# Interstate 135

Interstate 135 (I-135) is an approximately 95.7-mile-long (154.0 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in central and south-central Kansas, United States. I-135, which is signed as north–south, runs between I-35 and the Kansas Turnpike in Wichita north to I-70, U.S. Highway 40 (US-40), and US-81 in Salina. Except for the first 0.46 miles (0.74 km), I-135 overlaps US-81 its entire length. The route also runs through the cities of McPherson, Newton, and Park City.
The highway was designated as Interstate 35W (I-35W) until September 1976, when it was renumbered as I-135 to conform to new AASHTO policies that eliminated most suffixed Interstate Highways. It is currently the longest three-digit "spur", with an odd first digit, in the Interstate System.

## Route description

I-135 begins from the south at exit 42 on the Kansas Turnpike. (The exit is signed as I-135/I-235/US-81 for Wichita and Salina.) US-81 joins I-135 0.5 miles (0.80 km) later at exit 1A (East 47th Street South) and remains concurrent with it for the rest of its length. Less than one mile (1.6 km) from the Kansas Turnpike tollbooth, I-235, a loop around the westside of Wichita, branches off the highway at exit 1C. I-135 continues northward from there, running just east of the Wichita downtown area. It reunites with I-235 at exits 11A and 11B at milepost 11 at the loop's other end.
I-135 leaves Wichita and continues northward to Newton where it turns northwest around milemarker 33. The freeway continues in this direction for 20 miles (32 km), returning to a due north course at McPherson.
The stretch of I-135 in Saline County from the Saline–McPherson county line to the highway's terminus at I-70, is designated as the Ben E. Vidricksen Highway, in honor of a state senator who was active in pushing for the highway's enlargement.
The route ends on the northwest side of Salina, at its intersection at I-70. The road continues as US-81 north of this interchange.

## History

Construction on the Canal Route portion of I-135 (in Wichita, where the Chisholm Creek Canal runs through the median of the highway) was begun in 1971. This portion of the route took eight years to complete with a cost of $32 million (equivalent to $108 million in 2023). It was built through the middle of the city's African-American neighborhood, known as McAdams.
Until September 13, 1976, I-135 was signed as Interstate 35W (I-35W). The Interstate's full length was completed in December 1979.
In 2021, work began to rebuild the northern junction with I-235 in Wichita. A two-lane flyover ramp connecting northbound I-135 to southbound I-235 which replaced the previous one-lane loop ramp opened on May 31, 2023.

## Exit list

| County | Location | mi | km | Exit | Destinations | Notes |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 0.00– 0.43 | 0.00– 0.69 | | I-35 / Kansas Turnpike – Oklahoma City, Kansas City | Southern terminus; Kansas Turnpike toll booth; I-35/Kansas Tpke. exit 42; trumpet interchange |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 0.46 | 0.74 | 1A | US-81 south (47th Street South) | South end of US-81 overlap; last free exit southbound |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 0.81 | 1.30 | 1C | I-235 north | Left exit and entrance northbound; I-235 exit 1A southbound (to I-135 north); tri-stack interchange; former US 81 Byp. north |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 2.32 | 3.73 | 2 | Hydraulic Avenue | |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 3.21 | 5.17 | 3A | K-15 south (Southeast Boulevard) | Southbound exit and northbound entrance; south end of K-15 overlap |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 3.94 | 6.34 | 3B | Pawnee Street | |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 4.93 | 7.93 | 4 | Harry Street | |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 5.43 | 8.74 | 5A | Lincoln Street | |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 5.96 | 9.59 | 5B | US-54 / US-400 (Kellogg Avenue) | Signed as exit 6A southbound |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 6.60– 6.76 | 10.62– 10.88 | 6B | 1st Street North, 2nd Street North | Signed as exit 6C southbound |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 6.98 | 11.23 | 7A | Central Avenue | Southbound exit and northbound entrance |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 7.48 | 12.04 | 7B | 8th Street North, 9th Street North | |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 8.02 | 12.91 | 8 | 13th Street North | |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 9.00 | 14.48 | 9 | 21st Street North | |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 10.57 | 17.01 | 10 | K-96 east / 29th Street North, Hydraulic Avenue | Signed as exits 10A (K-96) and 10B (29th St., Hydraulic) northbound; south end of K-96 overlap |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 11.78 | 18.96 | 11A | I-235 south / K-96 west – Hutchinson | North end of K-96 overlap; I-235 exits 16A-B; I-235 is former US 81 Byp. south |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 11.78 | 18.96 | 11B | K-254 east – El Dorado | Left exit and entrance southbound |
| Sedgwick | Wichita | 13.21 | 21.26 | 13 | 53rd Street North | |
| Sedgwick | Park City | 14.23 | 22.90 | 14 | 61st Street North | |
| Sedgwick | Kechi–Grant township line | 16.25 | 26.15 | 16 | 77th Street North | |
| Sedgwick | Grant Township | 17.23 | 27.73 | 17 | 85th Street North | |
| Sedgwick | Grant Township | 19.23 | 30.95 | 19 | 101st Street North | |
| Sedgwick–Harvey county line | Grant–Darlington township line | 22.27 | 35.84 | 22 | 125th Street North | |
| Harvey | Darlington Township | 25.27 | 40.67 | 25 | K-196 east – Whitewater, El Dorado | |
| Harvey | Newton | 28.28 | 45.51 | 28 | SE 36th Street (CR 576) | |
| Harvey | Newton | 30.11– 30.32 | 48.46– 48.80 | 30 | US-50 west / K-15 north – Hutchinson | South end of US-50 overlap; north end of K-15 overlap; serves Newton Medical Center; left exit and entrance northbound |
| Harvey | Newton | 31.34– 31.87 | 50.44– 51.29 | 31 | First Street, Broadway Street | |
| Harvey | Newton | 32.65 | 52.55 | 33 | US-50 east – Peabody, Emporia | Northbound exit and southbound entrance; north end of US-50 overlap |
| Harvey | Newton | 34.78 | 55.97 | 34 | K-15 – North Newton, Abilene | |
| Harvey | Hesston | 40.52 | 65.21 | 40 | Lincoln Boulevard | |
| McPherson | Mound Township | 46.10 | 74.19 | 46 | K-260 west – Moundridge | Counterclockwise terminus of K-260; serves Mercy Hospital and Moundridge Municipal Airfield |
| McPherson | Mound Township | 48.68 | 78.34 | 48 | K-260 east – Moundridge | Clockwise terminus of K-260; serves Mercy Hospital |
| McPherson | Lone Tree–King City township line | 54.44 | 87.61 | 54 | Comanche Road (CR 445) / 18th Avenue (CR 319) | |
| McPherson | King City Township | 58.39 | 93.97 | 58 | US 81 Bus. / K-61 – McPherson, Hutchinson | |
| McPherson | McPherson | 60.51 | 97.38 | 60 | US-56 / US 81 Bus. – McPherson, Marion | |
| McPherson | McPherson Township | 62.94 | 101.29 | 63 | Mohawk Road | Opened 2017 |
| McPherson | New Gottland Township | 65.93 | 106.10 | 65 | Pawnee Road (CR 448) | |
| McPherson | New Gottland Township | 68.03– 68.60 | 109.48– 110.40 | Rest Area, located in the median; left exits and entrances | Rest Area, located in the median; left exits and entrances | Rest Area, located in the median; left exits and entrances |
| McPherson | Smoky Hill Township | 72.93 | 117.37 | 72 | Smoky Valley Road (CR 429) – Lindsborg, Roxbury | Former US 81 Bus. north, previously signed as I-135 BL north |
| Saline | Smoky View Township | 77.86 | 125.30 | 78 | K-4 west (Old Highway 81) – Bridgeport, Lindsborg | South end of K-4 overlap; former US 81 Bus. south, previously signed as I-135 BL south |
| Saline | Smoky View Township | 81.96 | 131.90 | 82 | K-4 east (Assaria Road) / Falun Road | North end of K-4 overlap |
| Saline | Smolan Township | 86.01 | 138.42 | 86 | K-104 east (Mentor Road) / Smolan Road | |
| Saline | Salina | 88.00 | 141.62 | 88 | Water Well Road | |
| Saline | Salina | 89.03 | 143.28 | 89 | Schilling Road | |
| Saline | Salina | 90.04 | 144.91 | 90 | Magnolia Road | |
| Saline | Salina | 92.39 | 148.69 | 92 | Crawford Street | |
| Saline | Salina | 93.43 | 150.36 | 93 | K-140 west (State Street) | |
| Saline | Salina | 95.74 | 154.08 | 95A-B | US-81 north / I-70 / US-40 – Concordia, Topeka, Hays | Northern terminus; north end of US-81 overlap; signed as exits 95A (I-70 east) and 95B (I-70 west); I-70 exits 250A-B; freeway continues north as US-81 (Frank Carlson Memorial Highway); cloverleaf interchange. |
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi Concurrency terminus Incomplete access Tolled |||||||

## Business loops

There is 1 current business loop and 1 former business loop.

### McPherson business loop

It starts at exit 58 and ends on exit 60. It has a concurrency with KS-64, and US-56.

### Former Lindsborg business loop

It started on exit 72 and ends on exit 78. It had a concurrency with KS-4.