Texas 6 between Cisco and Eastland

[bugo]

Why does TX 6 follow old US 80 between Cisco and Eastland instead of following I-20?

[mcdonaat]

I'm not familiar with Texas, but I can give a general out-of-the-air answer (or at least try).

The state wanted to retain the US 80 segment in the state system, and decided to have TX 6 run along the old US 80 instead of running concurrent with I-20. It gives the road a number, and keeps TX 6 along what was probably its' original route.

[Alps]

They could have retained it in the system with a Farm Road number.

[wxfree]

My assumption would be that they just left it where it was.  It appears to be the original route in that direction, after it was rerouted out of Breckenridge.

Most of the road between the towns is nearly equivalent to I-20, four lanes divided, with a speed limit of 75 (signed in summer, just after the Street View imagery was taken).  It has a few intersections, but not busy ones.  Still, it's 2.6 miles shorter to follow I-20, which also eliminates the need to go through Eastland.  I recently followed SH 6 when going that way because of my interest in the road (I've seen I-20 plenty of times), but if I was just driving between Gorman and Moran, I'd follow I-20.  I think it would make sense to reroute.  It's somewhat of a disservice to have a single route designation that doesn't follow the best way through the area.

Changing the designation on the existing route to a business route might be feasible.  It wouldn't be the only business route in Texas with a long stretch through a rural area, although that isn't common.  It could also get a loop number.  Another option, if you want to make use of what's already there, would be to make SH 112 go south to I-20 and extend FM 570 to Cisco.  I rather like the idea of extending SH 206 to Eastland and east to I-20 and rerouting 112 southward.

I think requests for such reroutings usually come from the district.  I suppose they don't get many complaints about it.  Anyone with a map can see the best way to go.  Still, it seems like a good idea to change it.

[yakra]

It could be an I-20 Business Loop. There's 15 of them along old US 80 between the NM line and Baird. Including one about 31 miles between Odessa and Midland.
If only they had kept the series going for one more...