U.S. Route 82 in Texas

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

U.S. Route 82
Length:	504.135 mi[1] (811.327 km)
Formed:	1935
West end:	US 82
Major junctions:	I-27 in Lubbock I-35 in Gainesville I-30 near New Boston
East end:	U.S. 82 in Texarkana
Highways in Texas < SH 81 SH 82 > United States Numbered Highways List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

In the U.S. state of Texas, U.S. Highway 82 is a U.S. Highway that begins on the New Mexico border and heads west through West Texas and Lubbock to the Arkansas border at Texarkana.

[edit] Route description

US 82 crosses into Texas from New Mexico at New Mexico State Highway 769, turning northeastward toward Plains, where it merges with US 380. US 82 is co-signed with US 380 from Plains to Brownfield, where it joins US 62, and US 380 leaves the route. US 82/62 continues northeastward toward Lubbock.

In Lubbock, US 82 and US 62 split, where US 82 is being upgraded to a full access freeway, to be named the Marsha Sharp Freeway, in honor of retired Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball coach Marsha Sharp. On the east side of the city, it once again merges with US 62 (along with State Highway 114) where it continues eastward through Ralls, where US 62 makes a sharp turn to the north and leaves the route.

US 82/SH 114 continues eastward as a co-signed route until Seymour, where it merges with U.S. Highways 183, 277 and 283, with US 183 and 283 leaving the route at Mabelle. US 82/277 continues eastward to Wichita Falls, merging with US 287 just south of downtown. US 82 leaves US 287 at Henrietta and continues east, signed independently (apart from various state highway routes) across the remainder of Texas, crossing into Arkansas in downtown Texarkana.^[2]

[edit] Future

The Marsha Sharp Freeway is currently being built along US 82 in Lubbock, Texas. In 1998, funding was first received. The five-phase project is scheduled to be completed in 2015.

Phase 2 of the project is currently in progress. This involves construction of the freeway from Salem Avenue to Avenue L and erecting interchanges at 19th Street, Quaker Avenue, Fourth Street, and Avenue Q in Lubbock. This phase should be completed in December 2008 and cost $140 million.^[3]

[edit] References