Interstate 135 (I-135) is an approximately 95.7-mile-long (154.0 km) auxiliary Interstate Highway in central and south-central Kansas, United States. I-135, which is signed as north–south, runs between I-35 and the Kansas Turnpike in Wichita north to I-70, U.S. Highway 40 (US-40), and US-81 in Salina. Except for the first 0.46 miles (0.74 km), I-135 overlaps US-81 its entire length. The route also runs through the cities of McPherson, Newton, and Park City.

Quick Facts Route information, Length ...

Interstate 135
Map of Kansas with I-135 highlighted in red
Route information
Auxiliary route of I-35
Maintained by KDOT
Length	95.738 mi (154.075 km)
Existed	September 13, 1976–present
NHS	Entire route
Major junctions
South end	I-35 / Kansas Turnpike in Wichita
Major intersections	US-81 in Wichita I-235 in Wichita K-15 in Wichita US-54 / US-400 in Wichita I-235 / K-96 / K-254 in Wichita US-50 / K-15 in Newton K-61 / US 81 Bus. by McPherson US-56 / US 81 Bus. in McPherson K-4 near Lindsborg
North end	I-70 / US-40 / US-81 in Salina
Location
Country	United States
State	Kansas
Counties	Sedgwick, Harvey, McPherson, Saline
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Future Kansas State Highway System Interstate US State Spurs
← K-134 → K-136

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The highway was designated as Interstate 35W (I-35W) until September 1976, when it was renumbered as I-135 to conform to new AASHTO policies that eliminated most suffixed Interstate Highways. It is currently the longest three-digit "spur", with an odd first digit, in the Interstate System.

I-135 begins from the south at exit 42 on the Kansas Turnpike. (The exit is signed as I-135/I-235/US-81 for Wichita and Salina.) US-81 joins I-135 0.5 miles (0.80 km) later at exit 1A (East 47th Street South) and remains concurrent with it for the rest of its length. Less than one mile (1.6 km) from the Kansas Turnpike tollbooth, I-235, a loop around the westside of Wichita, branches off the highway at exit 1C. I-135 continues northward from there, running just east of the Wichita downtown area. It reunites with I-235 at exits 11A and 11B at milepost 11 at the loop's other end.

I-135 leaves Wichita and continues northward to Newton where it turns northwest around milemarker 33. The freeway continues in this direction for 20 miles (32 km), returning to a due north course at McPherson.

The stretch of I-135 in Saline County from the Saline–McPherson county line to the highway's terminus at I-70, is designated as the Ben E. Vidricksen Highway, in honor of a state senator who was active in pushing for the highway's enlargement.^[1][2]

The route ends on the northwest side of Salina, at its intersection at I-70. The road continues as US-81 north of this interchange.

Construction on the Canal Route portion of I-135 (in Wichita, where the Chisholm Creek Canal runs through the median of the highway) was begun in 1971.^[3] This portion of the route took eight years to complete with a cost of $32 million (equivalent to $108 million in 2023^[5]).^[3] It was built through the middle of the city's African-American neighborhood, known as McAdams.^[6]

Originally, the northern terminus of the highway at I-70 ended as a trumpet interchange. When US-81 was upgraded to a freeway between Salina and Minneapolis, Kansas, the northern terminus was rebuilt as a full cloverleaf interchange, which remains to this day.^{[citation needed]}

Until September 13, 1976, I-135 was signed as Interstate 35W (I-35W). The Interstate's full length was completed in December 1979.^[4]

In 2021, work began to rebuild the northern junction with I-235 in Wichita.^[7] A two-lane flyover ramp connecting northbound I-135 to southbound I-235 which replaced the previous one-lane loop ramp opened on May 31, 2023.^[8]