State Highway Loop 88 (Loop 88) is a proposed state highway in
Lubbock County, Texas
Lubbock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 census placed the population at 310,639. Its county seat and largest city is Lubbock. The county was created in 1876 and organized in 1891. It is named for Thomas Saltus ...
, that will form a bypass around the city of
Lubbock
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northwe ...
. The Loop 88 designation has been approved by local governments such as
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock ( )
is the 10th-most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and the seat of government of Lubbock County. With a population of 260,993 in 2021, the city is also the 85th-most populous in the United States. The city is in the northw ...
while the
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...
(TxDOT) builds the project, currently known as the Lubbock Outer Route.
The route will start at the intersection of
U.S. Highway 84 (US 84) northwest of Lubbock near
Shallowater and head south and intersect
State Highway 114 (SH 114) near
Reese Center and continue towards
Wolfforth where it will intersect
US 62
U.S. Route 62 or U.S. Highway 62 (US 62) runs from the Mexican border at El Paso, Texas, to Niagara Falls, New York, near the Canadian border. It is the only east-west United States Numbered Highway that connects Mexico and Canada ...
and
US 82
U.S. Route 82 (US 82) is an east–west United States highway in the Southern United States. Created on July 1, 1931 across central Mississippi and southern Arkansas, US 82 eventually became a 1,625-mile (2,615 km) route extending from ...
then head east toward
US 87
U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas, making it the longest north-south roa ...
and
Slaton, where it will end at US 84. The southern stretch from Wolfforth to Slaton will overlap
Farm to Market Road 1585. The highway will serve as a bypass for US 84 around Lubbock; the current route of US 84 through the city will be re-designated as U.S. Route 84 Business upon the completion of Loop 88.
TxDOT began construction in late 2021. The loop will be built in 4 segments: segments 1 and 2 will be from US 84 near Shallowater to US 62/82 near Wolfforth; segment 3 will be from US 62/82 to US 87 in south Lubbock; and segment 4 will be from US 87 to US 84 near Slaton. Construction is expected to last 12 to 15 years.
History
An earlier route, also designated as Loop 88 was designated on December 18, 1939 from
U.S. Highway 83 through
San Ygnacio to another point on US 83. On June 21, 1990, this route was cancelled, as it was transferred to Business US 83-N. The current route was proposed to be Loop 88 in 2016, but was not officially designated as Loop 88 until July 27, 2017.
Construction
The project was partially stalled in late 2017 when TxDOT found what it thought to be either mammoth or bison bones near the intersection of
FM 179 and 130th Street during an environmental impact study. Groundbreaking was held on November 3, 2021 near the intersection of FM 1585 (future Loop 88) and Indiana Avenue.
Exit list
See also
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External links
Map of Planned Corridor
References
{{reflist
88
U.S. Route 84
Transportation in Lubbock County, Texas
Freeways in Texas