All together different plans (3rd try)

[GreyGhost]

Now headed to Duluth, MN!!!
Going to take I-40 from Flagstaff, AZ to Tucumcari, NM and the either take New Mexico HWY 54 or HWY 56 to I-35 and Kansas City then on to Des Monines, IA and then up to Duluth. Has anyone traveled HWY 54 or 56 and have any recommendations as to which one is best pulling a 35' 5ver?

 

[Mikendebbie]

Larry - I have not traveled this route, but I noticed that US 50 must turn into a toll road “400” in Kansas. If you want to avoid the toll then go north on US 50 to Emporia. It looks like an interesting drive and you will see lots of country and small towns. I did a few google street views and It looks like a nice 2 lane road. Also looks like there will be plenty of gas stations and restrooms!

I plugged that route into RV Trip planner and no low clearance bridges came up.
Coachnet low clearances shows a 14’ bridge on US 54 at Logan NM.
US 54 appears to be good across TX and NM
Coachnet also identifies a 13’-4” bridge on US 56 in Herrington KS…don’t take that hwy.

 

[jpkelpe]

We travel 54 all the time from Tucumcari to Salina. Nice easy road, good shoulders. Some construction in Oklahoma but no problems. Nice road and nice scenery. We stay in Liberal ks a lot. Western Star just east of Liberal. Very good restaurant, cattlemans in Liberal

 

[twindman]

I have driven both at various points. Both ok. Note that when you get to Wichita I35 to Emporia and then I 335 to KC is toll road. You can cut over on I35 at Emporia to get off it. i am adverse to paying to drive on a road! But sometimes you gotta do it!

 

[ahdmeyer]

traveled 54 headed north to mi a few times. 2 lane but it was ok ride. stayed at this rv park http://corraldrivein.com/corralrvpark/rvpark_directions.html only stayed overnite so dont really know what is in the area. it used to be an old drive in theatre. the screen is still up and there are a few lawn art old cars and trucks there. in guymon oklahoma. have a safe trip!

 

[DQDick]

We use 56 to get to our homebase in Wilsey, KS. 56 bypasses Herington to the east so I have no idea where someone is getting a low bridge from.

 

[Mikendebbie]

This is where I saw it...
https://member.coach-net.com/members/pdfs/lowclearancebridgeinfo.pdf

Edit: DQDick - you got my curiosity going...so I went looking for a low clearance bridge 3.3 miles east of Hwy 77...and I found it. The highway used to run under a railway bridge (see 1991 aerial pic from Google Earth). They re-aligned the highway to miss the bridge sometime between 1991 and 2002 (the available aerials skip 10 years!). The old rail bed is now a nature trail. So my source - the coachnet low bridge clearance info may be a just a tad out of date...and I thought if I found it on the internet it would be true!

This link will take you to a current map of low bridge clearances in Kansas...
https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksd...calClearance/VERTICAL_CLEARANCE_STATEWIDE.pdf

 

[Rondo]

We use 54 or 56 or both combined twice a year when we head to AZ for a few months. Both are good highways but make sure you have a full tank of fuel before heading out. Ther aren't a lot of fuel stops along either one of them especially up through NM from Alamogordo to Tucumcari. There are some but just make sure you have a full tank when leaving either on. We use 54 up through KS to approximately Wichita then head north to York, NE and take I-80 east. Good roads all the way, at least it was last year. Good luck and safe travels.
P.S. If you don't have a truckers atlas or a truckers GPS get one because they will tell you where the low clearances are and where there is construction along the way. We also use the State DOT websites for construction.

 

[DQDick]

This is where I saw it...
https://member.coach-net.com/members/pdfs/lowclearancebridgeinfo.pdf

Edit: DQDick - you got my curiosity going...so I went looking for a low clearance bridge 3.3 miles east of Hwy 77...and I found it. The highway used to run under a railway bridge (see 1991 aerial pic from Google Earth). They re-aligned the highway to miss the bridge sometime between 1991 and 2002 (the available aerials skip 10 years!). The old rail bed is now a nature trail. So my source - the coachnet low bridge clearance info may be a just a tad out of date...and I thought if I found it on the internet it would be true!

This link will take you to a current map of low bridge clearances in Kansas...
https://www.ksdot.org/Assets/wwwksd...calClearance/VERTICAL_CLEARANCE_STATEWIDE.pdf

The train tracks were removed many years ago. Then someone from the county took a track hoe on a flat bed under it and pretty much destroyed the track hoe. After that they tore the bridge down (the one in the picture is over a creek the one over the road is gone) It's been down for so many years I'd forgoten it was there.

 

[skypilot]

We travel 54 - a lot of two lane, I'll say truck traffic is light to moderate. We normally leave Manhattan KS with a full tank, fill up again in Guymon OK and that gets us to Tucumcari with good reserves. Not retired yet so we do the 'we gotta do it in one day' thing so can't give any advice on where to stay but be aware, there are no rest stops so bring your own . Best wishes and stay safe.

 

[Jeff & Gail]

We travel 54 all the time with our rv. Nice change of pace from the interstates. We travel from Wi. To Yuma each year. We over night in Flagstaf, Tucumcari, west of Witchata, and Des Moines. We save 1/2 day travel with 54 vs following interstates.

 

[Rick n Kelly]

Not sure if you plan to stop in Texas, we are currently staying a few days in Dalhart, Texas on Hwy 54. We are in the Corral RV Park on Hwy 54 just northeast of town. Good RV park pull throughs for over night.