Former name of the Kansas Turnpike. In the 1970s the road was in terrible shape, and many people called it the Kansas Turdpike. I refined the word into the Kansas Turdpile. Several years later, the toll road bonds from the early 1950s were paid off, but they left the tolls on, so there were vast amounts of money for repairs. Now they are anal about repairing even the tiniest glitch, and we no longer call it the Turdpile, although I accidentally forget sometimes.
When the Kansas Turdpile opened in 1956 (it wasn't a turdpile yet, as described above), and for several years afterward, the speed limit was 80. At the same time the regular interstates in Kansas, which were vastly better designed expressways, had a speed limit of 75. Today both are 70.
by andy1 May 27, 2007