Interstate business routes are roads connecting a central or commercial district of a city or town with an Interstate bypass. These roads typically follow along local streets often along a former U.S. route or state highway that had been replaced by an Interstate. Interstate business route reassurance markers are signed as either loops or spurs using a green shield shaped and numbered like the shield of the parent Interstate highway.
Contents
- California
- Needles
- Arizona
- Kingman
- Seligman
- Ash Fork
- Flagstaff
- Current route
- Former route
- Joseph City
- Holbrook
- New Mexico
- Texas
- Amarillo
- References
Along Interstate 40 (I-40), business routes are found in the five westernmost states through which I-40 passes, California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma, as well as North Carolina. The Interstate has no business routes along its passage through Arkansas nor Tennessee.
Some states regard Interstate business routes as fully integrated within their state highway system while other states consider them to be either local roads to be maintained by county or municipal authorities or a hybrid of state and local control.
Although the public may differentiate between different business routes by the number of the parent route and the location of the route, there is no uniform naming convention. Each state highway department internally uses its own designations to identify segments within its jurisdiction.
From central Oklahoma westward, the business routes often follow the historic alignment of the former U.S. Route 66 (US 66).
California
Interstate business routes in California are assigned by the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), but are not maintained by Caltrans unless they overlay other routes of the state highway system. Local authorities may request route assignment from the Caltrans Transportation System Information Program, and all requests require approval of the executive committee of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).
Needles
The business loop of Interstate 40 through Needles in San Bernardino County begins at Exit 141 of I-40/ US 95 northwest of town. The unsigned highway follows Broadway Avenue to the southeast to Needles Highway, then eastward through an underpass of I-40 into the town center. At N Street, the loop turns southward into the southern part of town where it reconnects with Broadway Ave. The route then continues southeastward to I-40 Exit 144 where it terminates and US 95 continues southward along Broadway. The route largely follows the former route of US 66 through town except where the historic highway's path has since been disrupted by the construction of I-40.
The entire route is in Needles, San Bernardino County.
Arizona
The business loops within Arizona are maintained by the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) and by municipal authorities. Interstate 40 has five business loops within the state located in Seligman, Ash Fork, Flagstaff, Joseph City, and Holbrook and formerly had loops in Kingman, Flagstaff, and Winslow. ADOT identifies Interstate business loops as State Business Routes followed by the number of the parent Interstate. Individual loops along an Interstate are designated by adding parenthetical numbers that increase eastward and northward. Gaps in numbering represent removal of former routes or potential expansion.
Kingman
State Business Route 40(0) was a former business loop of I-40 at Kingman in Mohave County. The 3.7-mile (6.0 km) loop began at I-40 Exit 48 where US 93 approaches the intersection from the west along Beale Street and joins the Interstate while the loop proceeded eastward along Beale St. After a short distance, the loop joined Andy Devine Avenue which carried the former US 66. The loop turned northward returning to I-40 and US 93 at Exit 53 where the loop terminated, but the roadway continues forward carrying SR 66.
The entire route is in Kingman, Mohave County.
Seligman
State Business Route 40(1) is a business loop of I-40 at Seligman in Yavapai County. The 4 1⁄4-mile (6.8 km) loop begins at I-40 Exit 121 on the west end of town and proceeds northward passing over the former SR 66, a local road still signed as a state route that is a former alignment of US 66. The loop then takes a semicircular path near the Seligman Airport returning to Historic US 66, where the loop turns east through town. At the eastern edge of town, the loop turns south returning to I-40 at Exit 123.
The entire route is in Seligman, Yavapai County.
Ash Fork
State Business Route 40(2) is a business loop of I-40 through Ash Fork in Yavapai County. The 1.5-mile (2.4 km) loop begins at I-40 Exit 145 and proceeds to the northeast along the western edge of town. The loop passes through town as a divided route with eastbound traffic following Park Avenue and westbound traffic routed along Lewis Avenue. The roadways combine on the east end of town, and the loop returns south terminating at I-40 Exit 146. The roadway continues south beyond I-40 as SR 89.
The entire route is in Ash Fork, Yavapai County.
Flagstaff
I-40 has both a current route traversing the city of Flagstaff in Coconino County and a former route previously on the city's east side.
Current route
State Business Route 40(4) is a business loop of I-40 through Flagstaff in Coconino County. The 6.7-mile (10.8 km) loop begins at I-40 exit 191 west of Flagstaff and enters the city following the former route of US 66. In central Flagstaff, the loop intersects SR 89A at Milton Road. The loop turns north and follows Milton Rd. and then turns east along the street known as Route 66 (formerly Santa Fe Avenue) before intersecting US 180 at Humphreys Street. The loop continues to the east side of Flagstaff, where Rte. 66 diverges carrying the former alignment of I-40 BL, before intersecting US 89. From this intersection, the loop turns southward along Country Club Drive until terminating at I-40 exit 201.
The entire route is in Coconino County.
Former route
State Business Route 40(5) was a former business loop on the east side of the city of Flagstaff in Coconino County. The 4.6-mile (7.4 km) loop began at the combined route of I-40 BL and US 180 and followed Santa Fe Avenue eastward underpassing the current business route. The loop continued along the former US 66 connecting with I-40 and US 180 at Exit 204 for Walnut Canyon Road along the city's eastern edge. The loop was decommissioned in 2008 and returned to the city for maintenance.
The entire route is in Flagstaff, Coconino County.
Current route
State Spur Route 40 is a business spur of I-40 located in Navajo County, serving the city of Winslow. The 1.2-mile (1.9 km) spur begins at I-40/US 180 exit 252 and follows Hipkoe Drive south while concurrent with SR 99. At the intersection with 3rd Street, the two highways split; SR 99 heads east, while I-40 BS heads west. After crossing over the BNSF railway, the spur continues for 0.19 miles (310 m), ending just north of the intersection of Cooperstown Road and the county line.
The entire route is in Navajo County.
Former route
The former Business Route 40 in Winslow ran along former US 66 from Exits 252 to Exit 255.
Joseph City
Business Route 40 in Joseph City runs along former US 66 from Exits 274 to Exit 277.
Holbrook
Business Route 40 in Holbrook runs along part of current U.S. Route 180 in Arizona and former US 66 as well as Arizona State Route 77 from Exits 285 to Exit 289.
New Mexico
All of the business loops within New Mexico are maintained by the New Mexico Department of Transportation (NMDOT). In New Mexico, Interstate business routes are named independently of their parent Interstate's designation with business loops of Interstate 25 (I-25) numbered between 10–19, those of I-10 between 20–29, and those of I-40 between 30–39. New Mexico business loop numbers ascend eastward and northward with gaps in numbering to allow for future designations. Within New Mexico, I-10 currently has business routes in Moriarty, Santa Rosa and Tucumcari.
Texas
All of the business loops within Texas are maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Interstate 40 has seven business loops in the state, each located in the Panhandle region. Along I-40, TxDOT identifies each business route as Business Interstate 40 followed by an alphabetic suffix. Along Texas Interstates, the alphabetic suffixes on business route names ascend eastward and northward. There are gaps in the alphabetic values to allow for future system expansion. The alphabetic naming suffixes are included as small letters on the bottom of reassurance shields.
Amarillo
The Amarillo business loop of Interstate 40 begins at I-40 exit 62A just west of Amarillo. The highway was formerly a business route for Route 66, being that highway's only bannered route in Texas. Bus. I-40 D is known locally as Amarillo Boulevard and is the longest bannered route of Interstate 40.
Bus. I-40 D begins at Interstate 40 exit 62A just west of Amarillo near Cadillac Ranch. The highway runs east through a low developed area before entering the Amarillo city limits just before an intersection with Loop 335 (Soncy Road). Bus. I-40 D turns northeast at an interchange with Coulter Street/Wolffin Avenue before briefly running north at an interchange with SW 9th Avenue/Bell Street (near the main campus of Amarillo College). The highway starts turning northeast at Tascosa Road/Gem Lake Road before running straight east at the N. Western Street interchange. After this interchange, Bus. I-40 D begins to travel through a heavily developed area of the city before meeting U.S. Route 60/U.S. Route 87/U.S. Route 287 just north of downtown and begins an overlap with U.S. Route 60. The two highways continue to travel through a heavily developed area of the city, with the development becoming more sparse after the State Highway 136 intersection. Bus. I-40 D becomes a divided highway after an interchange with Loop 335 (Lakeside Drive) and runs along the northern border of Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. Just after leaving the Amarillo city limits, U.S. Route 60 leaves the highway and Bus. I-40 D starts to run southeast. Bus. I-40 D meets its eastern terminus at I-40 exit 85.