Tyler is a regional center in east Texas, with an area population of about 100,000. The city reminds me a lot of other cities – Tallahassee with its horrible loop, Wheeling with its little unexpected skyline, Kansas City with its unexpected hills. Here is a quick look at the goings-on in Tyler, Texas.

Future SH 49 Toll corridor sign

An incarnation of this sign has been sitting idly along IH 20 near Lindale for a really long time now. At least 12 years. It is announcing the pending arrival of Loop 49, which was originally envisioned as a 4-lane freeway bypass of the city. Things being what they are now, though, Loop 49 has morphed into a super-2 toll road. Here is a TxDot map. http://www.dot.state.tx.us/TYL/projects/SL49/map.htm Parts of the Southern section are already open, it will not reach IH 20 for a while.

IH 20 was routed far to the north of Tyler, about 10 miles.

The freeway never sees an inkling of the city just to the south, and remains hilly and rural for the duration. Like Tallahassee, this was probably a horrible turn of events for the city’s traffic situation.

From IH 20, there are several exits that run south into the city. The increasingly cluttered US 69 or the freshly rural US 271.

US 271’s south end is in Tyler, at SH 31/SH155 just east of downtown. Of course, there isn’t an end sign. (this is Texas, after all!)

Tyler is an absolute traffic nightmare. While the population is just 100,000 the city serves a far reaching regional service area. People come into the city from areas 50-70 miles away for services. The population during the day can easily add 50% more people, according to the 2000 census. The main “bypass” is Loop 323, originally a true bypass is now crammed with mid-rise office blocks and retail.

Loop 323 is stacked with major intersections of roads spoking out in all directions, most with big overhead signs like these at US 69.

Another major state road in the area is SH 110.

The south side of Tyler is growing the fastest, but it is the farthest from the interstate. At this point, except with perfect green-light luck, you are about 40 minutes from the freeway. Even on weekday afternoons, two light-cycle waits are common on Loop 323 here.