US 71 and US 59 in and just north of Texarkana in AR and TX?

[Lyon Wonder]

I've heard that much of US 71 in Texarkana sits directly on the TX/AR state line.  So which state DOT is responsible for maintenance for that stretch of US 71 since it technically borders both states?  Also, 3 or-so miles of US 59/71 north of Texarkana are in Texas and then switch back into AR. 

Which begs the question, if US 71 and 59 are ever decommissioned due to I-49 and the alignment is given a state route number, who's responsible for the brief 3 mile stretch in TX and would it given a TX or AR state route number?

[bugo]

Signage is provided by Texas on the west side of State Line Avenue while Arkansas maintains the signs on the east side of the highway. I remember a few years back that heading southbound a US 59B (the only xxB route I've ever heard of in Texas) with no US 71 sign. US 59B was never signed in Arkansas that I am aware of. I assume the roadway itself is maintained by both states but I'm not positive. As far as the highway north of Texarkana, it does indeed cross into Texas for a few miles. AR 108 actually enters Texas, and AR 549 entered Texas briefly until it was decommissioned.

[NE2]

AR 549 always began east of the line, with ramps crossing into Texas. I would guess that AR 108 actually begins at the line, with TXDOT maintaining the connection like a ramp.

[bugo]

The ramps WERE AR 549.

The western part of AR 108 was built to AHTD specs. I'm certain that AHTD maintains it. The signs on 71 are AHTD installations. This stretch of highway is very short, but it does enter Texas.

[NE2]

The ramps WERE AR 549.

I think you're right about that.

The western part of AR 108 was built to AHTD specs.

The shoulders end somewhere at or east of the state line. But the section map does show mile 0.02 at the state line, meaning that state maintenance begins somewhere between US 71 northbound and the state line. (It's 0.035 mi between the two directions of US 71, so that part is Texas-maintained.)

[dfwmapper]

Looking at the street view, the pavement changes at the eastern edge of the US 71 ROW, which is within Texas. That seems like a reasonable guess for where the maintenance changes.

[US71]

The signage on 71 at 49 appears to be TXDOT

[cjk374]

It has been several years since I drove Stateline Ave., but you could definitely see the difference in the road quality and looks of the pavement one side of the centerline vs. the other side. At that time IIRC AHTD had put new joint sealant in all of the expansion joints whereas there was none of that on the TxDOT side of the centerline.

[Road Hog]

The signage is the most interesting thing about that stretch. You get TxDOT galvanized tube posts mixed in with the AHTD U-channels all on the same side.

The speed limit is 70 from the north end of town to the Red River bridge, so I always assumed the roadway was TxDOT-maintained.

[bugo]

The speed limit is 70 from the north end of town to the Red River bridge, so I always assumed the roadway was TxDOT-maintained.

There is no question that it is. The AR 108 signs are AHTD but the road was obviously built and maintained by Texas. The 70 MPH speed limit is but one clue.

[US71]

The speed limit is 70 from the north end of town to the Red River bridge, so I always assumed the roadway was TxDOT-maintained.

There is no question that it is. The AR 108 signs are AHTD but the road was obviously built and maintained by Texas. The 70 MPH speed limit is but one clue.

There is at least one 108 sign on a Texas "goalpost".

[capt.ron]

Also of note is the different speed limits on US 71/59 where it straddles the AR/TX line. Southbound by the rest area just past the bridge, the speed limit is 75, according to a street view pic from Google Earth. Northbound on the AR side, it is 65. I think it is high time for AR to bump the speed limit on rural, sparsely populated areas on their 4 lane divided highways to 70 (to match their rural interstate speed limit).