K-196 (Kansas highway)

K-196 begins at a diamond interchange with I-135 exit 25, which is co-designated as US-81 and K-15. It begins heading east through rural farmlands as it crosses Jester Creek. About past here it crosses West Wildcat Creek at South Woodlawn Road. Another east it crosses Wildcat Creek at Webb Road. About east from here, K-196 crosses Gypsum Creek. The highway then passes north of Whitewater Cemetery, crosses U.P. S.Y.S Railroad, then crosses into Butler County. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2018, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 1430 vehicles near Potwin, 2280 vehicles near the western terminus, to 2380 vehicles near the eastern terminus. K-196 is not included in the National Highway System. The National Highway System is a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility. K-196 does connect to the National Highway System at each terminus. As of 2017, the portion of the route in Harvey County is paved with partial design bituminous pavement and the portion of the route in Butler County is paved with full design bituminous pavement. ==History==

Early roads Before state highways were numbered in Kansas there were auto trails, which were an informal network of marked routes that existed in the United States and Canada in the early part of the 20th century. K-196's western terminus (I-135, US-81, K-15) closely follows the Meridian Highway and South West Trail. The former eastern terminus (US-77, US-54) was part of the Atlantic and Pacific Highway, Fort Scott Wichita Road and Kansas-Oklahoma-Texas Highway. Establishment and realignments K-196 was first established as a state highway on March 29, 1937, by the State Highway Commission of Kansas, now known as Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT). Before mid 1953, K-196 followed the railroad through Oil Hill, then in a May 19, 1953 resolution, K-196 was moved slightly southwest to a new alignment. By June 1957, Butler county had finished projects on the new K-254 and in a June 26, 1957 resolution, it was established as a state highway from the Sedgwick–Butler County line to K-196 west of El Dorado. Then sometime between June 26, 1957, and 1968, K-254 was extended along K-196 through El Dorato to US-54 and US-77. In an October 8, 1958 resolution, K-196 Alternate (K-196 Alt.) was created on the west end of El Dorado. Then by 1970, I-35W was built and K-196 was truncated to it current western terminus. I-35W was remembered to I-135 on September 13, 1976. Then sometime between 1975 and 1981, K-196 Alt. was decommissioned. The overlap with K-254 was removed on May 6, 1994, and K-196 was truncated to end at K-254 west of El Dorado. == Major intersections ==