The Loop is a
beltway around
Texarkana, TX and Texarkana, AR, which are
twin cities
Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...
in the U.S. states of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
and
Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. Consisting of a section of
Interstate 49 (I-49) in Arkansas, and Loop 151 and a section of
I-369 and
U.S. Route 59 (US 59) in Texas, it forms a three-quarter loop around the east, south and west sides of the city. (
I-30 completes the circle on the north side.) The Loop is built to
Interstate Highway standards
Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
.
The south side is bisected by
State Line Avenue
State Line Avenue is a north–south arterial road in Texarkana, United States. It follows approximately of the Texas-Arkansas state line, and divides the cities. The street's centerline does not follow the state boundary precisely, but the ...
, which travels north–south along the state line. The entire half in Arkansas is I-49 and
Arkansas Highway 151
Arkansas Highway 151 (AR 151, Hwy. 151) is a designation for two north–south state highways in Mississippi County, Arkansas. An eastern route of runs from Highway 148 north to Highway 18. A second route of begins at Highway 18 in Bl ...
(AR 151), which is
unsigned
Unsigned can refer to:
* An unsigned artist is a musical artist or group not attached or signed to a record label
** Unsigned Music Awards, ceremony noting achievements of unsigned artists
** Unsigned band web, online community
* Similarly, the c ...
. US 59 has an
interchange with the Loop near the southwest corner, only the south side in Texas is Loop 151. Old US 59 into Texarkana (Lake Drive) is now
Texas State Highway 93 (SH 93).
Route description
The Loop consists of I-30, I-369, Loop 151, and AR 151. US 59 is concurrent with the beltway from the southwest corner of Texarkana to State Line Avenue. I-30 forms the northern portion of the route, running north of both the twin cities. The eastern section of the Loop consists of I-49 and AR 151, and runs from US 59/
71 north of I-30 to an interchange with I-49 on the southeast side of Texarkana. The southern section of the loop consists of Loop 151 and AR 151. It runs from I-49 in southeast Texarkana to I-369 in southwest Texarkana. The western section of the loop is formed by I-369. I-369 continues north on the western side of Texarkana to a
stack interchange
A directional interchange, colloquially known as a stack interchange, is a type of grade-separated junction between two controlled-access highways that allows for free-flowing movement to and from all directions of traffic. These interchanges e ...
with I-30 in northwest Texarkana.
History
Previously in Texas, the "151" designation was originally used for Spur 151, which was designated on May 18, 1944, from
Denison to the southern boundary of the Federal Government Property. Spur 151 was cancelled on May 21, 1946, and instead replaced by SH 75A, which in turn became
SH 91
The following highways are numbered 91:
International
* European route E91
Australia
* Cairns Western Arterial Road
* Summerland Way
Brasil
* SP-91, state highway in Sao Paulo
Canada
* British Columbia Highway 91
** British Columbia Highway ...
on December 21, 1994. Loop 151 was designated on August 27, 1958, from I-30 to
US 82. On January 20, 1966, Loop 151 extended south to US 59. On December 21, 1982, Loop 151 was transferred to US 59, so Loop 151 was reassigned to the old route of US 59. On February 7, 1985, Loop 151 was transferred to
SH 93, so Loop 151 was reused for the route from US 59 to Arkansas, its current route.
In fall 2000, the
Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department had submitted its portion of the loop as Interstate 130 (I-130) in fall 2000. However, the
denied the part from US 71 west to Texas, as "the state of Texas has not submitted a companion application for a suitable terminus in Texas", but the piece from US 71 north to I-30 was approved on December 8, 2000, as Future I-130. Once it was upgraded to
interstate standards
Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
and added to the
Interstate Highway System
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
by the
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
, it was to be signed as I-130. Arkansas used the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) funds to pave the final segment of future I-130, from the Arkansas Boulevard interchange to a new freeway-to-freeway interchange with I-30.
[ (Though both are labeled "Hwy. 71" here, as described #030325 is AR 245/future I-130 & I-49, while #030354 is AR 549/future I-49.)] Once this section was opened, the only remaining requirement to become I-130 would have been to upgrade the
at-grade intersection
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections a ...
with 19th Street to a full interchange; the right-of-way for this was reserved years ago. However, with I-49 also pending completion between Texarkana and
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...
(including a segment in Arkansas also being built with ARRA funds),
future I-130 was instead made part of I-49 by summer 2014.
In May 2013, the final designated portion of AR 245 was removed from service and re-designated Four States Fair Blvd. Highway 245 was the former designation of Arkansas's section of the loop.
Interstate 369 was designated on May 30, and signs of the highway were installed on September 23, 2013.
Exit list
References
{{Reflist
Texarkana
Roads in Arkansas
Roads in Texas
Loop
Loop or LOOP may refer to:
Brands and enterprises
* Loop (mobile), a Bulgarian virtual network operator and co-founder of Loop Live
* Loop, clothing, a company founded by Carlos Vasquez in the 1990s and worn by Digable Planets
* Loop Mobile, an ...
Texarkana, Arkansas
Texarkana, Texas
Freeways in the United States
Freeways in Texas
Transportation in Miller County, Arkansas
Transportation in Bowie County, Texas
Interstate 30
Texarkana
U.S. Route 59