States: Texas, Arkansas Length 34.4 km | Counties: TX: Bowie; AR: Miller | |
Component
highways: I-49
I-369
I-130
US 59
US 71
Loop 151
AR 151 CCW end: I-30 / I-369 / US 59 in Texarkana, TX CW end: US 59 / US 71 in Texarkana, AR | ||
The Loop is a beltway around Texarkana, a twin city in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Texas, running about 16 miles (26 km). Consisting a section of Interstate 49 in Arkansas, and Loop 151 and a section of I-369 and U.S. Highway 59 in Texas, it forms a three-quarter loop around the east, south and west sides of the city. (Interstate 30 completes the circle on the north side.) The Loop is built to Interstate Freeway Standards.
Contents
The south side is bisected by State Line Avenue, which runs north–south along the state line. The whole half in Arkansas is Interstate 49 and State Route 151 (unsigned). US 59 intersects the Loop near the southwest corner, only the south side in Texas is Loop 151. Old US 59 into Texarkana (Lake Drive) is now State Highway 93.
Arkansas
North of the junction with and U.S. Highway 71, The former Highway 245 is part of the north–south Corridor, Interstate 49 north to Kansas City.
The Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department submitted this piece, as well as its continuation west to the state line, as Interstate 130 (I-130) in fall 2000. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials denied the part from US 71 west to Texas, as "the state of Texas has not submitted a companion application for a suitable terminus in Texas", but the piece from US 71 north to I-30 was approved on December 8, 2000 as Future I-130. Once it is upgraded to Interstate standards and added to the Interstate Highway System by the Federal Highway Administration, it will be signed as I-130.
Arkansas is using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 funds to pave the final segment of future I-130, from the Arkansas Boulevard interchange to a new freeway-to-freeway interchange with I-30. Once this section is opened, the only remaining requirement to become I-130 will be upgrading the at-grade intersection with 19th Street to a full interchange; the right-of-way for this was reserved years ago. However, with I-49 also pending completion between Texarkana and Shreveport, Louisiana (including a segment in Arkansas also being built with ARRA funds), I-49 will be part of the loop instead of I-130 by Summer of June 2014 this year.
In May 2013, Highway 245 was replaced by Interstate 49. North of Arkansas Blvd, 245 was removed from service and re-designated Four States Fair Blvd.
Texas
Loop 151 connects Highway 151 to US 59. Along with the south leg of Highway 151, it is the newest part of the Loop.
Note: A former, unrelated state highway also bearing the Loop 151 designation in Denison was redesignated as State Highway 75-A in 1946, and is now part of State Highway 91.I-369 and US 59 forms the final leg of the loop, from Lake Drive to Interstate 30. This section, known officially as Jarvis Parkway, also crosses West 7th Street (U.S. Highway 67) and New Boston Road (U.S. Highway 82). Interstate 369 was designated on May 30, and was installed on September 23, 2013.