Interstate 40 in Texas

In the U.S. state of Texas, Interstate 40 (I-40) runs west–east 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 27.

This article is about the section of Interstate 40 in Texas. For the entire route, see Interstate 40.

Interstate 40
I-40 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length177.139 mi[1] (285.078 km)
Existed1959–present
Major junctions
West end I-40 at New Mexico state line
  US 385 in Vega
I-27 / US 60 / US 87 / US 287 in Amarillo
US 83 in Shamrock
East end I-40 at Oklahoma state line
Location
CountiesDeaf Smith, Oldham, Potter, Carson, Gray, Donley, Wheeler
Highway system
← SH 39→ SH 40
← SH 65→ SH 66

History
Main article: U.S. Route 66 in Texas

Before the U.S. Route system, this system of interconnected highway from New Mexico to Oklahoma was part of the Texas highway system and a portion of the Ozark Trails which closely paralleled the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railway. When the United States Numbered Highway system was introduced in 1926, Route 66 across the Texas Panhandle was designated along existing roads in the Texas highway network. The entire route was paved by 1938. There have been various realignments, including one in 1959 to allow expansion of the Amarillo Air Force Base.

In 1956, the Interstate Highway Act designated US 66 through Texas as a section of highway eligible for limited access upgrades.

During the next 20 years, most of the highway was upgraded in place, to keep construction costs low. With the limited access of the Interstates, towns on the highway had to be bypassed. Most towns requested to remain as close to the new highway as possible to minimize tourism losses. Bypassed towns included Glenrio, Adrian, Vega, Conway, Groom, Jericho, Alanreed, McLean, and Shamrock. A new routing along the south end of downtown Amarillo was also built, connecting with the already-built expressway leading south from downtown toward Canyon. In 1985, the entire designation of U.S. Route 66 was removed as the entire route had been displaced by Interstate 40.

Route description
At grade intersection on Interstate 40 near mile marker 8 in far west Texas.

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. The entirety of Interstate 40 in Texas is located in the panhandle.

Interstate 40 enters Texas from New Mexico just north of Glenrio. The highway's first exit, exit 0, is for BL I-40-A, which serves the town of Glenrio. I-40 briefly runs through Deaf Smith County before entering Oldham County. The interstate gains frontage roads between exits 15 and 18 and turns from a northeast direction into a straight east direction. I-40 bypasses the town of Adrian before turning southeast. I-40 next bypasses the town of Vega, where it meets with US 385 at exit 36. The interstate briefly runs in an east direction through the town of Wildorado before turning back to the southeast. I-40 has a mostly rural route before becoming more suburban in Bushland, with housing developments becoming visible from the highway. The interstate passes by Cadillac Ranch before the Hope Road interchange and enters the city limits of Amarillo just west of Loop 335. I-40 expands from four lanes to six at Loop 335 and runs through a heavily developed area of the city. Near downtown, the highway serves as the northern terminus for Interstate 27 at a turbine interchange and begins an overlap with US 287.

I-40 runs through eastern Amarillo, passing by the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and The Big Texan Steak Ranch. Development along the route begins to lessen after S. Eastern Street as the highway passes near Rick Husband Amarillo International Airport. US 287 leaves I-40 at exit 78 as the interstate leaves the city limits of Amarillo. The highway runs primarily through rural farm land after leaving the city and enters the town of Groom, passing near a 19–story cross and a leaning water tower. East of Groom, I-40 has an overlap with SH 70 between exits 121 and 124. After the overlap with SH 70 ends, the terrain along the interstate begins to change from flat plains to a rolling canyon ridge with an observation point near Alanreed. I-40 returns to flatland again after the town of McLean and bypasses the town of Shamrock before entering Oklahoma near Texola.

Exit list
CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
Deaf SmithGlenrio0.000.00 I-40 west – AlbuquerqueNew Mexico state line
0.480.770 I-40 BL – Glenrio
Oldham​15.3524.7015Ivy Road
​17.9828.9418 FM 2858 (Gruhlkey Road)
Adrian22.0335.4522 I-40 BL – Adrian
23.0437.0823 SH 214No westbound entrance; eastern terminus of BL-40
​28.6246.0628 FM 3319 – Landergin
Vega35.0256.3635 I-40 BL east / FM 3319 – Vega
36.3558.5036 US 385 – Vega
37.6260.5437 I-40 BL west – Vega
​42.0967.7442Everett Road
​49.3779.4549 FM 809 – Wildorado
Potter​54.4387.6054Adkisson Road
​57.3292.2557 RM 2381 – Bushland
​60.3597.1260Arnot Road
​62.42100.4662AHope Road, Helium RoadAccess to Cadillac Ranch
Amarillo62B I-40 BL east (Amarillo Boulevard)Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
64.50103.8064 Loop 335 (Soncy Road) / Helium Road
65.46105.3565 Coulter StreetAccess to Northwest Texas Hospital and Baptist Saint Anthony's
66.52107.0566Bell Street, Avondale Street / Olsen Boulevard
67.56108.7367Western Street, Avondale Street / Olsen Boulevard
68.19109.7468AJulian Boulevard / Paramount Boulevard
68.64110.4768BGeorgia Street, Crockett Street
69.11111.2269ACrockett StreetWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
69.64112.0769BWashington Street – Amarillo College
70.30113.1470 I-27 south / US 60 / US 87 / US 287 north – Canyon, Lubbock, Dumas, PampaWest end of US 287 overlap; I-27 exit 123B; northern terminus of I-27
70.88–
71.42		114.07–
114.94		71Ross-Osage Street, Arthur Street
72.07115.9972ANelson Street, Quarter Horse DriveAccess to the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame
72.66116.9372BGrand Street, Bolton Street
73.60118.4573Eastern Street, Bolton Street
74.54–
74.66		119.96–
120.15		74Whitaker Road
75.66121.7675 Loop 335 (Lakeside Drive)
76.67123.3976 Spur 468 (Airport Boulevard) – Amarillo International Airport
77.65124.9777 FM 1258 (Pullman Road)
78.49126.3278 US 287 south – Fort WorthEast end of US 287 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
​79.94128.6580 Spur 228 – Amarillo College East Campus
​80.97130.3181 FM 1912
Carson​85.20137.1285Durrett RoadEastbound exit only
​85.39137.42 I-40 BL west (Amarillo Boulevard) / FM 2575No eastbound exit
​87.56140.9187 FM 2373
​89.58144.1789 FM 2161
​96.68155.5996 SH 207 – Conway, Panhandle
​97.80157.3998 SH 207 south – ClaudeWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
​104.79168.64105 FM 2880
​108.82175.13109 FM 294
Groom110.26–
110.50		177.45–
177.83		110 I-40 BL east – Groom
111.85180.01112 FM 295
112.93181.74113 FM 2300
Gray​114.05183.55114 I-40 BL west – Groom
Gray–Donley
county line		​120.62194.12121 SH 70 north – PampaWest end of SH 70 overlap
​124.21199.90124 SH 70 south – ClarendonEast end of SH 70 overlap
Donley​127.71205.53128 FM 2477
Gray​131.60211.79132Johnson Ranch Road
Alanreed135.02–
135.65		217.29–
218.31		135 Loop 271 to FM 291 – Alanreed
McLean141.01226.93141 I-40 BL east – McLeanEastbound exit and westbound entrance
142.25228.93142 SH 273 / FM 3143 – McLean
143.50230.94143 I-40 BL west – McLeanWestbound exit and eastbound entrance
Gray–Wheeler
county line		​146.26235.38146County Line Road
Wheeler​148.26238.60148 FM 1443 (Kellerville Road)
​152.26245.04152 FM 453 (Pakan Road)
​157.32253.18157 FM 1547 / FM 2474 / FM 3075 – Lela
Shamrock160.96–
161.51		259.04–
259.93		161 I-40 BL east – ShamrockEastbound exit and westbound entrance
162.65261.76163 US 83 – Shamrock, Wheeler, Wellington
163.94263.84164 I-40 BL west – Shamrock
167.40269.40167 FM 2168 (Daberry Road) – Shamrock
​169.40272.62169 FM 1802 (Carbon Black Road)
Benonine175.42282.31176 Spur 30 east – TexolaEastbound exit only
176.04283.31Frontage RoadWestbound entrance only
​176.74284.44 I-40 east – Oklahoma CityOklahoma state line
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

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 (c. 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.[2]

Business Interstate Highway 40-B (formerly Loop 550) is a Business Loop through Adrian. The road was bypassed c. 1969 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[4]

Business Interstate Highway 40-C (formerly Loop 551) is a Business Loop through Vega. The road was bypassed c. 1973 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[5]

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[6] by the construction of Amarillo International Airport. Present Business I-40 was bypassed in 1968 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[7]

Farm to Market Road 2161 and State Highway 207 carry old US 66 through Conway. The road was bypassed c. 1966 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[8]

Business Interstate Highway 40-F (formerly Loop 554) is a Business Loop through Groom. The road was bypassed c. 1980 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[9]

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,[10] but the bypass was not upgraded to a freeway until c. 1982.[3]

Business Interstate Highway 40-H (formerly Loop 555) is a Business Loop through McLean. The road was bypassed c. 1984 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[11]

Business Interstate Highway 40-J (formerly Loop 556) is a Business Loop through Shamrock. The road was bypassed c. 1973 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until its 1985 decommissioning.[12]

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 c. 1972 by I-40,[3] and carried US 66 until 1976, when it was moved onto I-40 in the area.[13]

Future

In 2015, TxDot published the plans for the all new SL 335 Freeway Loop that encircles the city of Amarillo.[14] TxDot has planned multiple multi-level interchanges that intersect with Interstate 40. The first, on the East side of Amarillo, is a multi-level interchange that provided access to both directions of the I-40 Expressway and SL 335. The second interchange with I-40, however, is a full stack interchange.[15] A new mainlane bridge that accommodates up to 6 lanes is also in the works for I-40 near Helium Rd. providing easier access to the new freeway.[16] Although construction started in 2016, the project is not expected to be complete until 2022.[17]

See also
  •  U.S. Roads portal
  •  Texas portal

References
  1. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - Interstate Highway 40
  2. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Spur 504
  3. National Bridge Inventory
  4. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 550
  5. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 551
  6. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - Farm to Market Road 2575
  7. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 552
  8. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - Farm to Market Road 2161
  9. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 554
  10. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 271
  11. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 555
  12. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Loop 556
  13. Texas Department of Transportation, Highway Designation File - State Highway Spur 30
  14. http://amarillo.com/news/2015-04-07/txdot-lays-out-proposed-loop-335-project
  15. https://www.aaroads.com/guide.php?page=sl0335tx
  16. https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/get-involved/about/hearings-meetings/amarillo/040715.html
  17. http://www.theamarilloloop.com

KML is from Wikidata
Interstate 40
Previous state:
New Mexico		 Texas Next state:
Oklahoma
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