Texas State Highway 290
Encyclopedia
State Highway 290 or SH 290 is a state highway maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
that runs from Interstate 10
near Sheffield east to another connection with I-10 about 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Sheffield. The 24.5 miles (39.4 km) route was designated in 1992 as a replacement for U.S. Route 290
when it was shortened to end near Junction
. The route connects I-10 to Sheffield and Fort Lancaster State Historic Site
and overlays a portion of SH 349
.
SH 290 was the former designation for a portion of SH 114 between the New Mexico
state line and Lubbock
.
state line east through Morton
and Levelland
to Lubbock in Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock counties that was created during the 1939 general redescription of the state's highway system. The route had been previously numbered as SH 134 beginning sometime between 1926 and 1928 until the route was renumbered as SH 24 before 1933. The SH 290 designation was dropped in 1955 when the route became SH 116. In 1978, the SH 116 designation was canceled, and the route became an extension of SH 114.
. US 290 together with US 80 formed a route linking El Paso
to Austin
and Houston
before the construction of I-10. SH 290 is a portion of the former US 290 that was bypassed by I-10 around Sheffield.
with SH 349. The road turns east through Sheffield passing through town along Main St. where SH 349 turns to the south. SH 290 then runs southeast to the Pecos River
where the road enters Crockett County. The road turns eastward along the Pecos River valley until it reaches Fort Lancaster
, an old frontier Army fort maintained by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
. The road then turns northeast climbing steeply out of the river valley and returns to I-10 at Exit 343.
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Texas. Its stated mission is to "work cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state...
that runs from Interstate 10
Interstate 10 in Texas
Interstate 10 is the major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. In the U.S. state of Texas, it runs east from El Paso, near the border with New Mexico, through San Antonio and Houston to the border with Louisiana in Orange, Texas....
near Sheffield east to another connection with I-10 about 20 miles (32.2 km) east of Sheffield. The 24.5 miles (39.4 km) route was designated in 1992 as a replacement for U.S. Route 290
U.S. Route 290
U.S. Highway 290 is an east–west U.S. Highway located entirely within the State of Texas. Its current western terminus is at Interstate 10 milepost 477 , southeast of Junction, and its eastern terminus is at Interstate 610 on the northwest side of Houston.-Route Description:West of Austin, U.S...
when it was shortened to end near Junction
Junction, Texas
Junction is a city in and the county seat of Kimble County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,618 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
. The route connects I-10 to Sheffield and Fort Lancaster State Historic Site
Fort Lancaster
Fort Lancaster, one in a series of forts erected along the western Texas frontier, is located in the Pecos River Valley in Crockett County, Texas, United States. The fort was established by Captain Stephen Decatur Carpenter on August 20, 1855, to guard the military supplies, commercial shipments,...
and overlays a portion of SH 349
Texas State Highway 349
State Highway 349 or SH 349 is a 194.43 mile state highway in the western part of Texas.-History:The original formation of the highway in 1943 included only the section from Rankin to Midland, replacing a former route of . In 1947 and FM 306 were redesignated to form the part of SH 349 from...
.
SH 290 was the former designation for a portion of SH 114 between the New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
state line and Lubbock
Lubbock, Texas
Lubbock is a city in and the county seat of Lubbock County, Texas, United States. The city is located in the northwestern part of the state, a region known historically as the Llano Estacado, and the home of Texas Tech University and Lubbock Christian University...
.
Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock counties
SH 290 was originally designated as a route from the New MexicoNew Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
state line east through Morton
Morton, Texas
Morton is a town in Cochran County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,249 at the 2000 census. The population has been in steady decline since the 1960s and is estimated to have dropped by approximately 15% from the 2000 number when the 2010 Census is completed. Morton is the county seat of...
and Levelland
Levelland, Texas
Levelland is a city in Hockley County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 13,542. It is the county seat of Hockley County. It is located on the Llano Estacado, west of Lubbock. Major industries include cotton farming and petroleum production...
to Lubbock in Cochran, Hockley, and Lubbock counties that was created during the 1939 general redescription of the state's highway system. The route had been previously numbered as SH 134 beginning sometime between 1926 and 1928 until the route was renumbered as SH 24 before 1933. The SH 290 designation was dropped in 1955 when the route became SH 116. In 1978, the SH 116 designation was canceled, and the route became an extension of SH 114.
Pecos and Crockett counties
SH 290 was created in 1991 from a portion of US 290 which was decommissioned beyond its current terminus at I-10 near Junction to its former terminus at US 80 near KentKent, Texas
Kent is an unincorporated village in Culberson County, in West Texas, United States. It lies just north of Interstate 10 at Exit 176, ten miles west of the beginning of Interstate 20 and four miles west of the eastern Culberson County boundary. It is sandwiched between the railroad, immediately...
. US 290 together with US 80 formed a route linking El Paso
El Paso, Texas
El Paso, is a city in and the county seat of El Paso County, Texas, United States, and lies in far West Texas. In the 2010 census, the city had a population of 649,121. It is the sixth largest city in Texas and the 19th largest city in the United States...
to Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
and Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
before the construction of I-10. SH 290 is a portion of the former US 290 that was bypassed by I-10 around Sheffield.
Route description
SH 290 begins at Exit 325 of I-10 in Pecos County and winds southward around hills concurrentlyConcurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
with SH 349. The road turns east through Sheffield passing through town along Main St. where SH 349 turns to the south. SH 290 then runs southeast to the Pecos River
Pecos River
The headwaters of the Pecos River are located north of Pecos, New Mexico, United States, at an elevation of over 12,000 feet on the western slope of the Sangre de Cristo mountain range in Mora County. The river flows for through the eastern portion of that state and neighboring Texas before it...
where the road enters Crockett County. The road turns eastward along the Pecos River valley until it reaches Fort Lancaster
Fort Lancaster
Fort Lancaster, one in a series of forts erected along the western Texas frontier, is located in the Pecos River Valley in Crockett County, Texas, United States. The fort was established by Captain Stephen Decatur Carpenter on August 20, 1855, to guard the military supplies, commercial shipments,...
, an old frontier Army fort maintained by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
Texas Parks and Wildlife Department
The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department is a Texas state agency that oversees and protects wildlife and their habitats. In addition, the agency is responsible for managing the state's parks and historical areas...
. The road then turns northeast climbing steeply out of the river valley and returns to I-10 at Exit 343.