Lubbock, Texas has opened two new stretches of freeway in May. Phase 2 of the large Marsha Sharp freeway completed the interchange at 19th Street (where US 62 splits off) and continued the main lanes northeast and east to Avenue Q (US 84). The $131 million phase of the project started about 4 years ago. It’s still not 100% complete, as landscaping and signs are not installed yet. Additionally, no one appears to know that it is open yet, because the author was the only person on the route on a Saturday afternoon.
This view looks north at the 19th Street interchange, a few days after opening. Traffic headed eastbound on 19th gets a direct ramp to northbound US 82, and westbound 19th Street traffic gets a direct ramp to southbound US 82.

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Looking northeast at the newest section of freeway as it has a junction with 4th Avenue / University Blvd. There are direct ramp connections in all directions save for those headed west on fourth. Texas Tech University’s large stadium is on the southeast side of the freeway here.

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The current eastern end at Avenue Q / US 84. The construction is mostly complete to carry the freeway a mile east to the junction with IH 27, due to be completed in 2012. Unfortunately the finalized signs have not yet been installed. The freeway should be extended east from here before July 4th.

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Spur 327, on the south side of Lubbock, opened at the beginning of May – but as of yet only consists of a single overpass. Construction is underway to complete the freeway westbound where it will connect Lubbock’s Loop 289 with US 62/82 in the sprawly southwestern areas of the city. Construction began in January 2008 and will end in 2010 when the freeway is complete with limited access junctions on each end.

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Compare the empty freeway scenes here in West Texas with choking gridlock in the Eastern parts of the state where over 60% of the state’s population lives. TxDot is implementing an all-new-roads-are-tolled policy there while the western part of the state has it fairly easy comparatively. On that same note, the freeway bypass of the West Texas town of Guthrie (population 150) is now open.