires an active credit card . my k - tag keeps track of the tolls accrued by the customer , and automatically charges the user 's credit card monthly . k - tag classic accounts are subject to a $ 1 monthly fee per tag , while my k - tag account holders can get up to five tags for free . tolls for k - tag users are lower than for cash customers , so a two - axle vehicle with a k - tag is charged only $ 10 . 20 to travel the entire length of the turnpike . k - tag classic users also receive an additional 10 - percent discount on tolls . k - are available for purchase at select walgreens , dillons , and aaa locations . k - tag is compatible with in neighboring oklahoma . however , k - tag is not compatible with any other systems , including the e - zpass system in the eastern united states . k - tag was introduced in 1995 ; the system was internally designed and is internally run , instead of being contracted to another company , saving additional overhead costs . the kansas turnpike is completely self - sustaining . all costs are paid for by the tolls collected ; no tax money is used for construction , maintenance , or administration . kta estimates that 120 , 000 drivers use the turnpike each day . route description the kansas turnpike is 236 miles ( 380 km ) long . as of 2014 the kansas turnpike has 22 interchanges and two barrier toll plazas . many of the interchanges are designed as trumpet interchanges with a connector road to the crossroad , for easy placement of a single toll plaza on the connector . exit numbers were originally sequential but are assigned today by mileage from south to east , the same numbering system used by the majority of u.s. states for their interstate highways as well . after passing the bonner springs interchange , exit numbers change to match the mileage of interstate 70 ( i - 70 ) east from the colorado border , which is also used on i - 70 west of the turnpike . this results in discontinuous exit numbers on i - 70 . oklahoma state line to emporia the first 127 miles ( 204 km ) of the highway , between its southern terminus at the oklahoma border and emporia , kansas , are designated as interstate 35 ( i - 35 ) . the kansas turnpike is the only tolled section on this interstate . the turnpike runs due north and south between its southern terminus and wichita . this stretch of the highway runs parallel to u.s. route 81 ( us - 81 ) , which lies to the west of the turnpike . the kansas turnpike begins at the oklahoma state line north of braman , oklahoma . this is also the point at which i - 35 crosses from kay county to sumner county . the turnpike proceeds due north from the state line , with no interchanges for its first four miles ( 6 . 4 km ) in kansas . the southernmost interchange on the turnpike is exit 4 ( south haven ) , which serves us - 166 . us - 166 heads east to arkansas city and west to us - 81 at south haven . this interchange is a four - ramp folded diamond with ramps in the southeast and northwest quadrants . it has no toll plazas , as it lies south of the southern barrier toll . northbound traffic must exit at us - 166 to avoid paying a toll . initially , the interchange provided only a southbound exit and northbound entrance , forcing drivers who did not wish to pay a toll to leave i - 35 in oklahoma . by 1976 the other two ramps had been added . from exit 4 , the turnpike continues on a due north course , crossing slate creek , before coming to the southern terminal barrier toll plaza , where tickets are issued for all northbound traffic and fares are collected from southbound traffic . the next interchange north of the toll plaza is exit 19 ( wellington ) , serving us - 160 , which heads west to wellington , the county seat of sumner county , and east to winfield , the seat of adjoining cowley county . it is the first of many trumpet interchanges , serving the surface road via a connector road with a toll plaza . when the turnpike first opened , the us - 160 interchange was a reversed diamond with four loop ramps , so that all traffic using the interchange had to pass under the bridge and thus through the toll plaza . the new configuration was built c . 1988 . the freeway takes a brief jog to the northeast before crossing over a burlington northern santa fe rail line southeast of riverdale . in the median at mile 26 is the belle plaine service area . north of the service plaza , the highway bridges the river and then k - 55 . no interchange is present to allow turnpike travelers to connect to the k - 55 . the turnpike 's next interchange is exit 33 ( mulvane ) , which connects to k - 53 via a trumpet ramp , just east of the west end of k - 53 at us - 81 . the interchange was built c . 1985 . it was reconstructed in 2011 to serve the kansas star casino with roundabouts on each side of the flyover . the east roundabout directs traffic to k - 53 . the west roundabout directs traffic to the casino . there is now a toll booth on the casino side of the intersection as well as the one on the entrance to k - 53 . this interchange straddles the sumner – sedgwick county line . in southern sedgwick county , the kansas turnpike enters the wichita metropolitan area . exit 39 ( ) serves two of wichita 's southern suburbs . this exit is a diamond interchange with a connector road to grand avenue , which runs west to u.s. route 81 and and east to derby . it was built c . 1989 . now in wichita proper , the highway reaches exit 42 ( south wichita ) , which is the south end of interstate 135 . i - 135 heads north through wichita , the largest city in kansas , toward salina ; us - 81 joins at the first interchange and i - 235 begins at the second . the interchange is a simple trumpet with i - 135 , and opened in 1956 with the turnpike , but the connector ended at 47th street ( now us - 81 ) until c . 1961 . after passing exit 42 , the turnpike curves away from us - 81 , turning northeast toward el dorado and emporia . it crosses the arkansas river between exits 42 and 45 . exit 45 ( wichita , k - 15 ) ) is a trumpet connection to k - 15 in southern wichita . it opened in 1956 as one of the original interchanges . as the highway continues northeast through wichita , it comes to exit 50 ( east wichita ) , a double - trumpet connection to the parallel kellogg avenue , which carries us - 54 and us - 400 . it is one of the original 1956 interchanges . exit 53 , the final wichita exit , is a trumpet connection to the k - 96 freeway . the connector road junctions k - 96 at a four - ramp partial cloverleaf interchange and ends at 127th street east . the interchange opened c . 1994 along with the nearby piece of k - 96 . east of exit 53 , the turnpike passes into butler county . exit 57 ( andover ) connects to 21st street northeast of downtown andover , an eastern suburb of wichita . ( this is the same " 21st street " that runs through wichita . ) the turnpike uses a diamond interchange with the connector road to 70th street . this interchange opened c . 1985 . it crosses the whitewater river southwest of the towanda service area , located in the median at mile 65 . from the service area , the highway proceeds north east to exit 71 ( el dorado ) , a trumpet connection to k - 254 just east of its junction with k - 196 . the connector originally directly intersected k - 254 , but it now ends between k - 254 and west 6th avenue , just north of k - 254 . exit 71 opened with the original turnpike in 1956 . north of el dorado , exit 76 ( el dorado ) connects the kansas turnpike to u.s. route 77 via a trumpet ramp . it opened c . 1986 . after passing through el dorado , the kansas turnpike crosses the northernmost arms of el dorado lake . this marks the turnpike 's entry into the flint hills , a band of hills in eastern kansas . the turnpike does not leave this region completely until it reaches topeka . as the highway continues northeast past el dorado lake , it runs roughly parallel to the walnut river to the west , which feeds the reservoir , and k - 177 to the east . northwest of the town of cassoday , k - 177 finally crosses the turnpike , with exit 92 ( cassoday ) , a diamond interchange , providing a connector to the state highway . the interchange was not present when the turnpike opened in 1956 , but was built soon after as an east - facing folded diamond with two separate toll plazas . the present configuration was built c . 1995 . near this interchange , the turnpike crosses the walnut river . northeast of the cassoday interchange , the kansas turnpike enters chase county . in the median at mile 97 , just north of the county line , is the matfield green service area . approximately 13 . 7 miles ( 22 . 0 km ) northeast of the service area , an interchange provides access to a set of cattle pens southeast of bazaar . other than these two service exits , there are no interchanges within chase county ; upon leaving it , the turnpike passes into lyon county . the next interchange along the turnpike is exit 127 ( emporia ) . at this trumpet interchange , interstate 35 leaves the turnpike to head east through emporia , the county seat of lyon county , on its way northeast to kansas city via ottawa . interstate 35 and u.s. route 50 . the interchange , as opened in 1956 with the original turnpike , connected directly to us - 50 at overlander street ; a different configuration opened c . 1966 along with the connecting piece of i - 35 . in 2005 , kta approved reconstruction of the emporia interchange to improve connections to us - 50 , i - 35 , and the city of emporia , resulting in the present configuration . this project , funded by the turnpike authority , the kansas department of transportation , and the city of emporia , was completed in 2008 . emporia to topeka after the split with i - 35 , the kansas turnpike continues northeast as i - 335 . however , its exits are numbered as if i - 35 had continued along it . this highway exists entirely as a part of the kansas turnpike . in fact , until 1987 , this stretch of the turnpike was designated solely as the kansas turnpike without an interstate number . it was only after a change in the national maximum speed law , when state legislators were given the authority to raise the speed limits on rural interstate highways to 65 mph ( 105 km / h ) , that this segment of the kansas turnpike was given the i - 335 designation so that it could fall under the new law . northeast of emporia , the emporia service area is located in the median at mile 132 . the turnpike continues northeast through the northern reaches of the flint hills , coming to an interchange with us - 56 near admire . this interchange , exit 147 , is the only interchange along the i - 335 section of the turnpike other than the two end junctions . it is a trumpet connection to us - 56 , which heads west to council grove and east to osage city , and was one of the original 1956 interchanges . from the admire exit , the kansas turnpike continues northeast , passing through the southeast corner of county and the northwestern part of osage county . the turnpike enters shawnee county and continues through rural land before it heads into the topeka area . here , the roadway has an interchange that serves i - 470 and us - 75 . at this point , i - 335 ends and i - 470 joins the turnpike as it passes through suburban development in the southeastern part of topeka . in the eastern portion of the city , the highway reaches an interchange with i - 70 , us - 40 , and k - 4 . topeka to kansas city the remainder of the turnpike runs on i - 70 from topeka to the turnpike 's eastern terminus in kansas city . this is one of only two tolled sections of i - 70 ; the other is on the pennsylvania turnpike with i - 76 . the turnpike continues east along i - 70 and crosses tecumseh creek . the topeka service area is located on the north side of the road east of here at mile 188 . it is accessed by ramps on the right side of the highway in both directions . just east of the service area , the turnpike enters douglas county while passing over us - 40 without an interchange . the route then curves to the southeast and runs roughly parallel to us - 40 . a series of curves takes the turnpike farther east as it reaches exit 197 ( lecompton ) , a folded diamond interchange with the western terminus of k - 10 . after this , the highway continues farther east and enters the city of lawrence , where it shares a diamond interchange with mcdonald drive at exit 202 ( west lawrence ) . mcdonald drive leads to us - 59 south of the turnpike . east of here , the highway bends east - northeasterly , crosses the kansas river , and then intersects us - 40 and us - 59 , which run concurrently , at exit 204 ( east lawrence ) . the kansas turnpike then leaves lawrence and bends to the northeast before leaving douglas county and entering leavenworth . it overpasses mud creek before passing under k - 32 . northeast of here at mile 209 , the lawrence service area is located in the median . afterward , the turnpike has a diamond interchange with 222nd street , which is signed as leavenworth county road 1 , at exit 212 ( / eudora ) . the highway then travels northeast and passes through it eastern terminal toll booth . this is the final toll booth on the route travelling east and all vehicles must pay their final toll before continuing . the turnpike then enters bonner springs . it crosses wolf creek before leaving leavenworth county and entering wyandotte county . in bonner springs , the turnpike intersects k - 7 , westbound us - 24 , westbound us - 40 , and the southern terminus of us - 73 at exit 224 ( bonner springs , formerly exit 223 ) with a trumpet interchange . the mileposts on the route switch to match those of i - 70 after this interchange . us - 24 and us - 40 run concurrently with i - 70 and the kansas turnpike as it heads east toward kansas city . the first free exit on the turnpike is a diamond interchange with 110th street at exit 410 . this interchange is located just south of the kansas speedway . just east of here , the route intersects i - 435 at exit 411 . this exit uses a cloverleaf interchange with one directional ramp and collector – distributor roads to avoid issues with traffic exiting immediately north of the turnpike . after this interchange , the highway enters kansas city . the turnpike 's first exit in the city is exit 414 , a diamond interchange with 78th street . next , the highway curves slightly to the northeast and intersects the turner diagonal at exit 415 , an interchange consisting of a half - cloverleaf for the western ramps and a y - connection for the eastern ramps that intersects the turner diagonal at a trumpet interchange north of the turnpike . east of here , the route has a diamond interchange with 57th street at exit 417 . directly east of 57th street , the turnpike crosses brenner heights creek . after this , the turnpike continues due east to a fully directional interchange with i - 635 at exit 418 . after this interchange , the freeway bends in a southeastern direction and reaches its final exit , exit 420 . this exit is a cloverleaf interchange with us - 69 , which is also known as the 18th street expressway . at this interchange , us - 69 turns east to overlap i - 70 , us - 40 , and us - 24 , and the highways continue east of exit 420 toward kansas city , missouri . design because the kansas turnpike was built before the interstate highway system , it is not engineered to current interstate highway standards . the turnpike was originally constructed with lanes only 12 feet ( 3 . 7 m ) wide . notably , the turnpike was built without a 36 - foot ( 11 m ) median . when it opened , the central reservation was a 20 - foot ( 6 . 1 m ) depressed median . starting in 1985 , jersey barriers were installed along its entire length . as with all other toll roads that predated the interstate highway system , the highway is grandfathered from interstate standards . kansas turnpike mileposts are continuous along the entire length of the turnpike . mile markers begin at the point where i - 35 enters kansas at the southern border . these numbers are continued along the other three interstates that make up the turnpike , rather than numbering each interstate individually , leading to discontinuous numbering on i - 70 — the exit numbers on tolled i - 70 are much lower than those on free i - 70 . the majority of the kansas turnpike , from the oklahoma state line to topeka , was constructed with four - inch ( 100 mm ) asphalt . the 55 miles ( 89 km ) from topeka to kansas city was built with portland cement concrete . curves along the turnpike are limited to 3 ° and grades limited to 3 % . early reports said that curves were designed to accommodate speeds of 70 to 75 mph ( 115 to 120 km / h ) . when built , the turnpike was designed to allow 18 , 000 - pound ( 8 , 200 kg ) axle loads . minimum sight distances were kept at 725 feet ( 221 m ) . the 300 - foot ( 91 m ) right of way featured fenced edges to prevent cattle from entering the roadway and to discourage toll evasion . speed limits when the turnpike was originally opened , it had no posted speed limit , however " drivers [ would ] be ' hailed down ' if they exceed 80 miles an hour [ 130 km / h ] . " in 1970 , the speed limit was reduced to 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) during the day and 70 mph ( 115 km / h ) at night ; authorities cited accidents caused by excess speed . nationwide , the speed limit was reduced to 55 mph ( 90 km / h ) on january 2 , 1974 ; kansas delayed implementing the reduction until the deadline on march 2 , 1974 . when congress allowed states to increase their speed limits to 65 mph ( 105 km / h ) , kansas increased the speed limit on most of the turnpike ; the emporia – topeka segment did not have an interstate designation to allow for an increase there . other sections through urban areas remained at the lower limits as well . the kansas department of transportation requested an interstate designation for the emporia – topeka segment of the turnpike by may 1987 , which they received on october 23 , 1987 , when that section was given the i - 335 designation to allow for a 65 mph ( 105 km / h ) speed limit . later in november 1995 , congress repealed the national maximum speed limit ; kansas initially left their limits alone after the repeal . legislation that raised the speed limits to 70 mph ( 115 km / h ) took effect on march 22 , 1996 . on july 1 , 2011 , the speed limit on most of the kansas turnpike was raised once again to 75 mph ( 120 km / h ) as part of a set of speed limit increases affecting several rural interstates and u.s. routes throughout kansas . the minimum speed is 40 mph ( 65 km / h ) . services the kansas turnpike authority provides a number of services to help motorists and provide incentives for using the turnpike . kta broadcasts a travel radio station at 1610 am from wellington , wichita , el dorado , cassoday , emporia , admire , east topeka , and west lawrence . law enforcement is provided by a separate turnpike division of the kansas highway patrol . motorists needing assistance can use a roadside assistance hotline by dialing * kta ( * 582 ) on a mobile phone . statewide weather and traffic conditions can be accessed by dialing 511 . kta also provides weather and traffic information on their website . the original service areas were spaced 45 miles ( 72 km ) apart . there are six service areas located along the highway : the belle plaine service area ( mile 26 ) opened on july 24 , 2003 , replacing a previous structure at the site that had been destroyed by a grease fire . it contains a 24 - hour gas station and convenience store , a fast food restaurant , a weather kiosk , a kansas travel information center , and a gift shop . the towanda service area ( mile 65 ) provides a 24 - hour gas station and convenience store , a fast food restaurant , and a weather kiosk . the matfield green service area ( mile 97 ) shares the design of the towanda service area , and also provides a 24 - hour gas station and convenience store , a fast food restaurant , and a weather kiosk . the service area at matfield green also contains a 175 - square - foot ( 16 . 3 m2 ) memorial to notre dame football coach knute rockne , who died in a 1931 plane crash near bazaar , kansas , a few miles north of the service area . the emporia service area ( mile 132 ) , like the two service areas to the south , includes a 24 - hour gas station and convenience store and a fast food restaurant . additionally , the facility provides an outdoor exercise area and playground for children . the topeka service area ( mile 188 ) opened in may 2002 . this service plaza features a choice of five restaurants ( one of which is open 24 hours ) , as well as a gift shop and a 24 - hour gas station and convenience store . prior to this plaza 's opening , a service area was located in the median between exits 182 and 183 . it closed in may 2002 when the present topeka service area opened . the lawrence service area ( mile 209 ) consists of a 24 - hour gas station and convenience store , in addition to a 24 - hour fast food restaurant . exit list