Interstate 40 in Texas

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

Interstate 40
290x172px
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length:	177.139 mi (285.078 km)
Existed:	1959 – 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
Highway system
Interstate Highway System Main Auxiliary Suffixed Business Highways in Texas Interstate US State Toll Loops Spurs Park Rec FM ← SH 39 SH 40 x20px → ← SH 65 SH 66 →

In the U.S. state of Texas, Interstate 40 (abbreviated 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.

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

File:At Grade Intersection on I-40 in Texas.jpg

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.

Exit list

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations	Notes
Deaf Smith	New Mexico state line	0.000	0.000		I-40 west – Albuquerque	Continues into New Mexico
	​	0.48	0.77	0	BL I-40 – Glenrio
Oldham	​	15.4	24.8	15	Ivy Road
	​	18.0	29.0	18	FM 2858 (Gruhlkey Road)
	Adrian			22	BL I-40 – Adrian
				23	SH 214
	​			28	FM 3319 – Landergin
	Vega			35	BL I-40 east / FM 3319 – Vega
				36	US 385 – Vega
				37	BL I-40 west – Vega
	​			42	Everett Road
	​			49	FM 809 – Wildorado
Potter	​			54	Adkisson Road
	​			57	RM 2381 – Bushland
	​			60	Arnot Road
	​			62A	Hope Road, Helium Road
	Amarillo			62B	BL I-40 east (Amarillo Boulevard)	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				64	Loop 335 (Soncy Road) / Helium Road
				65	Coulter Street	Access to Northwest Texas Hospital and Baptist Saint Anthony's
				66	Bell Street, Avondale Street, Olsen Boulevard
				67	Western Street, Avondale Street, Olsen Boulevard
				68A	Julian Boulevard, Paramount Boulevard
				68B	Georgia Street, Crockett Street
				69A	Crockett Street	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
				69B	Washington Street – Amarillo College
				70	I-27 south / US 60 / US 87 / US 287 north – Canyon, Lubbock, Dumas, Pampa	West end of US 287 overlap; I-27 north exit 123B, south no number signed
				71	Ross-Osage Street, Arthur Street
				72A	Nelson Street, Quarter Horse Drive
				72B	Grand Street, Bolton Street
				73	Eastern Street, Bolton Street
				74	Whitaker Road
				75	Loop 335 (Lakeside Drive)
				76	Spur 468 (Airport Boulevard) – Amarillo International Airport
				77	FM 1258 (Pullman Road)
				78	US 287 south – Fort Worth	East end of US 287 overlap; eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	​			80	Spur 228 – Amarillo College East Campus
	​			81	FM 1912
Carson	​			85	Durrett Road	Eastbound exit only
	​			85	BL I-40 west (Amarillo Boulevard) / FM 2575	No eastbound exit
	​			87	FM 2373
	​			89	FM 2161
	​			96	SH 207 – Conway, Panhandle
	​			98	SH 207 south – Claude	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	​			105	FM 2880
	​			109	FM 294
	Groom			110	BL I-40 east – Groom
				112	FM 295
				113	FM 2300
Gray	​			114	BL I-40 west – Groom
Donley	​			121	SH 70 north – Pampa	North end of SH 70 overlap
	​			124	SH 70 south – Clarendon	South end of SH 70 overlap
	​			128	FM 2477
Gray	​			132	Johnson Ranch Road
	Alanreed			135	Loop 271 to FM 291 – Alanreed
	McLean			141	BL I-40 east – McLean	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				142	SH 273 / FM 3143 – McLean
				143	BL I-40 west – McLean	Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
	​			146	County Line Road
Wheeler	​			148	FM 1443 (Kellerville Road)
	​			152	FM 453 (Pakan Road)
	​			157	FM 1547 / FM 2474 / FM 3075 – Lela
	Shamrock			161	BL I-40 east – Shamrock	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
				163	US 83 – Shamrock, Wheeler, Wellington
				164	BL I-40 west – Shamrock
				167	FM 2168 (Daberry Road) – Shamrock
	​			169	FM 1802 (Carbon Black Road)
	​			176	Spur 30 east – Texola	Eastbound exit and westbound entrance
	Oklahoma state line	177.139	285.078		I‑40 east – Oklahoma City	Continues into Oklahoma
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access

Business routes and old alignments

100px

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 (ca. 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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, but the bypass was not upgraded to a freeway until ca. 1982.

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

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

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 ca. 1972 by I-40, and carried US 66 until 1976, when it was moved onto I-40 in the area.

See also

• U.S. Roads portal
• Texas portal

External links

• Media related to at Wikimedia Commons
• Geographic data related to Interstate 40 in Texas at OpenStreetMap

Interstate 40
Previous state: New Mexico	Texas	Next state: Oklahoma