Puneet Varma (Editor)

U.S. Route 82 in Texas

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Existed:
  
1935 – present

Constructed
  
1935

Length
  
811.3 km

U.S. Route 82 in Texas

West end:
  
US 82 at the New Mexico state line

East end:
  
US 82 at the Arkansas state line

In the U.S. state of Texas, U.S. Route 82 is a U.S. Highway that begins on the New Mexico border and heads east through West Texas and Lubbock to the Arkansas border at Texarkana.

Contents

New Mexico–Texas state line to Wichita Falls

US 82 crosses into Texas from New Mexico at Texas Farm to Market Road 769, turning northeastward toward Plains, where it merges with US 380. US 82 is co-signed with US 380 from Plains to Brownfield, where it joins US 62, and US 380 leaves the route. US 82/62 continues northeastward toward Lubbock.

In Lubbock, US 82 and US 62 split, where US 82 is being upgraded to a full access freeway, to be named the Marsha Sharp Freeway, in honor of retired Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball coach Marsha Sharp. On the east side of the city, it once again merges with US 62 (along with State Highway 114) where it continues eastward through Ralls, where US 62 makes a sharp turn to the north and leaves the route. US 82 continues eastward across the level plains of the Llano Estacado to Crosbyton and then dips downward as it crosses the White River of Blanco Canyon, where the Texas Department of Transportation maintains the Silver Falls Rest Area with facilities and hiking trails. After climbing out of Blanco Canyon, US 82 eventually exits the Llano Estacado and enters the rolling plains near Dickens.

US 82/SH 114 continues eastward as a co-signed route until Seymour, where it merges with U.S. Highways 183, 277 and 283, with US 183 and 283 leaving the route at Mabelle. US 82/277 continues eastward to Wichita Falls, merging with I-44 and US 287 just south of downtown at Mile marker 0.

Wichita Falls to Texarkana and Texas–Arkansas state line

US 82 leaves US 287 at Henrietta and continues east towards the small towns of Nocona, Texas (beginning as a four-lane divided highway), St. Jo, Texas and Muenster, Texas and crossing Interstate 35 in Gainesville at a partial cloverleaf interchange (It has since been converted to a frontage road interchange in 2012.). The highway continues east towards Whitesboro, Texas and Sherman, Texas where it crosses US Highway 75 at a three-level diamond interchange (the portion through Sherman is called the Buck Owens Freeway in honor of the country music star, who was born in Sherman). Prior to the 1990s, the two highways ran concurrently on the route of Texas State Highway 56 before being rerouted northeast of Sherman on its present-day route. The highway continues east to Bells, Texas where US 82 cross US Route 69.

In Bonham, Texas, US 82 crosses Texas SH 121 while the route runs parallel with SH 56 until Honey Grove, Texas where SH 56 ends. US 82 enters Paris, Texas at a diamond interchange where it runs concurrent with Texas Loop 286 on the north side of the city as a Business Route runs through the center of the city before rejoining on the east side of Paris. At a diamond interchange on the north side of Paris, US 82/TX Loop 286 meets with US 271 where both highways run concurrent on the northeast side of town before US 82 branches off at another diamond interchange on the east side of Paris. After passing around Clarksville, Texas and other smaller towns the highway is crossed by Interstate 30 east of New Boston, Texas at a partial cloverleaf and continues to run parallel to IH 30 into Arkansas through downtown Texarkana.

Future

The Marsha Sharp Freeway, named for former Texas Tech Lady Raiders basketball coach Marsha Sharp, is currently being built along US 82 in Lubbock, Texas. In 1998, funding was first received. The five-phase project was scheduled to be completed in 2015.

Phase 2 of the project was scheduled to be completed in December 2008 at a cost of $140 million. It involved construction of the freeway from Salem Avenue to Avenue L and erecting interchanges at 19th Street, Quaker Avenue, Fourth Street, and Avenue Q in Lubbock. Currently construction on the freeway has started from Millwaukee ave to Upland ave and on the intersection of spur 327 and U.S. 62/82.

It is being upgraded to a 4 lane divided highway west of Nocona.

References

U.S. Route 82 in Texas Wikipedia