Bowie, TX: OLD US 287 Segnment Still on State Hwy System w/o Designation

[Brian556]

This is really odd. This segment of OLD US 287 is obviously still state-maintained. On GSV you can see new TXDOT practices such as Clearview green signs, as well as reflective tape on sign posts. However, this segment has no known designation. It is not shown to be a state highway on the County Highway Mapbook.  http://www.dot.state.tx.us/apps-cg/grid_search/_includes/countymapbook/Pages/354.pdf

Other than this, I have never heard of a state-maintained road without a designation.

The highway designation files say that FM 174 was extended over a portion of OLD US 287 in 1980, which suggests that is when this section stopped being US 287.

Google Map The segment is "Old Wichita Falls Hwy";
https://maps.google.com/maps?ll=33.579159,-97.893784&spn=0.012532,0.024784&t=h&z=16

Pic Taken in 2010:


It's odd that TxDOT would allow a road that is still on the state highway system to deteriorate this much.

[NE2]

Got a working link? If you're not coming to a wrong conclusion, it might be considered a frontage road.

[Brian556]

Link fixed.

[NE2]

http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?layers=e4224134ea994816b8bcb739a20634b5 doesn't have a legend, but the ADMIN field matches other county roads. Perhaps when they were replacing signs they didn't realize this was not a state highway (since it runs right into the frontage road).

[Brian556]

Quote from NE2:

http://www.arcgis.com/home/webmap/viewer.html?layers=e4224134ea994816b8bcb739a20634b5 doesn't have a legend, but the ADMIN field matches other county roads. Perhaps when they were replacing signs they didn't realize this was not a state highway (since it runs right into the frontage road).

When I was there in 2010, there was one new sign, and most of the others were old and deteriorated. Some of the stuff seen on GSV is newer than 2010. So, it appears that they maintain the signs regularly.

[NE2]

Why not ask TXDOT?

[usends]

An historical note: before that was US 287, it was US 370, not far from its east end at US 81 in Bowie.
http://usends.com/70-79/370/370.html

[txstateends]

I've seen that segment many times while passing by on US 287 over the years.  This sounds like an interesting accident and twilight zone of wannabe-sorta service road -meets- almost-nearly business route.  Maybe an unintended cross between the state (for putting out current signs) and county (road surface)?

Strange, who knows?

[SquonkHunter]

Hey - I know that section of road. I traveled it a few times when I was truck driving back in the late 70s to early 80s. In many ways that was the perfect job for me. I got to take many out of the way routes between my mostly rural destinations across the eastern 2/3 of Texas. Saw more backroads than most people will ever imagine.