U.S. Highway 59 (Texas)
Also see Interstate 69 in Texas
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
| Length: | 612.169 mi[1] (985.191 km) | |||
| Existed: | 1935 – present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end: | ||||
| North end: | ||||
| Highway system | ||||
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In the U.S. state of Texas, U.S. 59 is named the Lloyd Bentsen Highway, after Lloyd Bentsen, former U.S. Senator from Texas. In northern Houston, US 59 (co-signed with Interstate 69 in Texas) is the Eastex Freeway (from Downtown to Humble). To the south, it is the Southwest Freeway (from Rosenberg to Downtown Houston), which is one of the busiest sections of freeway in the United States with a vehicle count, as of 2006, over 330,000 vehicles per day just outside the Loop.[2] To make things more confusing, 85 miles to the east, in Beaumont, Texas, U.S. 69, heading north of IH 10, is also officially known as Eastex Freeway, and is an evacuation route, as well.
US 59 (overlapped by US 71) actually straddles the border between Texas and Arkansas north of Interstate 30 near Texarkana, with the east side of the highway in Arkansas and the west side of the highway on the Texas side. In the past, both highways remained on the border past I-30 as State Line Avenue to downtown Texarkana; today, only US 71 does so. Nearly 90% of this route is designated to become part of Interstate 69 in the future. Currently 75 mph is allowed on US 59 in Duval County and portions of northern Polk County.
The total length of the southernmost segment of U.S. Route 59 that passes through Texas and terminates near the Mexican border is some 615 miles.
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History []
The US 96 designation was originally applied in 1926 from Rosenberg, Texas, near Houston to Pharr in the Rio Grande valley. This diagonal route, south of U.S. 90, did not violate the convention of even numbers for east–west routes. The highway's east–west nature was boosted in 1934 when US 96 was rerouted from Alice to Laredo.
Route description []
Laredo to Interstate 37 []
US 59 begins in Laredo at an intersection with I-35 about 2 miles north of the Mexican border. Traveling in a mostly northeast direction, US 59 intersects Loop 20 just north of Laredo International Airport heads towards Freer. In Duval County, the speed limit on US 59 is 75 miles per hour, the highest speed limit on the highway. US 59 shares a short congruency with SH 44 in and around Freer. From Freer, US 59 passes through the southeastern part of McMullen County, but does not intersect any highways. The highway continues northeast, intersecting US 281 in George West, before intersecting I-37 about 55 miles north of Corpus Christi. Between Laredo and Interstate 37, US 59 passes through many rural areas and ranching sites.
Interstate 37 to Houston []
From I-37, US 59 heads northeast passing through Beeville. US 59 bypasses Victoria to the south, and becomes a divided highway, and has a series of interchanges, until it becomes a freeway south of Houston in Rosenberg and resumes the designation of I-69 until reaching I-610 West. Between Houston and Victoria, US 59 passes through Edna, El Campo, and Wharton. US 59 intersects many major Texas highways in Houston, including I-10 (which goes to San Antonio and Beaumont) and I-45 (which goes to Dallas and Galveston).
Future I-69 inside Loop 610 through Downtown Houston has been submitted for designation and is awaiting approval.
Houston to Marshall []
Leaving Houston, the Interstate 69 designation begins again at I-610 North. US 59 intersects Beltway 8 again on the northside of town, passing by Bush Intercontinental Airport and heads into Humble. Between Houston and Livingston, most of US 59 is a limited-access freeway but the I-69 designation ends at the Montgomery-Liberty county line. US 59 passes through or bypasses the towns of Cleveland and Livingston. 46 miles north of Livingston, US 59 bypasses Lufkin, where it overlaps US 69. 10 miles north of Lufkin, US 59 bypasses Nacogdoches and heads in an almost entirely east-west direction. Drivers wishing to stay on US 59 must turn left in Tenaha, where the highway intersects US 96 and ends its overlap with US 84. US 59 passes through Carthage before intersecting I-20 south of Marshall.
Marshall to Texarkana []
US 59 intersects US 80 in Marshall, where US 59 is known as East End Boulevard (due to the fact the highway runs on the east side of town, near the city limits). US 59 passes through Jefferson, 15 miles east of Caddo Lake. US 59 passes through the towns of Linden and Atlanta before arriving in Bowie County. US 59 intersects SH 93 south of Texarkana, the old highway through the city. Shortly after, US 59 intersects Spur 151, where US 59 becomes a freeway on the westside of the city. US 59 intersects I-30, and overlaps I-30 until exit 223B, at the state line. After leaving I-30, US 59 joins US 71, where both highways run on the state line between Texas and Arkansas, where both highways continue north towards DeQueen, Arkansas.
Junction list []
| County | Location | # Mile |
Junction | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webb | Laredo | |||
| Duval | South end of SH 44 concurrency | |||
| Freer | ||||
| North end of SH 44 concurrency | ||||
| McMullen | No major junctions in McMullen County | |||
| Live Oak | ||||
| George West | ||||
| South end of FM 799 concurrency | ||||
| North end of FM 799 concurrency | ||||
| Bee | ||||
| Beeville | ||||
| Goliad | Berclair | |||
| South end of SH 239 concurrency | ||||
| Goliad | North end of SH 239 concurrency | |||
| Fannin | ||||
| Victoria | ||||
| Victoria | ||||
| Jackson | ||||
| Edna | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Ganado | Interchange | |||
| Wharton | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| El Campo | Interchange | |||
| Interchange | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Wharton | Interchange | |||
| Interchange | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Fort Bend | ||||
| Southbound exit and entrance | ||||
| Southbound exit and entrance | ||||
| Rosenberg | Interchange | |||
| South end of freeway, South end of I-69 overlap | ||||
| Frontage Road | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| Reading Road | ||||
| Williams Way Boulevard | ||||
| Sugar Land | ||||
| Brazos River Turnaround | ||||
| University Boulevard | ||||
| Sweetwater Boulevard, First Colony Boulevard | ||||
| Sugar Lakes Drive, Williams Trace Boulevard | ||||
| Dairy Ashford Road, Sugar Creek Boulevard | ||||
| Stafford | Kirkwood Road, West Airport Boulevard | |||
| Harris | Houston | |||
| Northbound exit is via the FM 1092 exit | ||||
| Bissonnet Street | ||||
| South Gessner Road, Beechnut Street | ||||
| Fondren Road, Bellaire Boulevard | ||||
| Hillcroft Avenue | ||||
| Northbound exit only | ||||
| Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
| Westpark Drive | Northbound exit is via the Hillcroft Avenue exit | |||
| Fountainview Drive | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| Chimney Rock Road | ||||
| North end of I-69 overlap | ||||
| Newcastle Drive | Northbound exit is via the Weslayan Road exit | |||
| Weslayan Road | ||||
| Buffalo Speedway, Edloe Street | ||||
| Kirby Drive | ||||
| Greenbriar Drive, South Shepherd Drive | ||||
| Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
| Main Street | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| Fannin Street | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| McGowen Avenue, Tuam Avenue | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| Gray Avenue, Pierce Avenue; Downtown Houston | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| Polk Street – Downtown Houston | Northbound exit only | |||
| Jackson Street – Downtown Houston, George R. Brown Convention Center | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| Lyons Avenue, Quitman Street | ||||
| Collingsworth Street, Cavalcade Street, Kelley Street | ||||
| Cavalcade Street | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | |||
| South end of I-69 overlap | ||||
| Crosstimbers Road, Kelley Street, Bennington Road | ||||
| Laura Koppe Road | Southbound exit is via the Tidwell Road exit | |||
| Tidwell Road | ||||
| Parker Road, Saunders Road, Jensen Drive | ||||
| Little York Road | ||||
| Hopper Road | Northbound exit is via the Little York Road exit | |||
| East Mount Houston Road | ||||
| Aldine Mail Route | ||||
| Lauder Road | Northbound exit is via the Aldine Mail Route exit | |||
| Old Humble Road, Lee Road, Homestead Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| Houston | ||||
| Northbound exit is via FM 525 exit | ||||
| Greens Road | ||||
| Rankin Road | ||||
| Will Clayton Parkway – Bush Intercontinental Airport | ||||
| Humble | Frontage Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| Townsen Boulevard | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | |||
| Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||||
| Montgomery | Kingwood Drive | |||
| Northpark Drive | ||||
| Community Drive | ||||
| Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||||
| Roman Forest Boulevard | ||||
| Woodbranch | ||||
| Local traffic only | Southbound exit only | |||
| Creekwood Lane | ||||
| Splendora | ||||
| East River Drive | ||||
| Fostoria Road | ||||
| North end of freeway, North end of I-69 overlap | ||||
| Liberty | Two exits northbound | |||
| Cleveland | ||||
| San Jacinto | ||||
| Shepherd | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Polk | Goodrich | |||
| Livingston | Southbound exit is part of exit 436A | |||
| 436A | ||||
| 436D | Frontage Road | Northbound exit and southbound entrance | ||
| 434B | Frontage Road | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| 432B | Frontage Road – Pedigo Park | Southbound exit and northbound entrance | ||
| 434D | ||||
| Leggett | ||||
| Short concurrency with FM 942 in Leggett | ||||
| Corrigan | ||||
| Angelina | ||||
| Diboll | ||||
| Lufkin | ||||
| Interchange, south end of Loop 287 concurrency | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Northbound exit, southbound entrance | ||||
| Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||||
| Southbound exit, northbound entrance | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| North end of US 69 / Loop 287 concurrency | ||||
| Nacogdoches | Nacogdoches | Interchange, south end of Loop 224 concurrency | ||
| Interchange | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Interchange, north end of Loop 224 concurrency | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Appleby | ||||
| Garrison | ||||
| Rusk | No major junctions in Rusk County | |||
| Shelby | ||||
| Timpson | South end of US 84 concurrency | |||
| Tenaha | ||||
| Interchange, north end of US 84 concurrency | ||||
| Panola | ||||
| Interchange | ||||
| Carthage | ||||
| Interchange, south end of US 79 concurrency | ||||
| Interchange, north end of US 79 concurrency | ||||
| Harrison | ||||
| Marshall | ||||
| South end of SH 43 concurrency | ||||
| North end of SH 43 concurrency | ||||
| Woodlawn | ||||
| Marion | ||||
| Jefferson | ||||
| Cass | ||||
| Linden | ||||
| Atlanta | South end of SH 77 concurrency | |||
| North end of SH 77 concurrency | ||||
| Bowie | ||||
| Texarkana | ||||
| South end of freeway | ||||
| Westlawn Drive – Wake Village | ||||
| South end of I-30 concurrency | ||||
| 220B | ||||
| 222 | ||||
| 223A | Northbound exit ramp enters Arkansas, north end of I-30 concurrency, south end of US 71 concurrency | |||
| North end of freeway. Continues into Arkansas | ||||
References []
- ^ Texas Department of Transportation. "Highway Designation File – U.S. Highway 59". Retrieved 2007-09-08.
- ^ Texas Department of Transportation, Traffic Counts Last accessed 2007-12-12.