Interstate 40 in Texas

Infobox road
state=TX
route=40
type=I


maint=TxDOT
length_mi=177.1
length_round=1
length_ref=Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/ih/ih0040.htm Highway Designation File - Interstate Highway 40] ]
year_established=1959
direction_a=West
terminus_a=Jct|state=NM|I|40 at New Mexico state line
junction=Jct|state=TX|I|27 in Amarillo
direction_b=East
terminus_b=Jct|state=OK|I|40 at Oklahoma state line
previous_type=TX
previous_route=39
next_type=TX
next_route=40
browse=Infobox TX State Highway/browse|previous_type=TX|previous_route=65|route=|next_type=TX|next_route=66In 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 Highway 27.

The majority of the route of I-40 was upgraded on the spot from the old surface U.S. Highway 66. US 66 was decommissioned in Texas in 1985, [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/us/us0066.htm Highway Designation File - U.S. Highway No. 66] ] leaving only I-40 on the cross-panhandle freeway.

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.

Major cities

Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs. [ [http://users.adelphia.net/~pwolf/controlcities.html List of Control Cities for Use in Guide Signs on Interstate Highways] ]
*Tucumcari, New Mexico
*Vega
*Amarillo
*McLean
*Shamrock
*Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

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. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/ss/ss0504.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Spur 504] ]

Business Interstate Highway 40-B (formerly Loop 550) is a Business Loop through Adrian. The road was bypassed ca. 1969 by I-40,National Bridge Inventory] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0550.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 550] ]

Business Interstate Highway 40-C (formerly Loop 551) is a Business Loop through Vega. The road was bypassed ca. 1973 by I-40, and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0551.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 551] ]

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 [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm2500/fm2575.htm Highway Designation File - Farm to Market Road 2575] ] by the construction of Amarillo International Airport. Present Business I-40 was bypassed in 1968 by I-40, and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0552.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 552] ]

Farm to Market Road 2161 and State Highway 207 carry old US 66 through Conway. The road was bypassed ca. 1966 by I-40, and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/fm2000/fm2161.htm Highway Designation File - Farm to Market Road 2161] ]

Business Interstate Highway 40-F (formerly Loop 554) is a Business Loop through Groom. The road was bypassed ca. 1980 by I-40, and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0554.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 554] ]

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, [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0271.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 271] ] but the bypass was not upgraded to a freeway until ca. 1982.

Business Interstate Highway 40-H (formerly Loop 555) is a Business Loop through McLean. The road was bypassed ca. 1984 by I-40, and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0555.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 555] ]

Business Interstate Highway 40-J (formerly Loop 556) is a Business Loop through Shamrock. The road was bypassed ca. 1973 by I-40, and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0556.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 556] ]

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, and carried US 66 until 1976, when it was moved onto I-40 in the area. [Texas Department of Transportation, [http://www.dot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/ss/ss0030.htm Highway Designation File - State Highway Spur 30] ]

Exit list

References