U.S. Route 159


U.S. Highway 159 is a auxiliary route of US 59. It travels from Nortonville, Kansas at US 59 to New Point, Missouri, also at US 59. The highway permits through traffic on US 59 to bypass the cities of Atchison, Kansas and Saint Joseph, Missouri.

Route description

Kansas

US-159 begins in Nortonville, Kansas. It joins with U.S. Route 73 in Horton, Kansas. The two highways overlap and stretch to the Nebraska border, passing through Hiawatha, Kansas before leaving the state north of Reserve, Kansas.

Nebraska

US-159 clips the far southeastern corner of Nebraska. It enters south of Falls City, Nebraska concurrently with U.S. Route 73. In Falls City, US-159 turns east. It leaves the state at the Missouri River bridge in Rulo, Nebraska.

Missouri

US-159 enters northwestern Missouri near Big Lake. It crosses Interstate 29 near Fortescue, Missouri before ending at US-59 near New Point. Its total length in Missouri is approximately.

History

When the route was commissioned in 1934, U.S. Route 159 only went between Nortonville, Kansas and Horton, Kansas. In 1945, it was extended north to Craig, Missouri via Falls City, Nebraska. After 1975, the route in Missouri was altered to go east from the Fortescue area to what is now its current terminus near New Point, Missouri. The old route which went to Craig is now Route 111.
In 2013, a new bridge over the Missouri River, located about 650 feet south of the old Rulo Bridge, opened to traffic.

Major intersections