Belt Line Road (Texas)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Belt Line Road is a loop road that traverses 92 miles (148 km) across a total of 16 different cities in Dallas County, Texas (USA). While Loop 12 serves as the inner complete loop that encircles Dallas, Belt Line Road is the outer complete loop. However, Belt Line Road is not designated as a Texas State Loop (except for portions of it being FM 1382), but simply like any other local streets in the surrounding suburbs it passes. In addition, no portions of Belt Line Road are controlled access freeways.
- Starting with its origin North Dallas and proceeding in a clockwise direction, Belt Line traverses the following municipalities in Dallas county
| Municipality | length |
|---|---|
| North Dallas | 3.21 miles (5.17 km) |
| Richardson | 5.10 miles (8.21 km) |
| Garland | 11.07 miles (17.82 km) |
| Mesquite | 4.78 miles (7.69 km) |
| Sunnyvale | 1.45 miles (2.33 km) |
| Balch Springs | 2.67 miles (4.3 km) |
| Southeast Dallas | 5.24 miles (8.43 km) |
| Wilmer | 2.22 miles (3.57 km) |
| Lancaster | 6.48 miles (10.43 km) |
| DeSoto | 5.05 miles (8.13 km) |
| Cedar Hill | 4.92 miles (7.92 km) |
| Southwest Dallas | 3.53 miles (5.68 km) |
| Grand Prairie | 7.66 miles (12.33 km) |
| Irving | 11.25 miles (18.11 km) |
| Coppell | 1.62 miles (2.61 km) |
| Northwest Dallas | 1.25 miles (2.01 km) |
| Carrollton | 5.01 miles (8.06 km) |
| Addison | 1.98 miles (3.19 km) |
Belt Line Road also traverses unincorporated parts of Dallas County between southeast Dallas and Wilmer (5.66 miles (9.11 km)), and between Wilmer and Lancaster (0.57 miles (0.92 km)).
- Belt Line Road crosses the following freeways, starting with the Dallas North Tollway and proceeding clockwise
Dallas North Tollway Dallas Pkwy, North Dallas
US 75 Central Expressway, Richardson
I-30 R. L. Thornton Freeway, Garland
US 80, Mesquite
I-20 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway, Balch Springs
US 175 C. F. Hawn Freeway, SE Dallas
I-45 Julius Schepps Freeway, Wilmer
I-35E R. L. Thornton Freeway, Lancaster/DeSoto
US 67 Marvin D Love Freeway, Cedar Hill- I-20 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway, Grand Prairie
- I-30 Tom Landry Highway, Grand Prairie
SH 183 Airport Freeway, Irving
SH 161/President George Bush Turnpike, Irving
SH 114 John Carpenter Freeway, Irving
I-635 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway, Irving
President George Bush Turnpike, Carrollton- I-35E Stemmons Freeway, Carrollton
- Other highways (but not freeways) that Belt Line Road intersects include
SH 289 Preston Road, Dallas
SH 78 Lavon Drive, Garland
SH 66 Avenue D, Garland
SH 352 Main Street, Mesquite
SH 342 Dallas Avenue, Lancaster- SH Spur 303 Pioneer Parkway, Grand Prairie
SH 180 Main Street, Grand Prairie
SH 356 Irving Boulevard, Irving
Belt Line Road is not a straightforward and continuous loop. As one follows the entire course of Belt Line Road, there are several discontinuities and name variations present that may result in getting lost. Starting with North Dallas and proceeding clockwise the following deviations and turns are noted:
- In Richardson, a portion of Belt Line Road is named Main Street from US 75 to Bowser Road After Bowser Road, Main Street becomes Belt Line again.
- In Garland, Belt Line Road becomes First Street from Buckingham Road until the junction of First Street and Broadway Blvd, where the course of Belt Line follows Broadway Blvd. After crossing I-30 in south Garland, where Broadway becomes Belt Line again.
- In central Mesquite, shortly after crossing US 80, a short segment of Belt Line is called "Bryan-Belt Line Road"
- In south Mesquite, Belt Line Road makes a left turn at a T intersection with Lake June Rd, where Belt Line proceeds southeast towards Balch Springs. Likewise, when proceeding to this T intersection from Balch Springs, to follow the course of Belt Line Road one must make a right turn.
- From I-35E in DeSoto, Belt Line Road is also called FM 1382. However, in Cedar Hill, the name "Belt Line" is temporarily lost as FM 1382 starts to head northwest. After passing west of Joe Wilson Road, follow the course of FM 1382.
- At I-20 in Grand Prairie, the name "Belt Line" re-appears with FM 1382. FM 1382 is continued as part of Belt Line Road until it reaches SH 180-Main Street.
- At Jefferson St/SH 180-Main St in central Grand Prairie, northbound Belt Line Road becomes 8th Street, which merges back with Belt Line a few blocks after. The southbound portion remains continuous as "Belt Line".
- At Coppell, to follow Belt Line one must make a right turn at a 4-way intersection with Southwestern Drive and Denton Tap Road. Likewise, when proceeding to this intersection from the opposite direction, to follow the course of Belt Line Road one must make a left turn.
