I-27 vs US 84

[texaskdog]

I would build one straight south (who lives in Lamesa?) and then swing it on the west side of Big Spring so it also serves Midland-Odessa

[dfwmapper]

Why is 385 a divided highway from Lubbock to Odessa?  It's faster to go from Lubbock to Odessa or Midland via TX 349, the 2-lane road.  Does anyone drive on this road?

Looking at the traffic counts, yes, people do drive on US 385, far more than on SH 349. US 84 is far more than both.

[NE2]

A fair amount of traffic is probably going to the mid-sized towns in between.

[Grzrd]

Also, if I-27 is extended to Big Spring, it's nothing to cry about that you could just take I-20 for a short distance from Big Spring to the Midland/Odessa area if you wished to get there from Lubbock.

Actually you'd just take SH 349 from Lamesa, since there's a good chance that'll be upgraded to four-lane divided.

Why is 385 a divided highway from Lubbock to Odessa?  It's faster to go from Lubbock to Odessa or Midland via TX 349, the 2-lane road.

A proposed Minute Order for the December 18 Texas Transportation Commission meeting will extend SH 349 in Lamesa from SH 137 to US 87:

[aboges26]

Why is 385 a divided highway from Lubbock to Odessa?  It's faster to go from Lubbock to Odessa or Midland via TX 349, the 2-lane road.  Does anyone drive on this road?

This is because it is a combination of important highway corridors. Notably, Lubbock to (Brownfield, Seminole, Hobbs) El Paso, Lubbock to (Brownfield, Roswell, Ruidoso, Alamogordo) Las Cruces, and Odessa to Andrews, Seminole, SE New Mexico like Hobbs, Roswell, etc.  However, if going from West and SW Lubbock to Northern Odessa, locals do take US 62/82 which joins up with and becomes just US 385.  A lot of the economy and recreation in West Texas and SE New Mexico bring more traffic than you would think to the roads, as the economies and recreation opportunities of each are commonly shared (ex. SE New Mexicans traveling to Lubbock and Midland/Odessa to go shopping, better hospitals, better universities, and West Texas traveling to Ruidoso and Cloudcroft for recreation, and numerous other towns related to the oil industry).  Also a lot of oil wells and related shops are located off of Highway 385 between Odessa and Seminole.

[texaskdog]

Thanks!