Missouri Roads - US 169

US 169


All photos are southbound.


US 169 does not follow these routes, but 169 traffic did until the Broadway Bridge toll was removed, presumably meeting up with the current alignment in Kansas. (I also see that shortly after I was there, part of US 169 was closed for months, so the shields actually ended up being useful again.) This is why the "DETOUR" banner exists.


On the Broadway Freeway, milemarkers have no possible basis in reality. US 169 is only a mile or two away from crossing into Kansas, and it runs for about 175 miles in that state. There is no system of connections I can work out that would be 113.6 miles long up to this point.


The gold dome that rises so conspicuously above the skyline from several angles is just the top of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. Usually, it's a city hall or state capitol that stands so prominently.


The unique arches of the Broadway Bridge and, less spectacularly, the unique median and shoulder gratings, heading across the Missouri River to downtown Kansas City, and then a look to the east at the Second Hannibal Bridge (that's a city, not a cannibal) in the foreground and another two bridges in the background. Both pairs of bridges have a very unusual feature in common - the railroad trusses once had upper decks carrying vehicular traffic, that were later removed when the wider parallel spans were built. Also, both rail spans open for river traffic, while both roadway bridges are fixed. The main difference is that while the Hannibal Bridge is a swing span, the ASB Bridge behind it is a lift span. The ASB Bridge and the green one just behind it are featured on the MO 9 page, linked below, where I share some more neat information that'll blow your structurally minded... mind.

Looking back north over my shoulder.


The end of the Broadway Bridge isn't a freeway, unlike the road to the north. Most traffic dumps into central Kansas City, while the rest distributes around the central freeway loop. Given the multitude of shields, it's surprising Missouri missed one - US 40, which doesn't seem to be signed anywhere in Kansas City. (Actually, there is a US 40 shield on the far side for I-70 EB/I-35 NB, so they do exist, just not often.)

Onto I-635
Onto US 69
Over to MO 9
Onto I-70
Onto I-35
Back to Missouri Roads
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