The 236-mile Turnpike was constructed in 22 months and opened to traffic October 25, 1956.

Because the legislature didn't want it that way when they created the KTA in 1953. More specifically, the legislature wanted to make it clear that any Turnpike debt was not considered a debt of the state or any political subdivision of the state.

Tolls are the major source of revenue to maintain and operate the Turnpike as well as pay back bondholders who loaned private capital to finance, construct and reconstruct the Turnpike.

No. Tax dollars are not available for Turnpike use. The tolls pay for the operation, maintenance and repurchasing bonds without use of any tax funds. In fact, $9 million dollars in motor fuel and sales tax (collected at the Turnpike's six service areas) paid to the state each year for use unrelated to the Turnpike.

The enabling legislation for the Turnpike Authority allowed that the Turnpike could revert to KDOT control when two conditions occurred simultaneously: the bonds were paid off and the roadway was in good condition. These two conditions are not likely to happen at the same time, as keeping the road in good repair requires capital investments from bond issues. The enabling legislation also provided that KDOT could continue tolling the road even if it were to be under state control.

The original 1954 bond issue have been paid off and new bonds have been issued for financing safety improvements, major reconstruction projects and upgrading. All KTA bonds outstanding are scheduled to be redeemed by 2034.

Tolls are charged on those Turnpikes which were built before the Interstate System was created in 1956. Many states, particularly in the East, already had Turnpikes built when the interstate routes were selected. The Federal planners chose not to build parallel interstate routes nor to buy back all the bonds loaned to the Turnpikes from private investors. Instead they chose to use tax dollars to speed construction of the non-toll interstate segments and to save billions of tax dollars by not building duplicate highways.

The Kansas Turnpike has twenty-one interchanges where you may exit the Turnpike. Each interchange consists of entry and exit lanes and a toll booth. At least one Toll Collection Agent is at each interchange to assist you with your payment and to provide information .

If you do not have a K-TAG you may pay with cash, personal or business check, traveler\'s check, or any major credit card. We accept only United States currency. If paying by check, you will need a photo ID.

Upon entry to the Kansas Turnpike you will receive a toll ticket which lists the tolls for all interchanges for the most common vehicle types. Most fares are based upon entry and exit locations, and the number of axles your vehicle has. Examples : A typical motorcycle, car, SUV, or pick up truck is a class "2". A class "2" vehicle pulling a single axle trailer is a class "3". A typical commercial tractor / trailer combination with 18 wheels is a class "5". Locate your entry and exit points to find the amount of your toll. If you would like to find the amount of your toll before you begin your trip, go to our Tolls web page and use the calculator or click the links to the text based toll charts.

Customers can travel at a leisurely pace during their long distance trip on the Kansas Turnpike. The time it takes you to travel between two different cities on the Kansas Turnpike does not influence you fare unless the trip takes longer than 18 hours to complete. If the difference between your entry and exiting time is 18 hours or longer, the maximum possible fare for the exit plaza will be charged, which will be substantially higher than the standard fare.

If you enter the Kansas Turnpike, and subsequently exit back at the same plaza that you originally entered at, no fare will be charged if the trip took less than 15 minutes to complete. If, however, your time on the Turnpike exceeded 15 minutes, a "per minute" will be charged which will vary based upon the class of your vehicle and total elapsed time.

There are six service areas along the length of the Turnpike. Each service area offers food, fuel, and rest-room facilities. All KTA service areas are located within KTA property boundaries, and you will not have to exit the Turnpike or pay a fare to access them.

You may also exit and re-enter the Turnpike at any interchange along the way. However, if you exit the turnpike before your final destination you will need to pay the applicable fare for that portion of your trip, and obtain a new entry ticket when you re-enter the turnpike and pay the applicable toll charge for the remainder of your trip.

The Service Areas:

Belle Plaine - MP 26 The Belle Plaine Service Area currently offers an EZ GO fuel retail facility, Travel Information Center, a McDonald's restaurant, gift shop and weather kiosk. EZ GO and McDonald's are open 24 hours a day

Towanda - MP 65 The Towanda Service Area offers a Phillips 66 fuel retail facility, a McDonald's restaurant, and weather kiosk. Phillips 66 is open 24 hours a day. McDonald's is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Matfield Green - MP 97 The Matfield Green Service Area offers a Phillips 66 fuel retail facility, a McDonald's, and weather kiosk. This facility is the same basic design at the Towanda Service Area. Also at the Matfield Green Service Area is the Knute Rockne Memorial. Phillips 66 is open 24 hours a day. McDonald's is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Emporia - MP 132 The Emporia Service Area offers a Phillips 66 and McDonald's. It has a children's play area and adult exercise area outside to allow travelers a chance to stretch. Phillips 66 is open 24 hours a day. McDonald's is open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Topeka - MP 188 The first of its kind on the Kansas Turnpike, the Topeka Service Area opened in May 2002. One facility houses a Hardee's, Taco Bueno, Bresler's Ice Cream, Hot Stuff Pizza, Cinnamon Street Bakery and Coffee Company, Wood Oil Company/Conoco fuel retail facility, and a Kansas Originals gift shop. Also at the Topeka Service Area is a weather kiosk. Wood Oil and Hardee's are open 24 hours a day. Hot Stuff Pizza, Taco Bueno, Bresler's Ice Cream and Cinnamon Street are open from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Lawrence - MP 209 The Lawrence Service Area offers an EZ GO fuel retail facility and a McDonald's restaurant. Both are open 24 hours a day.

The Kansas Turnpike Authority does not officially have a "Park and Ride" program, and we have not specifically used that terminology at any of our customer parking lot facilities. However most of our toll plazas do have parking lots for our customers to use that we call "commuter" parking lots. These lots are located just prior to the toll plaza booths, so that our customers can enter the lot, park their vehicle, and then ride with someone else before either vehicle actually enters the Turnpike's main roadway.  These lots normally have available empty spaces on a daily basis, but there are times when they may become full to capacity.  A customer can leave their vehicle for up to a maximum of 24 hours.

Once a vehicle has actually entered the Turnpike roadway we do not encourage our customers to park their vehicle anywhere and car pool with any other customer. Our six service areas contain restaurants and offer vehicle fuels and convenience store items, and there are large parking lots at these locations that are designed for customers to park and briefly rest.  However, we strongly discourage long term parking or "car pooling" at these areas. If a customer parked their vehicle at one of these service areas located on the main roadway for a multiple hour time period and then later on exited back at the same city that they initially entered at, they would be required to pay a substantial "per minute" fare. (See information listed above under time allocated)

There are historical markers at some of the Service Areas. The Turnpike crosses the historic Santa Fe Trail near milepost 155 and the Oregon Trail near milepost 189. The Matfield Green Service Area is located in the heart of the scenic Flint Hills, a noted cattle grazing and ranch area. A memorial to Knute Rockne is also located in the service area. Portions of the El Dorado Lake can be seen from Milepost 82.

The median barrier is a very important safety feature recently added to the Kansas Turnpike. The barrier helps to prevent crossover head-on collisions.

Road and weather information for the Kansas Turnpike, as well as the state road system, is available by dialing 511.

Emergency assistance can be reached on the Turnpike by dialing *582 from a cellular phone or 1-800-827-7453 from any telephone.

Visit myktag.com for additional information or call 1-800-873-5824, ext. 2330.
If you have a specific question you can also email ktag@ksturnpike.com.