U.S. Route 54 in Texas

US Highway 54 marker

US Highway 54
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length: 111.583 mi[1] (179.575 km)
Existed: 1927 – present
El Paso section
South end: Loop 375 in El Paso
Major
junctions:
I-110 in El Paso
US 62 in El Paso
I-10 / US 180 in El Paso
North end: US 54 at Chaparral, N.M.
Panhandle section
South end: US 54 near Nara Visa, N.M.
Major
junctions:
US 87 / US 385 in Dalhart
US 287 in Stratford
North end: US-54 at Texhoma, Okla.
Location
Counties: El Paso, Hartley, Dallam, Sherman
Highway system
SH 53SH 54

U.S. Route 54 in Texas is a U.S. Highway that travels through two portions of Texas: one in the far western point, and the other in the far northwest Panhandle.

Route description

US 54 begins in El Paso, Texas, as a controlled access highway at an intersection with Loop 375. The route then travels northward, joining up with I-110 within the first mile. A mile later, these highways intersect Interstate 10 at a complex, three level high expressway interchange which the locals call the "Spaghetti Bowl." I-110 ends here, while US 54 continues north through El Paso. The route turns northeast, becoming a rare example of a collector-express freeway in Texas (until the Pershing Drive exit) before entering New Mexico. The route re-enters Texas in the northwest Panhandle, traveling northeast through sparsely populated country. The route intersects US Route 87 and US Route 385 in Dalhart and US Route 287 in Stratford, before exiting into the Oklahoma Panhandle at Texhoma.

History

The southwestern portion was originally part of the Ozark Trails, paralleling the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad, and was originally given the numbering of State Highway 33. SH 33 continued into Texas farther south in the Panhandle, following the former Ozark Trail. The northern Panhandle portion was originally assigned to State Highway 56, paralleling the Chicago, Rock Island, and Gulf Railroad.

When the U.S. Highway System was unveiled in 1926, the northern section was assigned to U.S. Highway 54, while the southwestern portion was assigned to U.S. Highway 366. The US 366 designation was canceled in 1932 when other sections of the highway were added to an adjusted US Route 70. This section was added to US 54 in 1934, and has retained its numbering since. By 1939, the corresponding state highway designations had been canceled.

The highway continues on its original routing except for realignment in 1990 in El Paso, with the old route becoming US Business Route 54 and Texas Loop 478. Most of the current US 54 in El Paso is a limited-access highway known as the Patriot Freeway which, as of 2016, was only partially completed.

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[2][3]kmExitDestinationsNotes
El PasoEl Paso0.000.00 Loop 375 eastNational western terminus of US 54; Loop 375 exit 58
20 Loop 375 westWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
20A US 62 (Paisano Drive)Signed as exit 20 eastbound
20B I-110 south Juárez, México (Autos only)Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
21 I-10 / US 180 Las Cruces, Van HornSigned as exits 21A (east) and 21B (west); no exit 21A eastbound (I-10 east is signed at exit 20); no access from I-10 to US 54 west; I-10 exit 22B
21CMontana Avenuesigned as part of exit 21B eastbound
22BPershing Drivesigned as exit 22 westbound
23Cassidy Road - Fort Blisssigned as part of exit 22 westbound
24AFred Wilson Avenue / Broaddus Avenue / Railroad Drive
24B Spur 601 east Airport
25Ellerthorpe Avenue / Broaddus Avenue
26
Bus. US 54 east (Dyer Street / Loop 478) / Hercules Avenue
27Hondo Pass Drive
28Diana Drive
29 Loop 375 (Woodrow Bean Trans Mountain Drive)Loop 375 exit 21
30Sun Valley DriveNo direct westbound exit (signed at exit 31)
31 FM 3255 (MLK Jr. Boulevard) / Kenworthy Street
32Sean Haggerty DriveAt-grade intersection; east end of freeway
13.621.9 FM 2529 (McCombs Street) Chaparral

Bus. US 54 west (Dyer Street) Chaparral
20.032.2 US 54 east AlamogordoNew Mexico state line
US 54 crosses through New Mexico
Hartley0.00.0 US 54 west Nara Visa, TucumcariNew Mexico state line
8.513.7 RM 3296 west
9.315.0 FM 767 east Channing
35.256.6 FM 694Counterclockwise terminus of FM 694
37.560.4 FM 998 south Hartley, TDCJ Dalhart Unit
38.061.2 FM 694Clockwise terminus of FM 694
39.062.8 FM 3139 south Airport
DallamDalhart40.865.7
Bus. US 87 south (7th Street) Amarillo
west end of US 87 Bus. overlap
41.366.5 US 87 / US 385 / FM 297 east (First Street) Boise City, Clayton, Amarilloeast end of US 87 Bus. overlap
46.474.7 FM 695 east – Airport
Chamberlin51.582.9 FM 3212 east
59.896.2 FM 3213 west
Conlen60.797.7 FM 807 south Hartleywest end of FM 807 overlap
61.098.2 FM 807 north Kerrickeast end of FM 807 overlap
Sherman69.3111.5 FM 2014 south
Stratford72.3116.4 US 287 (Poplar Street) Boise City, Dumas
72.5116.7 SH 15 east (Main Street) Gruver
73.0117.5 FM 2677 north
89.5144.0 FM 119 south Sunray
Texhoma91.9147.9 US-54 east (South Street) TexhomaOklahoma state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

El Paso business loop


Business U.S. Highway 54-A
Location: El Paso
Length: 12.466 mi[4] (20.062 km)
Existed: 1990–present[4]

Business U.S. Highway 54-A or Bus. US 54-A is a business route of US 54 at El Paso commissioned in 1990. The 12.5-mile (20.1 km) route begins at US 54 and State Highway Loop 478 at the Patriot Freeway. The route runs along Dyer St. through northeast El Paso near Fort Bliss to its northern terminus at the New Mexico state line. The roadway continues forward into New Mexico for 0.3 miles (0.5 km) over a local road not recognized by New Mexico as a state highway that becomes a one-way entrance ramp merging with US 54. Highway signs in New Mexico direct southbound traffic to turn on State Line Drive just within Texas to access Bus. US 54-A.[5]

Bus. US 54-A and Loop 478 are the former route of US 54 prior to construction of the Patriot Freeway. Bus. US 54-A was created when Loop 478, which originally followed the route to New Mexico, was shortened to its current terminus at the beginning of the business loop.[4][6] Loop 478 was first intended in 1969 to be the replacement for US 54 over the route and was planned to be signed as Business US 54 once the current US 54 was completed.[6] Bus. US 54-A was concurrent with US 54 until 1991.[4]

Major intersections

The entire route is in El Paso, El Paso County.

mi[5]kmDestinationsNotes
00.0 US 54 (Patriot Frwy.) / Loop 478 (Dyer St.)Southern terminus
3.86.1 Loop 375 (Purple Heart Memorial Frwy.) Canutillo
4.06.4 FM 2529 (McCombs St.) – Chaparral, NM
12.520.1 To US 54 in New Mexico via local roadNorthern terminus at Newman in Doña Ana County, New Mexico
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "U.S. Highway No. 54". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
  2. Google (July 28, 2010). "Route of US 54 in El Paso" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  3. Google (July 28, 2010). "Route of US 54 in the Texas Panhandle" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Texas Department of Transportation. "Highway Designation File – Business U.S. Highway No. 54-A". Retrieved May 30, 2010
  5. 1 2 Google (2010-11-18). "Route of Bus. US 54-A"" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  6. 1 2 Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Loop No. 478". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
U.S. Route 54
Previous state:
Terminus
Texas Next state:
New Mexico
U.S. Route 54
Previous state:
New Mexico
Texas Next state:
Oklahoma
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