Route 96 is a
state highway that travels from
Route 171 near
Carl Junction, in
Jasper County, to
Interstate 44 (I-44) in
Halltown, in
Lawrence County. A large section of the highway between
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the cla ...
and Halltown served as part of
U.S. Route 66 (US 66) and is currently marked as Historic Route 66.
The road was numbered due to its being an extension of
K-96
K96 or K-96 may refer to:
*K-96 (Kansas highway)
K-96 is a state highway in central and southern Kansas. Its western terminus is at the Colorado state line east of Towner, Colorado, where it continues as Colorado State Highway 96; its east ...
and its eastern terminus was in Carthage. When US 66 was
deleted east of Joplin, Route 96 was extended to replace US 66.
Route 96 was redesignated as Route YY west of Route 171 when
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
deleted the eastern part of K-96.
Route description
![I-44 exit 57](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/I-44_exit_57.jpg)
Route 96 begins at a partial interchange with
Interstate 44 (I-44) just west of
Halltown (there is no access to westbound I-44 or from eastbound I-44). The highway is a two-lane road and is relatively straight all the way to
Carthage
Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the cla ...
. Approximately west of I-44 is the western terminus of
Route 266. Approximately further west, Route 96 is joined by Historic Route 66.
At
Albatross, is an
intersection with
Route 39. Approximately further west is an intersection with
Route 97. At
Avilla, there is a
concurrency with
Route 37. As the road approaches Carthage, the highway curves south, then curves west again to become Central Street. At Garrison Avenue, the highway begins a concurrency with
Route 571 and the road becomes a wide boulevard.
west of Garrison Avenue is an
interchange with
I-49/
US 71. At this point, Route 571 ends and
Route 171 and
Business I-49, both of which join Route 96 and the road is a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
. The first exit west of I-49/US 71, Route 96 turns off and becomes a two-lane road again. North of Joplin, Route 96 intersects
Route 43. Approximately further west, Route 96 ends at Route 171.
History
Originally, Route 96 continued across Route 171 and turned south, curving around the west side of
Carl Junction. The road then traveled further west and crossed the
Kansas
Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to th ...
state line.
Major intersections
See also
*
References
External links
{{Attached KML, display=title,inline
096
096
Transportation in Jasper County, Missouri
Transportation in Lawrence County, Missouri