Texas State Highway Loop 343
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| State Highway Loop 343 |
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| Length: | 5.186 mi[1] (8.3 km) | ||||||||
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| Formed: | 1961 | ||||||||
| South end: |   US 290 / SH 71 |
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| East end: |  I-35 |
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Loop 343 is a 5.186-mile state-maintained roadway located in Austin, Texas.
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[edit] History
Loop 343 was formed in 1961 along the previous routes of SH 71 and US 290 as those roads were realigned. It passed through downtown Austin along 7th Street to Lamar Boulevard.
It was rerouted in 1977 to use 1st Street (now Cesar Chavez Street) west of I-35. In 1987, the portion east of I-35 was removed from state maintenance, forming the current alignment.[1]
[edit] Route description
Loop 343 begins in south Austin at the intersection of US 290/SH 71 and the southern terminus of Loop 360. It proceeds north along Lamar Boulevard for 3.5 miles towards downtown Austin. Here, it crosses Town Lake on the Lamar Boulevard Bridge. This segment of Loop 343 is a four-lane heavily-developed urban road.
At this point, Loop 343 heads east along Cesar Chavez Street for 1.6 miles, past Austin City Hall and the Austin Convention Center, to its terminus at I-35. Westbound traffic on Cesar Chavez is diverted to Second Street between San Jacinto Boulevard and San Antonio Street, where Cesar Chavez is one-way eastbound. This segment of Loop 343 is a four-lane downtown road.
Loop 343 is only signed as such at its entrance from US 290/SH 71. There are no shields displayed anywhere along its length, nor on its entrance from I-35.
[edit] Future
The remaining one-way eastbound section of Cesar Chavez Street is scheduled to be converted into a two-way road in late 2007[2].
The City of Austin is planning extensive development near the former Seaholm power plant site west of the intersection of Lamar Boulevard and Cesar Chavez Street. In addition to new multi-family residences and new public arts facilities, the development will include reconfiguration of the intersection at Lamar and Cesar Chavez[3].
[edit] Junction list
| County | Location | Mile[4] | Junction | Notes |
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| Travis | Austin |  US 290 / SH 71 / Loop 360 |
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 FM 2304 (Manchaca Road) |
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| I-35 |
[edit] References
- ^ a b Texas Department of Transportation. Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop No. 343.
- ^ City of Austin - Public Works: Cesar Chavez Conversion Improvement Project. City of Austin. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
- ^ City of Austin - Seaholm District. Retrieved on 2007-08-26.
- ^ Google Maps, [1]
