| U.S. Route 287 | |
|---|---|
| Route information | |
| Auxiliary route of US 87 | |
| Length: | 1,791 mi (2,882 km) |
| Existed: | 1935 – present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end: | US 69 / US 96 / SH 87 in Port Arthur, TX |
|
I-45 at Corsicana, TX |
|
| North end: | US 89 in Choteau, MT |
| Highway system | |
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United States Numbered Highways |
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U.S. Route 287 is a north–south United States highway. It is 1,791 miles (2,882 km) long.[1] It serves as the major truck route between the Texas cities of Fort Worth and Amarillo. The highway is broken into two segments by Yellowstone National Park, where an unnumbered park road serves as a connector.
The highway's northern terminus is in Choteau, Montana, 100 miles (161 km) south of the Canadian border, at an intersection with U.S. Route 89. Its southern terminus (as well as those of US 69 and US 96) is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87, five miles (8 km) up the Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico.
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In Oklahoma, US-287 remains within Cimarron County, the county at the end of the Panhandle. After crossing the state line north of Kerrick, Texas, the highway intersects State Highway 171 at its southern terminus. US-287 continues northwest, crossing the Beaver River, toward Boise City, the county seat. On the east side of town, the highway becomes concurrent with US-56, US-64, US-412, and SH-3. These five highways then enter the traffic circle in downtown Boise City. US-287 emerges from the north side of the circle, as well as US-385 and SH-3. These three highways head north to the Colorado state line. SH-3 ends there, while US-287 and US-385 continue onward into Colorado.
From Oklahoma, US-287 and US-385 enter into a very rural part of Colorado. They continue in a north/northwest direction through the state. The two Highways pass through the town of Campo, and make an interchange with US-160 on the outskirts of Springfield. In Lamar and Carlton, the highways make an interchange with US-50. Here US-385 heads east on US-50, and US-287-US-50 continue to the North. Just outside the town the highways make a sharp turn toward the west, and the road heading north is SH-196. South of Wiley, US-50 heads west, while US-287 turns north toward Wiley. East of Eads, Colorado US-287 turns toward the west again, briefly merging with SH-96. In Eads SH-96 continues toward the West, while US-287 turns toward the North. Near Kit Carson, US-287 again turns toward the west and merges with US-40. Near Limon, the two highways make 2 interchanges with I-70 before passing through Limon. Then the two highways merge with I-70. Near the outskirts of Denver US-36 merges with the group of highways making the road, I-70,US-287,US-36,US-40. Just past SH-470, I-70 and US-36 split from US-287 and US-40. US-287 and US-40 continue west into downtown Denver. Just past the I-25, US-6, US-87, and US-85 interchange with SH-88, SH-88 runs South, US-40 heads west and US-287 turns toward the North, where it is named Federal Blvd. In the suburbs of Denver US-287 turns west once again and merges with SH-128. Just before US-36, US-287 turns north leaving SH-128, which at US-36 turns south and briefly merges with SH-121. In Lafayette, US-287 briefly merges with SH-7. The two roads continue heading north, and in a short distance the two roads split with SH-7 heading west and US-287 heading north. It passes through Longmont as the town's Main Street and is heavily trafficked. A branch of US-287 heads into Berthoud. This old section of US-287 does not get back to the Highway. At Fort Collins, US-287 merges with SH-14. On the edge of the mountains US-287 heads north, while SH-14 splits and heads toward the west. US-287 later passes into Wyoming.
US-287 enters Wyoming through a pass between the Laramie Mountains to the east and the Medicine Bow Mountains to the west. In Laramie, US-287 crosses I-80 and merges with US-30 and the two highways continue to head North. After passing Medicine Bow, these highways turn west-southwest and return to I-80 near Walcott, where they merge with the interstate west until Rawlins. US-287 branches off from I-80 and US-30 and heads into the town. US-287 merges with State Highways 76, 80, and 30 for a short distance just outside Rawlins, though SH-36 ends when US-287 branches to the northwest as a stand-alone highway. It is also possible to take the Business US-287 (SH-80, SH-30) into Rawlins. In Downtown Rawlins, SH-80 and 30 head toward the west while Business US-287 heads to the north, merging with SH-789 where SH-30 and 80 split off the highway. A short while later Business US-287 and SH-789 merge with regular US-287 which made a detour around the city. US-287 and SH-789 stay merged all the way to Lander, Wyoming, where SH-789 heads toward the northeast and US-287 heads toward the northwest. US-287 merges with US-26 in the very mountainous terrain of West/Central Wyoming, and the two highways head west. The highways enter Grand Teton National Park and make a big interchange in the town of Moran. In Moran, US-287 and US-26 meet US-191, US-89. US-26 heads south merging with US-191 and US-89. US-287 heads North merging with US-191, US-89. At this point the road is US-287, US-191 and US-89, and the three highways continue to run through Yellowstone. Near West Thumb, US-287, US-191, US-89, meet with US-16, US-14 and US-20. While US 14 and 16 end here, US-20 merges with the highways making the road US-287, US-191, US-89 and US-20. The four highways actually pass the main Visitor's Center of Yellowstone National Park. In the middle of the park, US-89 heads east, while US-287, US-191, and US-20 continue west.
US-287, US-191, and US-20 cross the Montana State Line in Yellowstone National Park. Just outside the park boundary in West Yellowstone, US-20 heads towards the west while US-287 and US-191 turn north. US-287 and US-191 split north of the town. US-287 heads toward the northwest and US-191 heads northeast, going back into Yellowstone and eventually crossing into Wyoming again. North of Sappington, US-287 merges with SH-2, and runs northeast. At I-90, SH-2 ends and US-287 continues to head north. In Townsend, US-287 merges with US-12 and the two highways continue north. At I-15 (near Helena), US-287 continues north on I-15 and US-12 heads west through downtown Helena. Northeast of Wolf Creek, US-287 and I-15 split with US-287 heading northwest and I-15 heading northeast. US-287 ends at US-89 in Choteau.
When US 287 was first commissioned in 1939, it extended only from the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park to Denver, Colorado. The route was extended southward to the Gulf Coast at Port Arthur, Texas in 1940, and northward into Montana to US 89 at Choteau, Montana in 1965. U.S. 89 continues north of Choteau into Alberta as Provincial Highway 2 through the major cities of Calgary and Edmonton, connecting with a Canadian link to the Alaska Highway in the latter.
Included in the route of US 287 is former U.S. Route 370, which was commissioned in 1926 and connected Amarillo to Bowie, overlapping US 70 between Vernon and Wichita Falls.
The Canada to Gulf Highway Association, which later became the U.S. Highway 287 Association, was active from the 1910s until the 1970s to promote US 287 as a popular tourist route, and was composed of members from businesses and organizations in cities along the route.
The Wyoming state transportation department started widening U.S. Route 287 in 2009.[2]
In some spots US-287 is built up to freeway standards (a freeway has exits and frontage roads with no at-grade intersections).
List of sections (south to north):
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ← SH 286 | TX | SH 288 → | ||
| ← US-283 | OK | SH-325 → | ||
| ← US 285 | CO | SH 291 → | ||
| ← WYO 273 | WY | WYO 290 → | ||
| ← MT 287 | MT | US 310 → | ||