U.S. Route 73 - History

History

The original southern terminus was at Atoka, Oklahoma at an intersection with U.S. Highway 75. From the creation of the highway in 1926 until 1935, US 73 was split between Oswego, Kansas and Horton, Kansas. US 73E followed modern US 160 from Oswego to Columbus, then modern US 69 to Kansas City, where it then latched onto what is now US 73. The US 73E designated then went from Kansas City to Horton. US 73W followed the route of modern U.S. Route 59 from Oswego to K-39, K-39 west to Chanute, modern U.S. Route 169 from Chanute to Garnett, modern US 59 again from Garnett to Nortonville, and then modern U.S. Route 159 from Nortonville to Horton. In 1935, US 73 was truncated at Kansas City with the modern designations taking over the old routes and US 69 taking over the Atoka-Oswego segment. In Kansas City, US 73 previously followed U.S. Route 24 into downtown Kansas City, Kansas, terminating at the Intercity Viaduct (Lewis and Clark Viaduct), before Interstate 435 was completed. After I-435 was completed, US 73 ended at its intersection with I-435.

Nebraska also had a split highway, with the split between Tekamah and Winnebago between 1935 and 1957. US 73E went north through Decatur along the current route of U.S. Route 75, while US 73W went west from Tekamah along current Nebraska Highway 32 to Oakland, then north from Oakland in a concurrency with U.S. Route 77.

The original northern terminus was south of Auburn, Nebraska, near Howe, Nebraska. US 73 went east through Howe, then south to Stella, Nebraska, then east through Shubert, Nebraska, then south to the current highway. In 1932, the highway was extended to South Sioux City, Nebraska. In 1965, the route was shortened to Winnebago, Nebraska. In 1984, U.S. 75 was removed from western Iowa along Interstate 29 and placed on U.S. 73's route, superseding it through Omaha, Nebraska and truncating the highway to its present northern terminus near Dawson, Nebraska.

On December 1, 2008, the southern terminus was rerouted, along with US 24 and US 40, southward along K-7 to its new terminus at I-70.

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