K-18 (Kansas highway)

K-18 is a 206 mi, 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 mi 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 mi 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 mi 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 $ in ), completed by Amino Brothers Co. Inc. out of Kansas City, was completed and open to traffic in December 2017.