U.S. Route 290
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
U.S. Route 290 |
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Length: | 261[1] mi (418 km) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Formed: | 1927[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
West end: | I-10 southeast of Junction, TX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Major junctions: |
US 87 at Fredericksburg, TX US 281 at Johnson City, TX I-35 at Austin, TX US 183 at Austin, TX US 77 at Giddings, TX |
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East end: | I-610 at Houston, TX | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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U.S. Highway 290 (or US 290) is an east-west highway located entirely in Texas. Its current western terminus is at Interstate 10 milepost 477 (768 km), southeast of Junction, and its eastern terminus is at Interstate 610 on the northwest side of Houston. Prior to the Interstate era, it extended nearly 300 miles (483 km) farther west to an intersection with US 80 (now Interstate 20) before Interstate 10 supplanted it. It also originally had an eastern terminus in San Antonio until 1935 when it was rerouted further north and extended eastward. The old alignment into San Antonio was redesignated US 87. [2][1]
Prior to construction of the Northwest Freeway, US 290 through Houston followed Hempstead Highway, which runs parallel to the freeway approximately one-half mile to the southwest. The eastern terminus of US 290 was also approximately one mile to the southeast at the intersection of Hempstead Highway, Washington Avenue and Old Katy Road. There is a small directional T interchange at this intersection.
In Harris County outside of Houston, Highway 6 joins with US 290 and the two highways become the same road until splitting just north of Hempstead, Texas.
US 290 is also part of a hurricane evacuation route. The route starts at Highway 6 in Galveston, Texas. Highway 6 is taken to US 290. Then US 290 is taken to where Highway 6 and US 290 break apart. Then Highway 6 is taken to Waco, Texas.
Because of truncations, it no longer intersects its "parent" route, US 90, in Houston.
The large remnant of US 290 continues to be an important highway, connecting Austin to and from Interstate 10 and eastward to Houston. Parts of US 290 in Austin and near Houston are freeway.
In Houston, US 290 is referred to as the Northwest Freeway.The Texas Legislature officially named the route within Harris County as the Ronald Reagan Memorial Highway in 2005. [1] In Austin, US 290 runs concurrently with Interstate 35 for approximately 8 miles, including the downtown area. Because of the distance and the fact that this section of I-35 is not widely recognized as being part of US 290, visitors and residents are occasionally confused into thinking that there are two roads named "290."
West of Austin, US 290 is an attractive route through the Texas Hill Country, passing through Fredericksburg and Johnson City near historical sites related to Admiral Chester Nimitz and President Lyndon Baines Johnson. East of Austin, it is divided highway passing through or near Giddings and Brenham.
[edit] Exit list
Destinations | Notes |
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SH 6 north – Bryan, Hempstead, College Station | West end of SH 6 overlap |
FM 1488 – Hempstead, Magnolia | |
FM 359 – Brookshire | Eastbound exit is via the FM 1488 exit |
Liendo Parkway | |
FM 1098 – Prairie View | |
James Muse Parkway | |
FM 362 | |
Field Store Road | |
FM 2920 – Waller, Tomball | |
Binford Road | |
Kickapoo Road | |
Kermier Road | |
Hegar Road | |
Badtke Road | |
Roberts Road, Katy Hockley Road | |
Becker Road | |
Bauer Road | |
Mason Road | |
Mueschke Road | |
US 290 Bus. / Spring-Cypress Road, Cypress-Rosehill Road |
No eastbound exit |
Skinner Road, Spring-Cypress Road | |
Barker-Cypress Road | |
Telge Road | |
Hempstead Road, Huffmeister Road | |
SH 6 south / FM 1960 east | East end of SH 6 overlap |
Eldridge Road, West Road | |
Jones Road | |
Beltway 8 (Frontage Road) / FM 529 / Senate Avenue | |
Sam Houston Tollway | |
Beltway 8 (Frontage Road) / West Little York Road, North Gessner Road | |
Fairbanks-North Houston Road | |
West Tidwell Road, Hollister Road | |
Pinemont Drive, Bingle Road, West 43rd Street | |
Antoine Drive, West 34th Street | |
Mangum Road, Dacoma Street | |
I-610 | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance |
[edit] References
- ^ a b c Texas Department of Transportation U.S. Highway 290 Designation File. URL accessed 8 December 2006.
- ^ Texas Department of Transportation U.S. Highway 87 Designation File. URL accessed 8 December 2006.
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