U.S. Route 54 in Texas

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U.S. Highway 54

Map
US 54 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length111.583 mi[1] (179.575 km)
Existed1927–present
Trans-Pecos section
South end Loop 375 in El Paso
Major intersections I-110 in El Paso
US 62 in El Paso
I-10 / US 180 in El Paso
North end US 54 at Chaparral, N.M.
Panhandle section
South end US 54 near Nara Visa, N.M.
Major intersections US 87 / US 385 in Dalhart
US 287 in Stratford
North end US 54 at Texhoma, Okla.
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesEl Paso; Hartley, Dallam, Sherman
Highway system
SH 53 SH 54
US Highway 54 in El Paso, aerial view from above the Mexico–United States border. The old route of the highway, now Bus. US 54-A, El Paso's Dyer Street, is visible just to the left of the North–South Freeway, as Highway 54 is also known in El Paso.

U.S. Route 54 (US 54) in Texas is a U.S. Highway that travels through two portions of the state: one in the far western point, and the other in the far northwest Panhandle.

Route description

US 54 begins in El Paso, Texas, as a controlled access highway at an intersection with Loop 375. The route then travels northward, joining up with I-110 within the first mile. A mile later, these highways intersect Interstate 10 at a complex, three level high expressway interchange which the locals call the "Spaghetti Bowl." I-110 ends here, while US 54 continues north through El Paso. The route turns northeast, becoming a rare example of a collector–express freeway in Texas (until the Pershing Drive exit) before entering New Mexico. The route re-enters Texas in the northwest Panhandle, traveling northeast through sparsely populated country. The route intersects U.S. Route 87 and US Route 385 in Dalhart and U.S. Route 287 in Stratford, before exiting into the Oklahoma Panhandle at Texhoma.

History

The southwestern portion was originally part of the Ozark Trails, paralleling the El Paso and Southwestern Railroad, and was originally given the numbering of State Highway 33. SH 33 continued into Texas farther south in the Panhandle, following the former Ozark Trail. The northern Panhandle portion was originally assigned to State Highway 56, paralleling the Chicago, Rock Island, and Gulf Railroad.

When the U.S. Highway System was unveiled in 1926, the northern section was assigned to U.S. Highway 54, while the southwestern portion was assigned to U.S. Route 366. The US 366 designation was canceled in 1932 when other sections of the highway were added to an adjusted US Route 70. This section was added to US 54 in 1934, and has retained its numbering since. By 1939, the corresponding state highway designations had been canceled.

The highway continues on its original routing except for realignment in 1990 in El Paso, with the old route becoming US Business Route 54 and Texas Loop 478. Most of the current US 54 in El Paso is a limited-access highway known as the Patriot Freeway which, as of 2016, was only partially completed.

Future

US 54 from Haggerty Drive in northeast El Paso to the New Mexico state line is planned to eventually be upgraded to freeway status.[2]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmi[3][4]kmExitDestinationsNotes
El PasoEl Paso0.000.00
Loop 375 east
National western terminus of US 54; left exit; Loop 375 exit 58
20
Loop 375 west
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
20A US 62 (Paisano Drive)Signed as exit 20 eastbound
20B
I-110 south – Juárez, México (Autos only)
Westbound exit and eastbound entrance
21 I-10 / US 180 – Las Cruces, Downtown El Paso, Van Horn, San AntonioSigned as exits 21A (east) and 21B (west); no exit 21A eastbound (I-10 east is signed at exit 20); no access from I-10 to US 54 west; I-10 exit 22B
21CMontana AvenueSigned as part of exit 21B eastbound
22BPershing DriveSigned as exit 22 westbound
23Cassidy Road - Fort BlissSigned as part of exit 22 westbound
24AFred Wilson Avenue / Broaddus Avenue / Railroad Drive
24B
Spur 601 east – Airport
25Ellerthorpe Avenue / Broaddus Avenue
26
Bus. US 54 (Dyer Street) / Hercules Avenue
27Hondo Pass Drive
28Diana Drive
29 Loop 375 (Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive)Loop 375 exit 21
30Sun Valley DriveNo direct westbound exit (signed at exit 31)
31
FM 3255 north (MLK Jr. Boulevard) / Kenworthy Street
32Sean Haggerty DriveAt-grade intersection; east end of freeway
13.621.9 FM 2529 (McCombs Street) – Chaparral
TexasNew Mexico line20.032.2

Bus. US 54 south (Edge of Texas Street)

US 54 east – Alamogordo
Continuation into New Mexico
US 54 crosses through New Mexico
Hartley0.000.00
US 54 west – Nara Visa, Tucumcari
New Mexico–Texas line
8.513.7
RM 3296 west
9.315.0
FM 767 east – Channing
35.256.6
FM 694 east
Counterclockwise terminus of FM 694
37.560.4
FM 998 south – Hartley, TDCJ ID Dalhart Unit
38.061.2
FM 694 west
Clockwise terminus of FM 694
39.062.8
FM 3139 south – Airport
DallamDalhart40.865.7

Bus. US 87 south (7th Street east) – Amarillo
West end of US 87 Bus. overlap
41.366.5


Bus. US 87 ends / US 87 / US 385 (Railroad Street) / FM 297 east (First Street) – Boise City, Clayton, Amarillo
Northern terminus of US 87 Bus.; east end of US 87 Bus. overlap; no access from FM 297 to US 54 west
46.474.7
FM 695 east
Serves Miller Airfield
Chamberlin51.582.9
FM 3212 east
Conlen59.896.2
FM 3213 west
60.797.7
FM 807 south – Hartley
West end of FM 807 overlap
61.098.2
FM 807 north – Kerrick
East end of FM 807 overlap
Sherman69.3111.5
FM 2014 south
Stratford72.3116.4 US 287 (Poplar Street) – Boise City, Dumas
72.5116.7
SH 15 east (Main Street) – Gruver
73.0117.5
FM 2677 north
89.5144.0
FM 119 south – Sunray
Texhoma91.8147.7
FM 1290 south
91.9147.9
US 54 east (South Street) – Guymon, Liberal
Continuation into Texhoma, Oklahoma
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

El Paso business loop

Business plate.svg

Business U.S. Highway 54-A

LocationEl Paso
Length12.466 mi[5] (20.062 km)
Existed1990–present[5]

Business U.S. Highway 54-A or Bus. US 54-A is a business route of US 54 at El Paso commissioned in 1990. The 12.5-mile (20.1 km) route begins at US 54 and State Highway Loop 478 at the Patriot Freeway. The route runs along Dyer Street through Northeast El Paso near Fort Bliss to its northern terminus at the New Mexico state line. Access to US 54 eastbound continues forward into New Mexico for 0.3 miles (0.5 km) over a local road not recognized by New Mexico as a state highway that becomes a one-way entrance ramp merging with US 54. Highway signs in New Mexico direct westbound US 54 traffic to turn left on Edge of Texas Street at the state line to access Bus. US 54-A.[6]

Bus. US 54-A and Loop 478 are the former route of US 54 prior to construction of the Patriot Freeway. Bus. US 54-A was created when Loop 478, which originally followed the route to New Mexico, was shortened to its current terminus at the beginning of the business loop.[5][7] Loop 478 was first intended in 1969 to be the replacement for US 54 over the route and was planned to be signed as Business US 54 once the current US 54 was completed.[7] Bus. US 54-A was concurrent with US 54 until 1991.[5]

Major intersections

The entire route is in El Paso County.

Locationmi[6]kmDestinationsNotes
El Paso0.000.00 US 54 (Patriot Freeway) / Loop 478 (Dyer Street south)Southern terminus; US 54 exit 26; Dyer St. continues as Loop 478
3.86.1 Loop 375 (Woodrow Bean Transmountain Drive) – CanutilloLoop 375 exit 22 eastbound, 24A westbound
4.06.4
FM 2529 north (McCombs Street)
TexasNew Mexico line12.520.1 US 54Northern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "U.S. Highway No. 54". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2007-12-09.
  2. ^ Purvis, John (2017-10-17). "When will U.S. 54 be a complete freeway?". KFOX. Retrieved 2021-12-09.
  3. ^ Google (July 28, 2010). "Route of US 54 in El Paso" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  4. ^ Google (July 28, 2010). "Route of US 54 in the Texas Panhandle" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved July 28, 2010.
  5. ^ a b c d Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business U.S. Highway No. 54-A". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 25, 2022.
  6. ^ a b Google (2010-11-18). "Route of Bus. US 54-A"" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
  7. ^ a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Loop No. 478". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 30, 2010.


U.S. Route 54
Previous state:
Terminus
Texas Next state:
New Mexico
U.S. Route 54
Previous state:
New Mexico
Texas Next state:
Oklahoma