OKRoads -- U.S. 71 Missouri -- Southbound -- St. Joseph to Missouri 58

U.S. 71 runs from U.S. 190 east of Opelousas, Louisiana, to International Falls, Minnesota, at the Canadian border. Most of the highway between Shreveport, Louisiana, and Kansas City, Missouri, is slated to become a northern extension of Interstate 49, including parts of the highway in northern Louisiana, western Arkansas, far northeastern Texas, and western Missouri. U.S. 71 is 4-lane divided highway between MO 59 near Anderson, MO, to Kansas City, where it joins Interstate 29 until St. Joseph. Basically, U.S. 71 is the main highway for north-south travel in western Missouri.

Southbound
	U.S. 59/U.S. 71 South approaching Interstate 29/Interstate 229 - 1 mile. (Photo taken 6/30/03)
	U.S. 59/U.S. 71 South at Interstate 29 North - Council Bluffs exit. Interstate 229 begins 1/4 mile ahead. (Photo taken 6/30/03)
	U.S. 59 and U.S. 71 give way to Interstate 229. Interstate 229 provides access from Interstate 29 to downtown St. Joseph. (Photo taken 6/30/03)
	Now moving to near downtown Kansas City, U.S. 71 South meets 22nd St. and The Paseo. (Photo taken 6/29/03)
	U.S. 71 South at Linwood Blvd./29th St./31st St. (Photo taken 6/29/03)
	U.S. 71 South approaching 39th Street. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 39th Street. The next exit is for U.S. 56 West. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	There are several attractions located at the U.S. 56 West/Swope Parkway/Cleaver Boulevard exit ahead. The first mentioned is the Volker Campus of the University of Missouri at Kansas City. UMKC is located just off of U.S. 56 at Rockhill Road. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	Also use the next exit to Rockhurst University. Many of the overpasses along the Bruce R. Watkins Drive (the official name of U.S. 71 through Kansas City between Interstate 435 and Interstate 70) are decorative like the one seen here carrying 39th Street over U.S. 71. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	Mileage sign on U.S. 71 South, 1/2 mile north of Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard, Swope Parkway, and U.S. 56 West. The federal highway is mentioned on just one sign southbound and no signs on northbound U.S. 71. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	And here is the only sign mentioning U.S. 56 from U.S. 71. U.S. 56 travels through northeastern New Mexico, the Oklahoma panhandle, most of Kansas, and a little bit of Missouri along its route. Kansas City is the largest city that U.S. 56 goes through, as the rest of it stays away from large cities. The next largest city it goes through is likely Dodge City, Kansas, and a bypass there steers away U.S. 56 traffic from the city center. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South approaching Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and Swope Parkway. Take Swope Parkway east to Swope Park, the third largest park in the United States. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South reaches the two-lane ramp to Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard and Swope Parkway. Cleaver is currently serving as a congressman in the United State House of Representatives. He was also the first African American mayor of Kansas City. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	Mileage sign on U.S. 71 South as the freeway crosses Cleaver Boulevard. The next two "exits" listed are actually intersections. There are two sections of U.S. 71 through Kansas City that were built as at-grade facilities, with room in the median for future freeway lanes. It will be necessary to bring these at-grade sections up to interstate standards in order to sign the future northern extension of Interstate 49. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South transitions into an at-grade facility as motorists reach a turnoff to 53rd Street. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	Although we are no longer on a freeway, mileage signs continue to appear. The speed limit is 45 on the at-grade sections of U.S. 71 through Kansas City. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 55th Street. Yes, we did run a yellow light here. Lord, I apologize... (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 57th Street. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at the 59th Street stoplight. A short freeway section is ahead. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South approaching 63rd Street and Meyer Boulevard. This is the only exit on the short freeway. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 63rd Street and Meyer Boulevard. This exit can also be used to Swope Park. Take either 63rd Street or Meyer Boulevard eastbound to the park. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	Mileage sign on U.S. 71 South. Gregory Boulevard is one mile ahead. The access there is controlled by stoplights, but the other two streets listed here (75th Street and 85th Street) are served by exits. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South prepares to head underneath Meyer Boulevard. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at Gregory Boulevard. Yes, we did stop at the red light here, which is a good thing we did because otherwise that car seen here would have been T-boned. This is the final stoplight on U.S. 71 southbound until southwest Missouri near Anderson. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South approaching 75th Street. This is the beginning of the original U.S. 71 freeway through southern Kansas City. It lacks the charm of the Watkins Drive section of U.S. 71. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 75th Street. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	Mileage sign on U.S. 71 South, 1 1/8 miles north of 85th and 87th Streets. Interstate 435 is 3 1/4 miles ahead. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 85th Street, 87th Street, Blue River Road, and Hickman Mills Drive. A lot got added to the final sign for the exit! Both numbered streets run east-west, Blue River Road goes from southwest to northeast, and Hickman Mills Drive comes in from the south as a northbound frontage road and heads northwest to The Paseo. Looking at a map, it appears that Hickman Mills Drive from U.S. 71 to The Paseo may have once been part of U.S. 71 when the highway ran along The Paseo. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South approaching State Supplemental Route W and Bannister Road, one-half mile, and the Grandview Triangle juncture of U.S. 71, Interstate 435, Interstate 470, and U.S. 50 in 1 1/4 mile. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at State Supplemental Route W and Bannister Road. In the top picture, the left half of the Route W sign is missing, but a new sign was put in place by 2005. Route W is an urban route along Bannister Road between the Kansas state line and Interstate 435. Use Route W east to connect to Interstate 435 North, since there is no direct access from U.S. 71 South to Interstate 435 North ahead. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South approaching the Grandview Triangle - 1/4 mile. The triangle is in the midst of a major reconstruction project. For more on the project, visit the official construction website. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	We are now entering the Bermuda, I mean, the Grandview Triangle. It is divided into zones to ease accident response time. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at Interstate 470 East, Interstate 435 West, and U.S. 50. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	A view of the Grandview Triangle construction as seen from U.S. 71 South. The ramp ahead will carry traffic to Interstate 470 East. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at Red Bridge Road. The off-ramp is now closed for reconstruction as part of the Grandview Triangle reconstruction project. (Photo taken 6/29/03)
	U.S. 71 South leaves the construction zone (for now) and reaches Longview Road. A set of roundabouts will be placed here on each side of the freeway. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at Blue Ridge Boulevard. A new railroad bridge is being built just ahead. The speed limit increases here from 55 to 65 and will stay at 65 until Missouri 58. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	Mileage sign on U.S. 71 South, one-half mile north of Main Street in Grandview. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at Main Street. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	The next three exits on U.S. 71 South are 140th Street (1/2 mile), Missouri 150 (1 1/2 miles), and 155th Street (2 1/2 miles). The first two exits serve Grandview, and 155th Street is the first exit for the city of Belton. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 140th Street. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	Mileage sign on U.S. 71 South, one-half mile north of Missouri 150. The state highway connects the Kansas state line to U.S. 50 in Lone Jack. At the Kansas state line, Missouri 150 used to continue as Kansas 150, but the Sunflower State has decommissioned the highway that ran along West 135th Street and Santa Fe Street to Kansas 7 in Olathe. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South reaches Missouri 150. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	The next three exits serve the city of Belton and its 21,730 residents. The first Belton exit is one-half mile ahead at 155th Street. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at 155th Street. The freeway narrows to two southbound lanes ahead, and will remain that way to Interstate 44 near Carthage. The Richards-Gebaur freight center, which was formerly an airport, is a short drive away on 155th Street westbound. (Photo taken 6/29/03)
	U.S. 71 South approaching State Supplemental Route Y - 1/2 mile. A sign replacement project along U.S. 71 in north Cass County occurred between June 2003 and May 2005. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at State Supplemental Route Y - Belton. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South approaching Missouri 58 - 1 mile. This button copy sign was left untouched during the sign replacement. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	U.S. 71 South at Missouri 58 - Belton/Raymore. The speed limit climbs to 70 mph after this diamond interchange, and will stay that way until Interstate 44. (Top photo taken 6/29/03, bottom photo taken 5/22/05)
	View at the end of the off-ramp connecting U.S. 71 South to Missouri 58. Downtown Belton is within five minutes to the right. The same applies for downtown Raymore, just in the opposite direction. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
Scenes Related to U.S. 71
	Linwood Boulevard eastbound approaching U.S. 71 in Kansas City. Several old buildings are located in this area. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	Linwood Boulevard eastbound at Michigan Avenue, which runs as the southbound frontage road of U.S. 71 between 31st Street and Brush Creek Boulevard/Emanuel Cleaver II Boulevard. (Photo taken 5/22/05)
	Michigan Avenue southbound at U.S. 71 South. 35th Street is the overpass ahead. (Photo taken 5/22/05)