Texas State Highway 71

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State Highway 71

Map
SH 71 highlighted in red
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length253.199 mi[1] (407.484 km)
Existed1923–present
Major junctions
West end US 87 / US 377 near Brady
Major intersections
East end SH 35 at Blessing
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesMcCulloch, Mason, San Saba, Llano, Burnet, Blanco, Travis, Bastrop, Fayette, Colorado, Wharton, Matagorda
Highway system
SH 70 SH 72

State Highway 71 (SH 71) is a Texas state highway that runs 253 miles (407 km). The northern terminus is at US 87 and US 377 south of Brady and its southern terminus is at SH 35 near Blessing. This highway is designated the "10th Mountain Division Highway" from SH 95 to Interstate 35.

History

SH 71 was originally designated on August 21, 1923 from Austin to Columbus, replacing SH 3D and the western half of SH 3A.[2] On June 8, 1925, SH 71 was extended to Midfield, though this was not effective until 1926.[3] On March 19, 1928, it extended south to its current end. On June 21, 1938, SH 71 Spur was designated in Columbus.[4] In 1935, U.S. Highway 290 was codesignated along the stretch from Austin to Bastrop, dropping SH 71 from this section completely on September 26, 1939. SH 71 Spur was renumbered as Spur 52. On May 23, 1951, this section was restored when US 290 was rerouted farther north. On October 24, 1955, SH 71 was signed, but not designated along Ranch to Market Road 93 to Llano. On October 31, 1965, the highway was extended to its current designation over the cancelled Ranch to Market Road 93 and Ranch to Market Road 734. On February 16, 1982, SH 71 was relocated in Columbus.

Austin

Through Austin, SH 71 is known as Ben White Boulevard and is one of Austin's newest freeways. Sections have opened regularly since 1996, when the first section west of Interstate 35 was opened. A five-level stack was completed at Interstate 35 in December 2011, and the freeway east of Interstate 35 to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport was completed in 2014. Construction commenced in 2015 east of US 183 (Bastrop Freeway) where a section of SH 71 to the SH 130 tollway has been converted into a tollway with a two lane bridge crossing SH 130.

Major displacements of commercial properties were required to build the Austin expansions. Most of the freeway had a 150-foot (46 m) wide right-of-way which was expanded to over 300 feet (91 m), and the western segment, which opened in 1998, was built on an 80-foot (24 m) right-of-way. The section at the western end required many more business displacements. The new freeway features depressed sections, elevated sections, and partial stack interchanges.

Business routes

SH 71 has two business routes.

La Grange business loop

Texas Business 71-E.svg

Business State Highway 71-E (Bus. SH 71-E) is a business loop that runs through La Grange. The road was designated in 1991 upon completion of a bypass around the city.[5]

Columbus business loop

Texas Business 71-F.svg

Business State Highway 71-F (Bus. SH 71-F) is a business loop that runs through Columbus. The city was bypassed on February 16, 1982, and the original route was designated as Loop 329. The route received the Bus. SH 71-F designation on June 21, 1990.[6][7]

Junction list

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
McCullochBrady US 87 / US 377 – Brady, Mason

FM 2309 north – Brady
FM 1851 – Voca

FM 1851 south – Voca

FM 3293 west
MasonFredonia
RM 386 south – Mason
San SabaNo major intersections
MasonPontotoc
RM 501 east – Cherokee
Llano
SH 29 west – Mason
West end of SH 29 overlap
Llano

SH 16 north / SH 29 east – San Saba, Burnet
East end of SH 29 overlap; west end of SH 16 overlap

RM 152 west – Castell

SH 16 south – Fredericksburg
East end of SH 16 overlap

FM 2333 east – Sunrise Beach Village

RM 962 east – Round Mountain

RM 2831 north

RM 2147 east – Horseshoe Bay, Cottonwood Shores
BurnetMarble Falls US 281 – Marble Falls, Burnet, Johnson City, San AntonioCloverleaf Interchange
BlancoNo major intersections
Travis
RM 2322 north (Pace Bend Road) – Briarcliff, Pace Bend State Park
Bee Cave
RM 3238 west (Hamilton Pool Road)

RM 620 north – Lakeway, Round Rock

RM 2244 east – West Lake Hills
Austin
US 290 west – Johnson City, Fredericksburg
West end of US 290 overlap
See US 290

I-35 / US 290 east – Waco, San Antonio
East end of US 290 overlap
Woodward Street, Todd Lane, Burleson Road
Montopolis Drive
Riverside Drive
US 183 (Bastrop Highway) / 183 Toll Road (Bergstrom Expressway) – Lampasas, LockhartEast end of freeway
 Spirit of Texas Drive – Austin-Bergstrom International AirportInterchange; no direct westbound exit and eastbound entrance (signed at Presidential Boulevard / Cardinal Loop)
 Cardinal Loop / Presidential Boulevard – Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Del ValleInterchange; West end of 71 Toll Lanes
FM 973 – Manor, Mustang RidgeInterchange; no direct westbound exit and eastbound entrance (signed at SH 130)


SH 45 Toll north / SH 130 Toll north – Waco
Interchange; eastbound exit and westbound entrance; SH 130 exit 449
SH 45 Toll / SH 130 Toll – Bastrop, San AntonioSH 130 exit 449; East end of 71 Toll Lanes
Bastrop FM 1209 – Webberville

SH 21 west – San Marcos
Interchange; west end of SH 21 overlap



FM 20 south to FM 969 north – Lockhart, Webberville
West end of expressway
Bastrop

SH 304 south to FM 969 – Gonzalez

Loop 150 east / Hasler Boulevard / Childers Drive – Bastrop, Bastrop State Park
East end of expressway


SH 21 east / SH 95 north – Bryan, Elgin
Interchange; east end of SH 21 overlap; west end of SH 95 overlap

Loop 150 west – Bastrop, Bastrop State Park
Interchange



SH 95 south / FM 153 east / Loop 230 east – Smithville, Flatonia, Winchester
Interchange; east end of SH 95 overlap
SmithvilleColorado Street (County Road 319)Interchange

Loop 230 west – Smithville
Interchange
Fayette
Loop 543 east – West Point
FM 154 – West Point, Muldoon

Loop 543 west – West Point

Loop 220 east – Plum

Loop 220 west – Plum


Bus. SH 71 east – La Grange
West end of freeway
La Grange US 77 / Von Minden Street – Giddings, SchulenburgAccess to St Mark's Medical Center
SH 159 – Bellville, La Grange


Bus. SH 71 west – La Grange
East end of freeway

FM 955 north – Fayetteville
Ellinger
FM 2503 north
ColoradoHillcrest
FM 1890 west (Shaws Bend Road)


Bus. SH 71 east – Columbus
Interchange
ColumbusRound House RoadInterchange
US 90 – Weimar, SealyInterchange; westbound exit and eastbound entrance

I-10 west – San Antonio
Interchange; west end of I-10 overlap, exit 693 eastbound, 695 westbound; no eastbound entrance
Columbus


I-10 east / Bus. SH 71 west – Houston, Columbus
East end of I-10 overlap, exit 696
Altair
US 90 Alt. – Hallettsville, Eagle Lake

FM 1693 west
Garwood
FM 950 east – Matthews

FM 333 west
Wharton
FM 1160 south – Louise

FM 961 east – Wharton
FM 2546 – Jones Creek

FM 2546 north – Jones Creek

FM 1300 west
El Campo FM 2765 (Loop Street)

FM 653 south (Wharton Street)

I-69 BL / Bus. US 59 – Pierce, Louise

FM 1163 south (2nd Street)

FM 653 north (Wharton Street)

Future I-69 / US 59 – Houston, Wharton, Ganado
I-69/US 59 exit 62; U.S. 59 is the future Interstate 69

FM 2674 south
Danevang
FM 441 north – Hillje
Matagorda
FM 1468 east – Markham
Midfield

SH 111 west / FM 2431 east – Edna, Markham

FM 456 east
Blessing SH 35 – Bay City, Palacios
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 71". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
  2. ^ "Minutes of the Seventy-Third and First Adjourned Meeting of the State Highway Commission" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Minutes of the Seventy-Sixth and Special Meeting of the State Highway Commission" (PDF).
  4. ^ "Minutes of the Two Hundred Fifty-fourth Regular Meeting of the State Highway Commission" (PDF).
  5. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business State Highway No. 71-E". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
  6. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Loop No. 329". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
  7. ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Business State Highway No. 71-F". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.