# K-18 (Kansas highway)

K-18 is a 206-mile (332 km), west–east state highway in the U.S. State of Kansas. K-18's western terminus is at U.S. Route 24 (US-24) near Bogue and the eastern terminus is at K-99 south of Wamego. Portions of the highway have been upgraded to a freeway beginning in 2012.
K-18 from US-81 to the western boundary of Lincoln County has been designated "Medal of Honor Recipient Donald K. Ross Memorial Highway".

## Route description

K-18 begins near the town of Bogue in Graham County as it branches off to the south from US-24. The highway then stairsteps to the southeast through the towns of Damar, Palco, Plainville, and Codell in Rooks County; Natoma in Osborne County; Paradise, Waldo, Luray, and Lucas in Russell County (K-18 is duplexed with US-281 for 9 miles (14 km) west of Luray); and Sylvan Grove, Lincoln, and Beverly in Lincoln County. As K-18 enters Ottawa County, it takes a due east bearing, traveling through Tescott and meeting US-81 north of Salina. The road briefly jogs to the north for around 2 miles (3.2 km) before turning east again to travel through Bennington and Talmage in Dickinson County and into Junction City in Geary County. In Junction City, K-18 meets US-77 and travels south along US-77 through the city until it hits I-70. K-18 then travels to the northeast along I-70 for eight miles (13 km) before exiting and continuing to the northeast toward Manhattan as a freeway. K-18 crosses the Kansas River at the Riley County line and travels through Ogden into Manhattan. Once traveling through Manhattan, K-18 again crosses the Kansas River and parallels the river to the south into Wabaunsee County before ending at K-99 south of Wamego.
The section of K-18 from just east of the interchange with K-113 to K-177 within Manhattan is maintained by the city.

## History

K-18 was first designated as a state highway in 1926, and ran from US-40 (now US-24) to US-81 north of Salina. In 1936, it extended to US-77 in Junction City. In 1953, it extended to K-13. In 1960, it extended east over cancelled K-29 to K-99.

### Realignments

In a November 23, 1955 resolution, a 0.246 miles (0.396 km) spur route of K-18 was built on the western side of Manhattan. Then in a November 14, 1956 resolution, the new alignment of K-18 was to be built from the western end of the spur westward.
In a resolution on May 9, 1973, it was approved to realign K-18 onto I-70 and US-40, which removed the overlap between K-18 and K-57. The former section of K-18 from Ogden northeast to the new K-18 was redesignated as K-114. K-114 was proposed to remove K-18 from its course through Fort Riley in favor of a route around the military base between Ogden and Junction City to separate military traffic and regular highway traffic. K-18 would be placed on its present corridor from just east of Ogden south to I-70, and the piece of K-18 between the city of Ogden and the new portion of K-18 would become K-114. The junction of K-18 and K-114 would be a partial interchange featuring a flyover ramp for westbound K-18 and no access from K-114 to westbound K-18 or from eastbound K-18 to K-114. K-114 was established when construction on the K-18 link between Ogden and I-70 was completed between 1975 and 1977. Between 2010 and 2013, K-18 and K-114 were relocated and their present interchange was constructed.
The section of K-18 from I-70 in Grandview Plaza to K-113 in Manhattan has been rebuilt into a limited-access divided freeway, a project that began in 2012.
On April 5, 2017, work began to convert the interchange with K-113 in Manhattan into a diverging diamond interchange. The $2.587 million project (equivalent to $3.16 million in 2023), completed by Amino Brothers Co. Inc. out of Kansas City, was completed and open to traffic in December 2017.

## Junction list

| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Graham | ​ | 0.000 | 0.000 | | US-24 – Hill City, Nicodemus, Stockton | Western terminus |
| Rooks | Plainville | 26.958 | 43.385 | | US-183 (Washington Street) – Stockton, Hays | |
| Osborne | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions | No major junctions |
| Russell | ​ | 54.523 | 87.746 | | US-281 south – Russell | Western end of US-281 concurrency |
| Russell | Luray | 63.035 | 101.445 | | US-281 north – Osborne | Eastern end of US-281 concurrency |
| Russell | Lucas | 73.945 | 119.003 | | K-232 south (Post Rock Scenic Byway) to I-70 | Northern terminus of K-232 |
| Lincoln | ​ | 81.368 | 130.949 | | K-181 – Downs, Sylvan Grove | |
| Lincoln | Lincoln | 94.828 | 152.611 | | K-14 – Beloit, Ellsworth | |
| Lincoln | Tescott | 105.296 | 169.457 | | K-252 south – Beverly | Northern terminus of K-252 |
| Ottawa | ​ | 119.008 | 191.525 | | K-106 east – Minneapolis | Western terminus of K-106 |
| Ottawa | ​ | 123.461 | 198.691 | | US-81 (Frank Carlson Memorial Highway) – Concordia, Salina | Interchange |
| Dickinson | ​ | 148.759 | 239.404 | | K-15 south – Abilene | Western end of K-15 concurrency |
| Dickinson | ​ | 152.725 | 245.787 | | K-15 north – Clay Center | Eastern end of K-15 concurrency |
| Geary | Junction City | 166.971 | 268.714 | | US-77 north / 8th Street east – Marysville | Interchange; western end of K-77 concurrency |
| Geary | Junction City | 169.123 | 272.177 | | I-70 west / US-40 west (Dwight D. Eisenhower Highway west) / US-77 south – Salina, Herington | I-70 exit 295; eastern end of US-77 concurrency; western end of I-70/US-40 concurrency |
| Geary | Junction City | 170.710 | 274.731 | 296 | US 40 Bus. east (Washington Street) | Exit numbers follow I-70 |
| Geary | Junction City | 172.068 | 276.917 | 298 | East Street / Chestnut Street | |
| Geary | Grandview Plaza | 172.775 | 278.054 | 299 | J Hill Road to Flinthills Boulevard (US 40 Bus. / K-57) | |
| Geary | Grandview Plaza | 173.975 | 279.986 | 300 | US 40 Bus. west / K-57 – Council Grove | No westbound entrance |
| Geary | ​ | 174.868 | 281.423 | 301 | Fort Riley, Marshall Field | |
| Geary | ​ | 177.054 | 284.941 | | I-70 east / US-40 east – Topeka | I-70 exit 303; eastern end of I-70/US-40 concurrency |
| Geary | ​ | | | | Boller Road | At-grade intersection; west end of freeway |
| Kansas River | Kansas River | 179.774 | 289.318 | Bridge | Bridge | Bridge |
| Riley | Fort Riley | 180.503 | 290.491 | — | 12th Street | |
| Riley | Ogden | 182.123 | 293.099 | — | K-114 west | Eastern terminus of K-114 |
| Riley | ​ | 183.374 | 295.112 | — | 56th Avenue | Serves Manhattan Regional Airport |
| Riley | ​ | 185.674 | 298.813 | — | Scenic Drive | |
| Riley | Manhattan | 187.923 | 302.433 | — | Miller Parkway / Davis Drive | |
| Riley | Manhattan | 188.642 | 303.590 | — | K-113 north (Seth Child Road) / Canyon Drive | Southern terminus of K-113; diverging diamond interchange |
| Riley | Manhattan | 189.245 | 304.560 | | Rosecutter Road south / Richards Drive north | At-grade intersection; east end of freeway |
| Riley | Manhattan | 191.357 | 307.959 | | K-177 north (Fort Riley Boulevard) to US-24 (Tuttle Creek Boulevard) – Kansas State University | Western end of K-177 concurrency |
| Riley | Manhattan | 191.357 | 307.959 | | Pierre Street west | Interchange; westbound left exit and eastbound left entrance |
| Riley | Manhattan | 191.937 | 308.893 | | K-177 south – Council Grove | Eastern end of K-177 concurrency |
| Wabaunsee | ​ | 205.999 | 331.523 | | K-99 – Wamego, Alma | Eastern terminus; road continues as Mt. Mitchell Road |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access |||||||