Abandoned Four-Lane US 290 Segment W of Fredericksburg, Texas

[Brian556]

Just found this:

Abandoned Four-Lane US 290 Segment W of Fredericksburg, Texas:
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3012856,-99.0510106,195m/data=!3m1!1e3

[US 81]

Cool!!

US 290 was a pretty fun drive when I did it several years ago - lots of old alignments and old bridges/remnants of old bridges.

What I haven't yet gotten to do is explore the intriguing bits west of where US 290 meets I-10, that look suspiciously like old US 290... RM 2169, RM 3130 &c

[Chris]

Google Earth historic imagery dating back to 1995 shows it as abandoned.

[Max Rockatansky]

The nice thing about older US Highway alignments is that it's pretty easy to find old alignments especially from a birds eye view.  You can usually get a pretty good perspective how much really went into creating a straighter or fast road through the years.  River crossing always tend to have a bunch of alignments near them.

[The Ghostbuster]

How much traffic uses the western-most segment of US 290? Is it busy enough to need four lanes?

[wxfree]

How much traffic uses the western-most segment of US 290? Is it busy enough to need four lanes?

The westernmost count, near I-10, is 987.  Just west of the part linked to above is there's a count of 1,872.  The road has four lanes until west of Harper, near the point with a count of 2,479.

For future reference, AADTs for the past several years and a lot of other information is available on the statewide planning map.  Some of the points won't show up until you zoom in enough.  The most recent count is shown.  Click on the point to bring up that point's count history.  Note that the speed limits shown on the map are often incorrect and should be considered unreliable.
http://www.txdot.gov/apps/statewide_mapping/StatewidePlanningMap.html

[SquonkHunter]

Cool!!

US 290 was a pretty fun drive when I did it several years ago - lots of old alignments and old bridges/remnants of old bridges.

What I haven't yet gotten to do is explore the intriguing bits west of where US 290 meets I-10, that look suspiciously like old US 290... RM 2169, RM 3130 &c

There is a reason for that. Prior to I-10 being constructed, two-lane US 290 continued west all the way to the junction with what was then US 80 where the now-day I-20 joins with I-10. I traveled that stretch way back in 1968 before any of I-10 existed out there. Went back thru there again in 2004 and everything was different. As you noted, many sections of old US 290 are still in use today as state maintained Ranch Roads. If you want a good scenic diversion, try the bypassed section of old US 290 that passes thru Balmorhea and Toyahvale. It now is marked, from east to west, as TX-17, RM-3078 and RM-2189. Looks like about a total of 33-34 miles.

[txstateends]

There is also TX 290 east and west of Sheffield.

[wxfree]

There is also TX 290 east and west of Sheffield.

That part has some scenery that's best viewed from east to west.  Going west, when you see the signs for the picnic area, be sure to stop, even though you can't see anything interesting.  The scenery sneaks up on you right at the turn into the picnic area.