U.S. Route 82
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|---|---|
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| Route information | |
| Length: | 1,609 mi[1] (2,589 km) |
| Existed: | 1932[1] – present |
| Major junctions | |
| West end: |
  US 54 / US 70 at Alamogordo, NM |
|
 I‑75 at Tifton, GA | |
| East end: |
 I‑95 at Brunswick, GA |
| Location | |
| States: | New Mexico, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia |
| Highway system | |
U.S. Route 82 is an east–west United States highway in the southern United States. What started as a 1932 addition to the system[1] across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas eventually became a 1,609-mile[1] (2,589 km) route extending from the White Sands of New Mexico to Georgia's Atlantic coast.
The highway's eastern terminus is in Brunswick, Georgia, at an intersection with Interstate 95. It is co-signed for its last half-mile with U.S. Route 17. Its western terminus is in Alamogordo, New Mexico at an intersection with U.S. Route 54 and U.S. Route 70.[2]
Route description
New Mexico
US 82 begins at an intersection with US highways 54 and 70 north of Alamogordo, and south of La Luz, New Mexico. Heading east out of Alamogordo the road ascends into the Sacramento Mountains, traveling through the Lincoln National Forest. While climbing steep Mexican Canyon, the highway passes the abandoned railroad trestles of the El Paso and Northeastern Railway, and passes through the only road tunnel in New Mexico. The road then traverses the New Mexico villages of High Rolls, Cloudcroft, and Mayhill After descending the mountains into the rugged, flat plains of eastern New Mexico, it generally follows a north-northeasterly bearing until Artesia, where it takes a more due-easterly bearing on through to Lovington, veering back slightly to the north before crossing into Texas.
Texas
US 82 crosses into Texas from New Mexico at Texas Farm to Market Road 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 a limited access freeway west of US Route 87. From downtown Lubbock to Wolfforth, US 82 is named Marsha Sharp Freeway after Marsha Sharp, former head basketball coach of the Texas Tech Lady Raiders and Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. It once again merges with US 62 (along with State Highway 114) west of the campus of Texas Tech University, where it continues eastward through Ralls, where US 62 makes a sharp turn to the north and leaves the route. US 82 continues eastward across the level plains of the Llano Estacado to Crosbyton and then dips downward as it crosses the White River of Blanco Canyon, where the Texas Department of Transportation maintains the Silver Falls Rest Area with facilities and hiking trails. After climbing out of Blanco Canyon, US 82 eventually exits the Llano Estacado and enters the rolling plains near Dickens, Texas.
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.[3]
Arkansas
US 82 enters Arkansas in downtown Texarkana, then proceeds almost due east across the flat plains of the Red River. It crosses the Red River at Garland City on a new bridge, then passes through the towns of Lewisville and Magnolia. At Magnolia the route joins US 79 for approximately two miles before continuing eastward. The route passes through the cities of El Dorado and Strong before crossing the Ouachita River just north of Lake Jack Lee, then continues through Crossett and Hamburg to Lake Village. The route continues from there across the Mississippi River to Greenville, MS. US 82 closely follows the historical alignment of Arkansas Highway 2.
Mississippi
Through the entire state, the highway is four-laned with interchanges at major junctions. After crossing the Mississippi River from Arkansas via the new four-laned, cable-stayed Mississippi River bridge, the road briefly travels northeast toward central Greenville, then turns east to Columbus, passing through Indianola, Greenwood, Winona, and Starkville, while bypassing Itta Bena.
According to the Mississippi Department of Transportation's website www.gomdot.com, construction is now underway on a U.S. 82 bypass around Greenville. The new road will commence at the recently opened MS River Bridge and terminate at the current U.S. 82 near Leland, creating a half-loop freeway around South Greenville. Cloverleaf interchanges are presently being built at the freeway's junctions with MS 454 and MS 1. This new bypass will be the southern terminus for the planned freeway connector to Interstate 69, which is also under construction through the northern Mississippi Delta.
From Starkville east through Columbus and on to the Alabama state line, US 82 is built to freeway standards. The Mississippi section of U.S. 82 is defined in Mississippi Code Annotated § 65-3-3.
Alabama
Throughout Alabama, U.S. 82 is paired with unsigned State Route 6. The highway crosses the state, and is known in West Alabama (Tuscaloosa and Northport) as McFarland Boulevard, in memory of the late Honorable Ward Wharton McFarland, a political, business, and civic leader who died in 1979. Currently in Pickens County, Alabama, a widening project of U.S. 82 is underway to make the highway four-laned. New bridges are being constructed using Federal Highway Administration monies, as well as matching Alabama Department of Transportation funds. Four-laning the highway in Tuscaloosa County, west of Northport to the Pickens County line, was completed in the fall of 2010.[4]
Georgia
Throughout much of southern Georgia, U.S. 82 is paired with State Route 520 and designated as "Corridor Z" and "South Georgia Parkway." West of Dawson, U.S. 82 is paired with State Route 50, the historic State Route number for U.S. 82 in Georgia. From Albany onwards, U.S. 82 becomes a four laned highway as it moves through Albany and then onto Tifton where 82 intersects with I-75. After this the highway moves east through southern plains and Waycross, near the Okefenokee Swamp. 82 then proceeds to Brunswick, GA, where it terminates.
History
The east ends of US 82 and U.S. Route 84 were swapped in 1989 after the roads around Waycross, Georgia, were reconfigured.
Future
U.S. Route 82 supposed to have an Interchange with Interstate 69 in the near Future.
Most of the Arkansas section was originally Highway 2.
Major intersections
- New Mexico
- US 54 / US 70 in Alamogordo
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US 285 in Artesia - Texas
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US 380 in Plains. The highways travel concurrently to Brownfield. -
US 62 / US 385 in Brownfield. US 62/US 81 travels concurrently to Lubbock. US 82/US 385 travels concurrently through Brownfield. -
US 84 in Lubbock -
I-27 / US 87 in Lubbock - US 62 in Lubbock. The highways travel concurrently to southwest of Ralls.
-
US 83 south of Guthrie -
US 183 / US 277 / US 283 north-northeast of Seymour. US 82/US 183/US 283 travels concurrently to Mabelle. US 82/US 277 travels concurrently to Wichita Falls. -
US 277 / US 281 / US 287 in Wichita Falls. US 82/US 281 travels concurrently through Wichita Falls. US 82/US 287 travels concurrently to west of Henrietta. -
US 81 in Ringgold -
I-35 / US 77 in Gainesville -
US 377 in Whitesboro -
US 75 in Sherman -
US 69 in Bells -
US 271 in Paris. The highways travel concurrently through Paris. -
US 259 northwest of De Kalb -
I-30 west of New Boston -
I-369 / US 59 in Texarkana -
US 67 in Texarkana. The highways travel concurrently to Texarkana, Arkansas. -
US 71 on the Texas–Arkansas state line on the Texarkana–Texarkana, Arkansas city line. The highways travel concurrently to Texarkana, Arkansas. - Arkansas
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I-49 in Texarkana -
US 371 in Magnolia -
US 79 in Magnolia. The highways travel concurrently through Magnolia. -
US 63 / US 167 in El Dorado -
US 425 east of Crossett. The highways travel concurrently to Hamburg. -
US 165 south of Montrose -
US 65 / US 278 in Lake Village. US 65/US 82 travels concurrently to Fairview. US 82/US 278 travels concurrently to east of Leland, Mississippi. - Mississippi
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US 49W in Indianola -
US 49E in Greenwood. The highways travel concurrently through Greenwood. -
I-55 in Winona -
US 51 in Winona -
US 45 west-southwest of Columbus. The highways travel concurrently to Columbus. - Alabama
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US 43 in Northport. The highways travel concurrently through Northport. -
I-20 / I-59 in Tuscaloosa -
US 11 in Tuscaloosa -
US 31 in Prattville -
I-65 in Prattville. The highways travel concurrently to Montgomery. -
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I-85 / Future I-685 in Montgomery -
I-65 / US 80 in Montgomery. US 80/US 82 travels concurrently through Montgomery. -
US 331 in Montgomery -
US 80 / US 231 in Montgomery. US 82/US 231 travels concurrently to south-southeast of Pike Road. -
US 29 in Union Springs. The highways travel concurrently through Union Springs. -
US 431 in Eufaula. The highways travel concurrently through Eufaula. - Georgia
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US 27 east of Cuthbert -
US 19 in Albany. The highways travel concurrently through Albany. - I-75 in Tifton
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US 319 in Tifton. The highways travel concurrently to east-southeast of Tifton. -
US 41 in Tifton -
US 129 northwest of Alapaha. The highways travel concurrently to Alapaha. -
US 221 / US 441 in Pearson -
US 1 / US 23 west of Deenwood. The highways travel concurrently to Waycross. - US 84 in Waycross. The highways travel concurrently through Waycross.
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US 301 in Nahunta -
US 17 west of Brunswick. The highways travel concurrently for approximately 0.7 miles (1.1 km). - I-95 / US 17 west of Brunswick
Bannered routes
Twelve bannered routes of US 82 currently exist: four in Arkansas, four in Texas, two in New Mexico, one in Mississippi, and one in Georgia.
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 Droz, Robert V. "US Highways from US 1 to US 830". Retrieved March 19, 2006.
- ↑ "End of US highway 82". USEndscom. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
- ↑ Google (2008-03-05). "overview map of US 82" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
- ↑ "EDITORIAL: Highway 82 project took too much time". TuscaloosaNews.com. Retrieved 2013-01-26.
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| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
←  NM 81 | NM | NM 83  → | ||
←  SH 81 | TX | SH 82  → | ||
←  AR 81 | AR | AR 83  → | ||
| ← US 80 | MS | MS 83  → | ||
←  SR 81 | AL | SR 83  → | ||
←  SR 81 | GA | SR 82  → | ||