Texas State Highway 71

US 281
US 290
I-35
US 183
US 77
US 90
I-10

State Highway 71 or SH 71 is a Texas state highway that runs 253 miles (407 km). The northern terminus is at US 87 and US 377 south of Brady and its southern terminus is at SH 35 near Blessing. This highway is designated the "10th Mountain Division Highway" from SH 95 to Interstate 35.

Through Austin, SH 71 is known as Ben White Boulevard and is one of Austin's newest freeways. Sections have opened regularly since 1996, when the first section west of Interstate 35 was opened. A 5-level stack was recently completed at Interstate 35, and the freeway east of Interstate 35 to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is still under construction.

Major displacements of commercial properties were required to build the Austin expansions. Most of the freeway had a 150 ft (46 m) wide right-of-way which was expanded to 300+ feet (91m+), and the western segment, which opened in 1998, was built on an 80 ft (24 m) right-of-way. The section at the western end required many more business displacements. The new freeway features depressed sections, elevated sections, and partial stack interchanges.

History

SH 71 was originally designated in 1926 from Austin to Matagorda Bay, absorbing SH 3D in the process. In 1935, U.S. Highway 290 was codesignated along the stretch from Austin to Bastrop, dropping SH 71 from this section completely by 1939. In 1951, this section was restored when US 290 was rerouted farther north. Late in 1965, the highway was extended to its current designation over the cancelled Ranch to Market Road 93 and Ranch to Market Road 734.

Counties and junctions

References

1. ^ Texas Department of Transportation, [1]