العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolU.S. ROUTE 81
'U.S. Route 81' is one of the many United States Numbered Highways established in 1926 by the US Department of Agriculture Bureau of Public Roads.
The route of US 81 follows that of the old Meridian Highway (so called because it roughly followed the sixth principal meridian of the US Public Land Survey System) which dates back as early as 1911.[2] The highway has alternately (and unofficially) been known as part of the Pan-American Highway.[3]
As of 2004, the highway's northern terminus is just north of Pembina, North Dakota at the Canadian border. At this point, it is routed along Interstate 29 and continues northward on Highway 29, a short feeder route into Highway 75 that in turn leads to Winnipeg.
Its southern terminus is in Fort Worth, Texas, at an intersection with Interstate 35W. Between the inception of the numbered highway system in 1926 through 1991, US 81's southern terminus was at the Mexican border in Laredo, Texas. In 1991, the terminus was moved to San Antonio. The route was shortened to its present length of 1234 miles in 1993, when the terminus was moved to Fort Worth. In both cases, the dropped portions of US 81 were replaced by Interstate 35. [4]
| Contents |
| Route description |
| Texas |
| Oklahoma |
| Kansas |
| Nebraska |
| South Dakota |
| North Dakota |
| History |
| Major intersections |
| See also |
| Related U.S. Routes |
| Bannered and suffexed routes |
| References |
| External links |
Route description
Texas
U.S. 81 at its inception in 1926 followed the route of Texas State Highway 2, which began in Laredo and passed through San Antonio, Austin, Waco, and Fort Worth before passing over the Red River into Oklahoma four miles north of Ringgold. The 1936 Official Map of the Highway System of Texas clearly shows the route labeled both as U.S. 81 and S.H. 2. It was cosigned with U.S. Route 83 for 18 miles from Laredo to 2 miles south of Webb, with U.S. Route 79 for 18 miles from Austin north to Round Rock, and with U.S. Route 77 for 33 miles from Waco to Hillsboro. In 1940 U.S. Route 287 was extended south into Texas, and a 67-mile stretch from Fort Worth northwest to Bowie was cosigned with U.S. 81. The Summer 1941 Texas Highway Map shows this pairing, and the current southern terminus of U.S. 81 is still cosigned with U.S. 287.
The Spring and Summer 1949 Texas Highway Department Official Map designates the length of U.S. 81 from Laredo to Fort Worth as part of the National System of Interstate Highways, but no numeric designation is given.
It is not until 1959 that parts of U.S. 81 in Texas appear on the Texas Official Highway Travel Map cosigned with Interstate 35 shields. Succeeding maps reflect the slow completion of I-35 and I-35W over the stretch of U.S. 81 between Laredo and Fort Worth, with the 1978-79 Texas Official Highway Travel Map showing only a 14-mile section from Encinal north to 3 miles south of Artesia Wells as incomplete, and the 1980 Texas Official Highway Travel Map showing that section completed. In 1980, U.S. 81 was cosigned with I-35 and I-35W except where the Interstate bypassed towns, with U.S. 81 providing the main route through town and then reconnecting with I-35 on the other side. The longest section of U.S. 81 in 1980 not cosigned with the Interstate ran from I-35 in Hillsboro 20 miles north to I-35W, just north of Grandview.
Oklahoma
Among the elders throughout the small towns that are dotted along Route 81 in Oklahoma, the sixth meridian is commonly known among the locals as the "Indian Meridian". Route 81 is also known at the "Indian Meridian Highway."
Kansas
Nearly all of U.S. 81 in Kansas is either freeway or expressway. The route enters Kansas as a two-lane near Caldwell. From South Haven to Wichita it closely parallels Interstate 35. At Wichita, U.S. 81 joins Interstate 135. The two highways remain joined until Salina. Interstate 135 ends at Interstate 70 but U.S. 81 continues as a freeway to Minneapolis, then as an expressway passing through Concordia before exiting the state north of Belleville.
From Salina to Concordia, the highway is named the Frank Carlson Memorial Highway, in honor of the late Senator Frank Carlson. Senator Carlson was a native of Concordia who represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1951-1969. Before serving in the Senate, he was Governor of Kansas from 1947–1950.
Nebraska
U.S. 81 enters Nebraska as an expressway at Chester and continues as an expressway to York, where the highway intersects Interstate 80. After a brief two-lane section, U.S. 81 again becomes an expressway at Nebraska Highway 64. This expressway section passes through Columbus and Norfolk. North of Norfolk, U.S. 81 is a two-lane, undivided highway which passes through no towns before exiting the state in Cedar County.
South Dakota
U.S. 81 enters South Dakota by a Missouri River crossing, via the Meridian Highway Bridge at Yankton. Its junction with Interstate 90 is south of Salem. U.S. 81 passes near Madison before it joins with Interstate 29 at Watertown. The two highways remain paired through the rest of the state, leaving South Dakota near New Effington.
The South Dakota section of U.S. 81, with the exception of a concurrency with U.S. 14, is defined at South Dakota Codified Laws § 31-4-179.[4]
North Dakota
U.S. 81 enters North Dakota concurrently with Interstate 29. It is paired with I-29 from the South Dakota border to the north side of Grand Forks. There it splits off to the northwest. It parallels I-29, passing through the town of Grafton before joining North Dakota Highway 5 near Cavalier. It rejoins I-29 and continues to the US/Canada border at Pembina.
History
The portion of US 81 between Grandview, Texas and Hillsboro, Texas that was not part of Interstate 35W was renamed State Highway 81.
Business U.S. 81 in San Antonio, Texas was replaced by Loop 368. The north side traveled down Broadway & Austin Highway while the south side was Nogalitos & Laredo Highway. When it was replaced, they renamed the street New Laredo Highway.
Old portions of US 81 in various parts of North Dakota are now county routes. The current US 81 in these areas is co-signed with Interstate 29.
Between Wichita and Salina, Kansas, old sections of US 81 are now county routes and short sections of state highways. The current US 81 in this area is co-signed with Interstate 135. In McPherson County, the old alignment of US 81 is signed as Business US 81.
Major intersections
★ Interstate 35W (Texas) in northern Fort Worth, Texas
★ Interstate 44 at Chickasha, Oklahoma
★ Interstate 40 just south of El Reno, Oklahoma
★ Interstate 135 in southern Wichita, Kansas (concurrent along entire length of Interstate 135 except for the southernmost half-mile)
★ Interstate 70 in Salina, Kansas
★ Interstate 80 4 miles south of York, Nebraska
★ Interstate 90 3 miles south of Salem, South Dakota
★ Interstate 29 north of Watertown, South Dakota (concurrent with route with Interstate 29 until 11 miles north of Grand Forks, North Dakota)
★ Interstate 94 at Fargo, North Dakota
See also
Related U.S. Routes
★ U.S. Highway 181
★ U.S. Highway 281
Bannered and suffexed routes
★ U.S. Route 81 Business in Grand Forks, North Dakota
★ U.S. Route 81 Business in Fargo, North Dakota
★ U.S. Route 81 Business in Kansas
★ U.S. Route 81 Business in Rush Springs, Oklahoma
★ ''U.S. Route 81 Business'' in San Antonio, Texas
★ ''U.S. Route 81 Business'' in McPherson County, Kansas
References
1. Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 22:46, 20 February 2006 (UTC).
2. [1]
3. [2]
4. [3]
External links
★ US-81 endpoint photos
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
Featured Companies
| Green Parrot Beach Houses Resort |
Newest Companies
U.S. Route 81 Travel Deals
