The section from K-15 east to Wakefield, first appears as an unnumbered state highway on the 1932 state map. Then by April 1936, the section had been numbered K-82. Between 1961 and 1963, K-82 was extended east, from Wakefield to US-77. In 1965, US-77 was realigned and at this time, K-82 was extended northward to US-24.
K-82 begins at K-15 south of Clay Center and west of Wakefield in southern Clay County. The highway heads east and crosses Cane Creek on its way to the city of Wakefield, south of which lie the Auld Stone Bard and the Kansas Landscape Arboretum. K-82 enters the city on 10th Street, curves south on Elm Street, and leaves the city along 6th Street. The highway crosses Milford Lake on a bridge and causeway near the lake's north end. K-82 passes a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park area, one of several along the lake, before the highway leaves Clay County and enters the Fort Riley reservation. The highway follows the Riley–Geary county line—Geary County to the south and Riley County to the north—east 1.5 miles (2.4 km) to US-77, which the highway joins heading north. After the two highways curve east on the northern edge of the military base reservation near the unincorporated communityofBala, K-82 turns north while US-77 continues east toward Riley. K-82 crosses Timber Creek before reaching its northern terminus at US-24 west of Leonardville.[3]
The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) tracks the traffic levels on its highways, and in 2018, they determined that on average the traffic varied from 625 vehicles near the western terminus to 1480 vehicles along the overlap with US-77.[4][5] The section of K-82 between the western end of the overlap with US-77 and US-24 is included in the National Highway System,[6] a system of highways important to the nation's defense, economy, and mobility.[7]
The road from K-15 east to Wakefield first appears of the 1932 state map, as a state highway but wasn't numbered. Then by April 1936, the section had been numbered K-82.[1][8][9] In a June 12, 1964 resolution, K-82 was realigned one mile (1.6 km) to the north, from its western terminus to Wakefield.[10] Between 1961 and 1963, K-82 was extended east, from Wakefield to US-77.[11][12] Then in a March 17, 1965 resolution, due to expansion of Fort Riley, US-77 was realigned about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to the west. At this time, K-82 was realigned along the new US-77, and extended northward to US-24 northwest of Leonardsville.[13] In a September 14, 1966 resolution, a new alignment of K-82 was built from Wakefield, eastward across the reservoir to US-77 northwest of Milford.[14]
^ abState Highway Commission of Kansas (1936). Kansas State Highway System(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
^Bureau of Transportation Planning (April 2017). General County Highway Maps (half inch)(PDF) (Map). 1:125,000. Topeka, KS: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 16, 2017.
^Bureau of Transportation Planning (2018). Traffic Flow Map Kansas State Highway System(PDF) (Map). [c. 1:1,584,000]. Topeka: Kansas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 17, 2020.
^Natzke, Stefan; Neathery, Mike; Adderly, Kevin (September 26, 2012). "What is the National Highway System?". National Highway System. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
^State Highway Commission of Kansas (1932). Kansas State Highway System(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. OCLC1007837202. Retrieved April 18, 2020.
^Rand McNally and Company (1931). "Kansas" (Map). Clason's Road Map of Kansas. 1:2,000,000. Denver: Clason Map Company. p. 87. Retrieved April 17, 2020 – via Rumsey Collection.
^State Highway Commission of Kansas (1961). Kansas State Highway System(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 19, 2020.
^State Highway Commission of Kansas (1963–1964). Kansas State Highway System(PDF) (Map). Scale not given. Topeka: State Highway Commission of Kansas. Retrieved April 19, 2020.