In preparation for I-27 extension, expect bypass and/or 4-lane upgrades...

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2022/03/15/lubbock-amarillo-interstate-27-expansion-gets-federal-designation-omnibus-bill/7052683001/
https://krtnradio.com/2022/03/15/us-designates-future-interstate-27-part-of-the-interstate-highway-system/
https://www.kcbd.com/2022/03/15/ports-to-plains-i-27-expansion-signed-into-law-with-federal-budget/

It's official! The I-27 extension from Lubbock following US 87, US 277, and US 83 to Laredo was signed into law yesterday by President Biden. It also includes an extension of I-27 north of Amarillo to Raton, NM via US 87.

[roadman65]

Why not renumber proposed and eventually existing I-2 to become that route as well.

[Plutonic Panda]

It will be good for Oklahoma if they can build their part through the panhandle. Is that included in this as well?

[ethanhopkin14]

This may be extremely small potatoes, but US-87 is a limited access freeway for a few miles south of the official southern end of the I-27 designation.  I wonder with this new bill being signed, that section will immediately get the interstate designation.

[Bobby5280]

Why not renumber proposed and eventually existing I-2 to become that route as well.

I-2 is already established. It may run more North-South as it eventually gets extended to Laredo, but it will be a mostly East-West route. So the I-2 number needs to stay. There is nothing wrong with Laredo having yet another Interstate (I-27) end there. It is the busiest inland port of entry in the US. That makes it natural for Laredo to be a hub for I-35, I-69W, I-27 and I-2.

It will be good for Oklahoma if they can build their part through the panhandle. Is that included in this as well?

Technically it would be included since US-287 runs through Boise City. But ODOT isn't going to start planning on doing anything with their segment of US-287 until it looks like TX DOT will send an extension of I-27 that way rather than pushing it over to Texline (and toward Raton). ODOT does at least need to four lane that damned route. The area where US-287 crosses the border into Colorado is not very safe at all as a 2-lane road. Head-on collisions are a greater risk there.

This may be extremely small potatoes, but US-87 is a limited access freeway for a few miles south of the official southern end of the I-27 designation.  I wonder with this new bill being signed, that section will immediately get the interstate designation.

I guess it depends on how strict TX DOT and others will be at following rules for signing Interstates. I wouldn't have any problem with them signing those 5 miles of US-87 freeway South of the 289 Loop as I-27. It makes me wonder what they'll do with the exit numbering though.

US-87 from Lubbock down to US-380 in Tahoka could be upgraded to Interstate quality pretty easily. Even going South of there wouldn't be bad. The big question is what they'll do with I-27 in/near Lamesa. My guess is they would build a new terrain bypass to the East. That would shave off a few miles of distance. The biggest challenge out in much of that Permian Basin region is dealing with all the oil field service roads and ranch access roads. They'll have to build a lot of miles worth of frontage road.

[US 89]

It will be good for Oklahoma if they can build their part through the panhandle. Is that included in this as well?

Technically it would be included since US-287 runs through Boise City. But ODOT isn't going to start planning on doing anything with their segment of US-287 until it looks like TX DOT will send an extension of I-27 that way rather than pushing it over to Texline (and toward Raton). ODOT does at least need to four lane that damned route. The area where US-287 crosses the border into Colorado is not very safe at all as a 2-lane road. Head-on collisions are greater risk there.

Reading the actual article and looking at the map, it looks like this will not do anything in Oklahoma.

(LUBBOCK, TX) — The designation of future Interstate 27 (I-27) became official on Tuesday, March 15 as President Biden signed into law the appropriation bill. The designation recognizes the Ports-to-Plains Corridor from Laredo, Texas to Raton, New Mexico as an addition to the Interstate Highway System.

[jlam]

I doubt that any of us will live to see New Mexico fulfill their part.

[kphoger]

That stretch from Del Rio to Sonora will be one heck of a gas desert.  Beautiful driving, though!  Maybe the Loma Alta "gas station" will finally be replaced with something that sells gas for more than 20 minutes a week or whatever.

[Plutonic Panda]

It will be good for Oklahoma if they can build their part through the panhandle. Is that included in this as well?

Technically it would be included since US-287 runs through Boise City. But ODOT isn't going to start planning on doing anything with their segment of US-287 until it looks like TX DOT will send an extension of I-27 that way rather than pushing it over to Texline (and toward Raton). ODOT does at least need to four lane that damned route. The area where US-287 crosses the border into Colorado is not very safe at all as a 2-lane road. Head-on collisions are greater risk there.

Reading the actual article and looking at the map, it looks like this will not do anything in Oklahoma.

(LUBBOCK, TX) — The designation of future Interstate 27 (I-27) became official on Tuesday, March 15 as President Biden signed into law the appropriation bill. The designation recognizes the Ports-to-Plains Corridor from Laredo, Texas to Raton, New Mexico as an addition to the Interstate Highway System.

So will that Spur be? That's so weird. Will it be a 3DI? Is it built with the possibility in mind of it being extended to Limon at some point in the future? I'm really scratching my head at that.

[Scott5114]

Hopefully they have plans to do something a bit more direct between Dalhart and Amarillo. That hard left turn at Dumas looks stupid as hell.

[bwana39]

Hopefully they have plans to do something a bit more direct between Dalhart and Amarillo. That hard left turn at Dumas looks stupid as hell.

Right now, Google Maps routes you on a FM road through Boys Ranch.

[US 89]

Hopefully they have plans to do something a bit more direct between Dalhart and Amarillo. That hard left turn at Dumas looks stupid as hell.

Dumas would shrivel and dry up if you followed the direct route between those two points. I drove US 87 from Amarillo to Clayton last spring and Dumas seemed like a shell of a former self, barely staying alive from traffic passing through on US 87 or 287.

I will say that the US 87 east-west jog between US 287 and US 385 could stand to be four laned. Most of it is currently an undivided alternating 2+1 configuration.

[Plutonic Panda]

They also need to upgrade US-287 to a full interstate route between Amarillo and Dallas. I'm honestly surprised this hasn't been discussed more. I mean wouldn't that route see more traffic than Lubbock to I-20?

Plus you could potentially justify building it through NW New Mexico more given the Colorado/NM bound traffic from Dallas along with the traffic from Dallas heading to I-40 for the west. Extend the part through Oklahoma's panhandle and connect a freeway to OKC from it along with Tulsa's 412 intestate conversion you'd suddenly have tons of cities that would be connected directly to each other via interstate. I know that is fantasy territory at this point but it'd sure be sweet to see a bunch of regional leaders get together and lobby for that to get national funds.

Even if just half of that happened it be big. Maybe I'm overestimating it but if that entire system were built I'd imagine it would see a fairly impressive amount of traffic.

[Bobby5280]

Reading the actual article and looking at the map, it looks like this will not do anything in Oklahoma.

In the press releases they keep mentioning this crap about I-27 opening a route to Canada. Well, sending the route over to Raton, NM will make it come up short of that goal by 3 whole states. US-287 going thru the Oklahoma Panhandle and into SE Colorado is also part of the Ports to Plains Corridor. That route actually gets the I-27 extension pointed a little farther toward Canada.

Hopefully they have plans to do something a bit more direct between Dalhart and Amarillo. That hard left turn at Dumas looks stupid as hell.

I have a strong feeling the North extension of I-27 will come to an unceremonious end in Dumas and stay that way for a long time. With politics being what they are in New Mexico TX DOT would waste a hell of a lot of money building out I-27 to Texline and the NM border. If I-27 is going to be stuck as an Intra-state I-route they might as well route it up US-287 North of Dumas. All the trucks servicing feed lots North of Dumas would benefit from it. Stratford has a significant crossing of rail routes there. I have a feeling if TX DOT built I-27 up to the OK border then ODOT would at least 4-lane US-287, if not turn it into a limited access route.

I will say that the US 87 east-west jog between US 287 and US 385 could stand to be four laned. Most of it is currently an undivided alternating 2+1 configuration.

I think TX DOT has plans on the books to upgrade US-87 between Dumas and Hartley to at least a 4-lane undivided facility in the near term and then 4-lane divided some time after that. The town of Dumas and TX DOT have had some public meetings about a freeway bypass (of course it's generating some controversy). Some residents want it because it might do more to put Dumas more prominently on the map. Others fear a bypass would kill local business.

Dumas would shrivel and dry up if you followed the direct route between those two points. I drove US 87 from Amarillo to Clayton last spring and Dumas seemed like a shell of a former self, barely staying alive from traffic passing through on US 87 or 287.

I've been driving thru Dumas from time to time going back to the late 1990's. It's along my road trip path going from Lawton up to Colorado to visit family up there. I have not noticed Dumas shrinking at all. The town isn't booming either, but it has slowly added more businesses. The South side of town has considerably more services now (such as hotels) than it did in the past. I usually stop at the Walmart on the South side of Dumas to top off my fuel tank, because gasoline prices after that stop get ridiculous pretty fast farther North.

They also need to upgrade US-287 to a full interstate route between Amarillo and Dallas. I'm honestly surprised this hasn't been discussed more. I mean wouldn't that route see more traffic than Lubbock to I-20?

Yeah, US-287 between Amarillo and Fort Worth is a sore spot for me. Amarillo is an important junction along I-40. Dallas-Fort Worth is the 4th largest MSA in the nation and an even bigger highway hub. The amount of truck traffic on US-287 is pretty ridiculous. I usually drive the segments between Wichita Falls and the TX-114 turn at Rhome when going to Dallas and the segment from Memphis to Amarillo on my road trips to Colorado. To me the traffic levels on that road are just as heavy as some Interstates. Hell, there's probably more traffic on US-287 between Amarillo and Fort Worth than there is traffic on I-44 from OKC down to Wichita Falls. Traffic on I-44 thru Lawton and Wichita Falls would probably be heavier if US-277 between Wichita Falls and Abilene was upgraded to Interstate quality and designated as I-44. On Monday I talked with Gene Love, who is the chairman of the Oklahoma Turnpike Commission board. Over 20 years ago he, another OTA rep from Lawton named Gib Gibson and some others visited with TX DOT imploring them to extend I-44 down to Abilene. TX DOT at least 4-laned the route and added some snippets of freeway along the way. Extending I-44 doesn't seem to be even a distant priority for TX DOT.

Plus you could potentially justify building it through NW New Mexico more given the Colorado/NM bound traffic from Dallas along with the traffic from Dallas heading to I-40 for the west. Extend the part through Oklahoma's panhandle and connect a freeway to OKC from it along with Tulsa's 412 intestate conversion you'd suddenly have tons of cities that would be connected directly to each other via interstate. I know that is fantasy territory at this point but it'd sure be sweet to see a bunch of regional leaders get together and lobby for that to get national funds.

The New Mexico state government is a major obstacle for any I-27 upgrades on US-64/87 in NE NM. Town residents in Clayton might raise hell over fears what a bypass would do to their town. Clayton already suffered some downturns with losses of business like the big feed lot that used to operate on the NW side of town. Obviously my nostrils are glad the feed lot is no longer there when I drive thru the place!

[bwana39]

They also need to upgrade US-287 to a full interstate route between Amarillo and Dallas. I'm honestly surprised this hasn't been discussed more. I mean wouldn't that route see more traffic than Lubbock to I-20?

Yeah, US-287 between Amarillo and Fort Worth is a sore spot for me. Amarillo is an important junction along I-40. Dallas-Fort Worth is the 4th largest MSA in the nation and an even bigger highway hub. The amount of truck traffic on US-287 is pretty ridiculous. I usually drive the segments between Wichita Falls and the TX-114 turn at Rhome when going to Dallas and the segment from Memphis to Amarillo on my road trips to Colorado. To me the traffic levels on that road are just as heavy as some Interstates. Hell, there's probably more traffic on US-287 between Amarillo and Fort Worth than there is traffic on I-44 from OKC down to Wichita Falls. Traffic on I-44 thru Lawton and Wichita Falls would probably be heavier if US-277 between Wichita Falls and Abilene was upgraded to Interstate quality and designated as I-44. On Monday I talked with Gene Love, who is the chairman of the Oklahoma Turnpike Commission board. Over 20 years ago he, another OTA rep from Lawton named Gib Gibson and some others visited with TX DOT imploring them to extend I-44 down to Abilene. TX DOT at least 4-laned the route and added some snippets of freeway along the way. Extending I-44 doesn't seem to be even a distant priority for TX DOT.

Plus you could potentially justify building it through NW New Mexico more given the Colorado/NM bound traffic from Dallas along with the traffic from Dallas heading to I-40 for the west. Extend the part through Oklahoma's panhandle and connect a freeway to OKC from it along with Tulsa's 412 intestate conversion you'd suddenly have tons of cities that would be connected directly to each other via interstate. I know that is fantasy territory at this point but it'd sure be sweet to see a bunch of regional leaders get together and lobby for that to get national funds.

The New Mexico state government is a major obstacle for any I-27 upgrades on US-64/87 in NE NM. Town residents in Clayton might raise hell over fears what a bypass would do to their town. Clayton already suffered some downturns with losses of business like the big feed lot that used to operate on the NW side of town. Obviously my nostrils are glad the feed lot is no longer there when I drive thru the place!

Even without some "official congressional mandate", this (US-287) is being upgraded more and more as the years pass. The difference from when my son was at WTAM versus now is dramatic. Less than 15 years. There were still some 2-lane sections then. I cannot imagine that this route won't be improved to near interstate standards before the proposed I-27 extension  is more than 287 was 20 years ago. 

[Plutonic Panda]

Yeah I-44 should be extended to Abilene and a lot of new alignment roadway would be needed for a more direct connection. This would allow for much better access for I-44 corridor traffic to have to west and SW Texas. I think Texas just sees that as Oklahoma's problem. They'd probably want to extend I-14 to Louisiana before I-44.

Regarding Clayton, I am sure you're right but we really need to stop letting towns like that become an obstacle if they really would yield the power to stop this. Hold some meetings, let the citizens bitch, and take no consideration to what they have to say. I don't say that without empathy but efficient regional movement is more important than keeping a town alive like Breezewood that relies on traffic being forced on its surface streets.

Muskogee did the same crap which resulted in Stitt canceling the proposed US-69 bypass of the town. Now they're going to build a six lane surface street and mark my words a new bypass will be built in the future and the city will propose a road diet to be trendy and cool.

[ethanhopkin14]

The only thing needed now it US-287 to go into the phone booth and come out as I-32.

[Bobby5280]

US-287 between Fort Worth and Amarillo still needs a hell of a lot of work. The section going NW from the I-35W split still isn't up to Interstate standards after all these years. Now it needs to be widened to at least 3 lanes in each direction, but TX DOT is still farting around getting rid of the at-grade driveways between I-35W and Avondale. A bunch of other driveways and at-grade intersections exist North of there to the TX-114 split at Rhome. US-287 is a mess going through Decatur. If TX DOT can fix that crap in Decatur and up to Alford then Interstate quality upgrades of US-287 farther Northwest toward Wichita Falls will be much easier.

Yeah I-44 should be extended to Abilene and a lot of new alignment roadway would be needed for a more direct connection. This would allow for much better access for I-44 corridor traffic to have to west and SW Texas. I think Texas just sees that as Oklahoma's problem. They'd probably want to extend I-14 to Louisiana before I-44.

I'm not all that big a fan of the angled bends US-277 takes between Wichita Falls and Abilene. There is one serious bend at Munday and another at Anson, which bends the highway into a ESE direction. Still, not much would be gained trying to build a more direct new terrain route between Wichita Falls and Abilene. It would be a whole lot easier just doing further upgrades on US-277. Holliday, Dundee, Seymour, Goree, Munday, Weinert, Haskell and Stamford all had new bypasses built, most of which are at or near Interstate quality. Anson is the only town along the way without a freeway bypass. South of Anson, US-277 is 4-lane divided and flanked by continuous frontage roads. That stretch of US-277 would be easy to upgrade.

In a perfect world it would be nice if there was a Southwest running diagonal route from Anson to Sweetwater. That would be a good alternative for that US-277 back-bend to Abilene. Such a thing might have to be added as a toll road.

[triplemultiplex]

Well, as with all of these Congressionally-determined routes, money talks, BS walks. It's a number on a page until someone gets some money flowing.

I think the prospect of I-27 existing south of I-10 is pure FritzOwl fantasy.  There's no way demand justifies a freeway along that route in the next few decades. Also, isn't that Midland-San Angelo segment part of Texas' I-14 fever dream?

I'm sure they'll make good progress on this expansion just in time for the Permian Basin to dry up.

[Bobby5280]

Del Rio is a significant border crossing into Mexico. And Laredo is a major border crossing. Still, I've usually thought it would make more sense for I-27 to be extended thru Big Spring to San Angelo and then diagonally down to Junction. That would create a fairly straight shot for Panhandle traffic to reach the San Antonio area. I think the powers that be are fixated on the movement of cross-border commerce.

The Rio Grande Valley in far South Texas is basically an undiscovered major metropolis. One could make a good argument that the rest of America has been racist for overlooking that region. Most of the people living there are of Latino heritage. There is no one single "major" city down there, but that cluster adds up to well over a million people. There are less populous areas of the US that are far better represented by the Interstate highway network. I have no problem with an I-27 extension that would ultimately end in Laredo along with I-2, I-69W and I-35.

[kphoger]

Del Rio is a significant border crossing into Mexico.

Eagle Pass is much more significant.

[monty]

New I27 corridor progress announced: https://www.myhighplains.com/news/your-local-election-hq/i-27-designated-as-part-of-interstate-highway-system/?fbclid=IwAR0eUpqYxmJszkVXjAkKH6xktrVjRVzjxeYywqqzvSdXEEYnwFGMqqB4V7c

[MATraveler128]

I wonder how they will get it through Amarillo. The northern terminus feeds right into Downtown. Will TXDOT route it around the city on Loop 335 with the remaining piece becoming an x27? An elevated freeway would destroy the downtown area and a tunnel would be too expensive.

[Thegeet]

I wonder how they will get it through Amarillo. The northern terminus feeds right into Downtown. Will TXDOT route it around the city on Loop 337 with the remaining piece becoming an x27? An elevated freeway would destroy the downtown area and a tunnel would be too expensive.

I don't think they will route the remainder of I-27 until a few decades. I can't unsee them displacing the downtown properties.

[Bobby5280]

Eagle Pass is much more significant.

Eagle Pass is definitely near a more important junction in Mexico's highway network. On the bright side Eagle Pass is South of Del Rio, in between Del Rio and Laredo. An I-27 extension intended to bounce to Del Rio and then Laredo would obviously have to pass through Eagle Pass along the way.

What will be interesting is how an I-27 link would be built between Eagle Pass and Laredo. Will it follow US-277 and US-83 in that out of the way bend to Carrizo Springs? Or will it take a more straight shot, hugging closer to the Rio Grande? There would be advantages to the latter. It would cut some miles off the route. It could upgrade the FM-1472 corridor and more closely serve a lot of distribution facilities on the North side of Laredo.

I wonder how they will get it through Amarillo. The northern terminus feeds right into Downtown. Will TXDOT route it around the city on Loop 337 with the remaining piece becoming an x27? An elevated freeway would destroy the downtown area and a tunnel would be too expensive.

It's a foregone conclusion an extension of I-27 North out of Amarillo would be routed around the West half of Loop 335. There is no way I-27 is going to get extended directly thru downtown Amarillo. The existing I-27 route inside the 335 loop would be re-numbered somehow. Maybe a 3-digit I-27 spur. Much of the freeway upgrade of Loop 335 will probably be finished before any work gets started on I-27 between Amarillo and Dumas.