Interstate 40 in Texas

Interstate 40
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length: 177.1 mi[1] (285.0 km)
Existed: 1959 – present
Major junctions
West end: I-40 at New Mexico state line
  US 385 in Vega
I-27 / US 60 / US 87 / US 287 in Amarillo
US 83 in Shamrock
East end: I-40 at Oklahoma state line
Highway system

Main route of the Interstate Highway System
Main • Auxiliary • Business

Highways in Texas
Interstate • U.S. • TX (Loops – Spurs – Rec – FM)

← SH 39 SH 40 →
← SH 65 SH 66 →

In the U.S. state of Texas, Interstate 40 (abbreviated I-40) runs east–west through the panhandle in the northwest part of the state. The only large city it passes through is Amarillo, where it meets the north end of Interstate 27.

Contents

History

Before the U.S. Route system, this route was a system of interconnected highway from New Mexico to Oklahoma, and was considered a part of the Texas highway system from New Mexico to Amarillo, and was a portion of the Ozark Trails. In Amarillo, the Ozark route split off to a more southerly route, while general low-grade roads continued east. This entire route closely paralleled the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. Most construction through the Panhandle was slow, and remained low-grade roads through most of the 1920s.

In 1926, the United States Numbered Highway system was introduced, and the route across the Texas Panhandle was given the number of 66. It was designated along already created roads in the Texas highway network. Large portions of the highway remained earthen roads until the entire route was completely paved in 1938. A few realignments were made to the original route. A new routing on the east side of Amarillo was completed in 1959 to make way for the expansion of the Amarillo Air Force Base, while the rest of the route through Amarillo was rebuilt on the north side of downtown.

In 1956, the Interstate Highway Act was signed, which designated US 66 through Texas as a section of highway eligible for limited access upgrades. During the next 20 years, most of the highway was upgraded in place, to keep construction costs low. With the limited access of the Interstates, most towns on the highway had to be bypassed. Most towns requested to remain as close to the new highway as possible to minimize tourism losses. Bypassed towns included Glenrio, Adrian, Vega, Conway, Groom, Jericho, Alanreed, McLean, and Shamrock. A new routing along the south end of Amarillo was also built, connecting with the already-built expressway leading south from downtown toward Canyon. In 1985, the entire designation of U.S. Route 66 was removed as the entire route had been displaced by Interstate 40.

Route description

I-40 in Texas is one of a few Interstate Highways with at-grade intersections. The westernmost part of I-40 in Texas, near the New Mexico border, lacks the frontage roads typical to Texas freeways, and several driveways for ranches directly intersect the main lanes of I-40, in violation of Interstate standards.

Exit list

County Location # Destinations Notes
Deaf Smith 0 Bus. I-40-A – Glenrio
Oldham 15 Ivy Road
18 FM 2858 (Gruhlkey Road)
Adrian 22 I-40 Bus. / SH 214 – Adrian
23 SH 214 south
28 FM 3319 – Landergin
Vega 35 I-40 Bus. east / FM 3319 – Vega
36 US 385 – Vega
37 I-40 Bus. west – Vega
42 Everett Road
49 FM 809 – Wildorado
Potter 54 Adkisson Road
57 RM 2381 – Bushland
60 Arnot Road
62A Hope Road, Helium Road
62B I-40 Bus. east (Amarillo Boulevard) Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
Amarillo 64 Loop 335 (Soncy Road) / Helium Road
65 Coulter Street
66 Bell Street, Avondale Street, Wolflin Avenue
67 Western Street, Avondale Street
68A Julian Boulevard, Paramount Boulevard
68B Georgia Street, Crockett Street
69A Crockett Street Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
69B Washington Street – Amarillo College
70 I-27 south / US 60 / US 87 / US 287 north – Canyon, Lubbock, Dumas, Pampa West end of US 287 overlap
71 Ross-Osage Street, Arthur Street
72A Nelson Street, Quarter Horse Drive
72B Grand Street, Bolton Street
73 Eastern Street, Bolton Street
74 Whitaker Road
75 Loop 335 (Lakeside Drive)
76 Spur 468 – Amarillo International Airport
77 FM 1258 (Pullman Road)
78 US 287 south – Fort Worth East end of US 287 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
80 Spur 228 – Amarillo College East Campus
81 FM 1912
Carson 85 Durrett Road Eastbound exit only
85 I-40 Bus. west (Amarillo Boulevard) / FM 2575 No eastbound exit
87 FM 2373
89 FM 2161
96 SH 207 – Conway, Panhandle
98 SH 207 south – Claude Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
105 FM 2880
109 FM 294
110 I-40 Bus. east – Groom
112 FM 295
Groom 113 FM 2300
Gray 114 I-40 Bus. west – Groom
Donley 121 SH 70 north – Pampa North end of SH 70 overlap
124 SH 70 south – Clarendon South end of SH 70 overlap
128 FM 2477
Gray 132 Johnson Ranch Road
Alanreed 135 Loop 271 to FM 291 – Alanreed
McLean 141 I-40 Bus. east – McLean Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
142 SH 273 / FM 3143 – McLean
143 I-40 Bus. west – McLean Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
146 County Line Road
Wheeler
148 FM 1443 (Kellerville Road)
152 FM 453 (Pakan Road)
157 FM 1547 / FM 2474 / FM 3075 – Lela
Shamrock 161 I-40 Bus. east – Shamrock Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
163 US 83 – Shamrock, Wheeler, Wellington
164 I-40 Bus. west – Shamrock
167 FM 2168 (Daberry Road) – Shamrock
169 FM 1802 (Carbon Black Road)
176 Spur 30 east – Texola Eastbound exit and westbound entrance

Business routes and old alignments

I-40 has seven business routes in Texas, all of which are old alignments of US 66. A number of other old alignments of US 66 are also present; most are marked on guide signs on I-40.

Business Interstate Highway 40-A (formerly Spur 504) is a Business Spur that runs from I-40 at Glenrio, just east of the New Mexico state line, southwest to the border. In New Mexico, the road forks - the later paved alignment (ca. 1952) has been cut by Interstate 40, and the earlier alignment west to San Jon is now a dirt road that had been paved when it was US 66 prior to 1952 but the paving was later removed by Quay County, NM commissioners due to high maintenance costs and low traffic volumes. The old US 66/I-40 Business Loop through Glenrio was bypassed in 1973 by I-40.[2]

Business Interstate Highway 40-B (formerly Loop 550) is a Business Loop through Adrian. The road was bypassed ca. 1969 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[4]

Business Interstate Highway 40-C (formerly Loop 551) is a Business Loop through Vega. The road was bypassed ca. 1973 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[5]

Business Interstate Highway 40-D (formerly Loop 552) is a long Business Loop through Amarillo. An older alignment - Loop 279 - carried Business U.S. Highway 66. East of Amarillo, Farm to Market Road 2575 is old US 66, rerouted to today's Business I-40 in 1958[6] by the construction of Amarillo International Airport. Present Business I-40 was bypassed in 1968 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[7]

Farm to Market Road 2161 and State Highway 207 carry old US 66 through Conway. The road was bypassed ca. 1966 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[8]

Business Interstate Highway 40-F (formerly Loop 554) is a Business Loop through Groom. The road was bypassed ca. 1980 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[9]

The short Loop 271, in addition to providing access to Farm to Market Road 291, is old US 66 through Alanreed. The road was bypassed in 1953 by US 66,[10] but the bypass was not upgraded to a freeway until ca. 1982.[3]

Business Interstate Highway 40-H (formerly Loop 555) is a Business Loop through McLean. The road was bypassed ca. 1984 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[11]

Business Interstate Highway 40-J (formerly Loop 556) is a Business Loop through Shamrock. The road was bypassed ca. 1973 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[12]

Spur 30 is a short route from I-40 just west of the Oklahoma state line southeast to the border. In Oklahoma, the road is unnumbered though Texola, though it picks up Interstate 40 Business at exit 5 to run through Erick. The road was bypassed ca. 1972 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until 1976, when it was moved onto I-40 in the area.[13]

References

  1. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - Interstate Highway 40
  2. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Spur 504
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i National Bridge Inventory
  4. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 550
  5. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 551
  6. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - Farm to Market Road 2575
  7. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 552
  8. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - Farm to Market Road 2161
  9. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 554
  10. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 271
  11. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 555
  12. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 556
  13. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Spur 30
Interstate 40
Previous state:
New Mexico		 Texas Next state:
Oklahoma
U.S. Route 66
Previous state:
New Mexico		 Texas Next state:
Oklahoma

External links

Signed
Unsigned
Potter County highways
Interstate Highways
U.S. Highways
State Highways
State Loops and Spurs
  • Loop 279
  • Loop 335
  • Loop 362
  • Loop 395
  • Loop 434
  • Spur 228
  • Spur 468
  • Spur 591
Farm and Ranch to Market Roads
  • FM 245
  • FM 293
  • RM 1061
  • FM 1258
  • FM 1342
  • FM 1541
  • FM 1719
  • FM 2176
  • RM 2381
  • FM 2575