 U.S. Route 59 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 US 59 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Length | 1,911 mi[citation needed] (3,075 km) | |||
| Existed | 1934[1]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end |  Fed. 85D atMexican border atLaredo, TX | |||
| Major intersections |
| |||
| North end |  PTH 59 atCanadian border nearLancaster, MN | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| States | Texas,Arkansas,Oklahoma,Kansas,Missouri,Iowa,Minnesota | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–southU.S. highway (though it was signed east–west in parts ofTexas). A latecomer to the U.S. Highway System, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of theNAFTA Corridor Highway System. It parallelsUS 75 for nearly its entire route, never much more than 100 miles (160 km) away, until it veers southwest inHouston, Texas. Its number is out of place since US 59 is either concurrent with or entirely west ofUS 71. US 59 also goes into St Joseph seeing I-229 and I-29. The highway's northern terminus is nine miles (14 km) north ofLancaster, Minnesota, at theLancaster–Tolstoi Border Crossing on theCanadian border, where it continues asManitoba Highway 59. Its southern terminus is at theMexican border inLaredo, Texas, where it continues asMexican Federal Highway 85D.
US 59 in the state ofTexas is named the Lloyd Bentsen Highway, afterLloyd Bentsen, former U.S. senator from Texas. In northernHouston, US 59, co-signed withI-69, is the Eastex Freeway (fromDowntown Houston to theLiberty–Montgomery county line). To the south, which is also co-signed with I-69, it is the Southwest Freeway (fromRosenberg to Downtown Houston), which is one of the busiest sections of freeway in the United States with a vehicle count, as of 2006, over 330,000 vehicles per day just outsidethe Loop.[2]
US 59 (overlaped by US 71) actually straddles the border between Texas and Arkansas north ofI-30 nearTexarkana, with the east side of the highway on the Arkansas side and the west side of the highway on the Texas side. In the past, both highways remained on the border past I-30 asState Line Avenue to Downtown Texarkana; today, only US 71 does so. Nearly 90% of this route is designated to become part of I-69 in the future. Currently, 75 mph (120 km/h) speed limits are allowed on US 59 inDuval County and portions of northernPolk County.
From the southwestern suburbs of Houston to Downtown Houston, US 59 is commonly referred to as the "Southwest Freeway", sometimes derisively as the "Southwest's Best Freeway." Supporting 371,000 vehicles per day,[3] it is one of the busiestfreeways in the United States. US 59 is known as the "Eastex Freeway" in the north/northeast part of the Houston region. At the Mexican border, it ends at theWorld Trade International Bridge in Laredo, Texas. In Laredo, US 59 is co-signed with bothI-69W andLoop 20, and has an intersection ofI-35 which ends at theJuarez-Lincoln International Bridge. After crossing the bridge intoMexico, I-35 continues asMexican Federal Highway 85 inNuevo Laredo, which then runs through Mexico andCentral America and ends inPanama at thePanama Canal.
InArkansas, US 59 is concurrent withUS 71 fromI-30 atTexarkana toAcorn, and withUS 270 from Acorn to theOklahoma state line. The Third Loop was to be extended onI-49 from its original northern end to US 71 at the Texas state line opened on May 15, 2013, and was extended to State Line Road, where it intersects with US 59 and US 71 in Texas.
US 59 andUS 412 are co-signed for 10 miles (16 km) inDelaware County, Oklahoma.
US 59 is co-signed withUS 270 from the Arkansas state line toHeavener andUS 271 fromPoteau to west ofSpiro. It is also co-signed withUS 64 inSallisaw.
US 59 enters the state just south ofChetopa and runs nearly directly north across the state. It runs concurrently withUS 169 starting about five miles (8.0 km) south ofGarnett and diverges north again immediately south of Garnett. The intersection immediately south of Garnett used to be a braided intersection with stop and yield signs. It was identified as a high-crash location in 2001, and was rebuilt as a roundabout that opened in April 2006.[4] The Kansas Department of Transportation is rebuilding or planning to rebuild several other rural intersections as roundabouts for increased safety.[5][6] Until 2012, US 59 passed through Ottawa, Kansas, and had to be shut down or detoured every time theMarais Des Cygnesfloodwall gates were closed across the highway. The highway now bypasses around Ottawa, running concurrently with I-35 for five miles (8.0 km) and using that highway's bridges over the Marais Des Cygnes. US 59 passes throughLawrence. The street name of US 59 in Lawrence is Iowa Street, then 6th Street as it joinsUS 40 and jogs east to cross theKansas River near downtown. North of theU.S. 40 and 59 Bridges, it splits with US 40 as it joinsUS 24 briefly and jogs back west before resuming a northerly course. It continues north toNortonville, then northeast toAtchison, where it crosses theMissouri River over theAmelia Earhart Bridge.
US 59 has been rebuilt and rerouted just to the east between Lawrence andOttawa as a divided highway, as the former road was one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the state. The project began in mid-2007, and was completed and opened to the public on October 17, 2012.[7]
InMissouri, US 59 roughly follows theMissouri River in the northwest corner of the state, from its entrance atWinthrop. InSt. Joseph, the highway is paired withI-229 through downtown. US 59 departs from I-229 as Saint Joseph Avenue, joining withUS 71 atI-29. The two highways then separate inSavannah. US 59 then follows I-29 very closely until turning northward atCraig. It exits the state 10 miles (16 km) north ofTarkio. This section of US 59 is immortalized in the Brewer and Shipley song "Tarkio Road".
InIowa, US 59 is a main north–south artery in the western part of the state. It enters Iowa south ofShenandoah and joinsI-80 atAvoca. It passes through the county seats ofHarlan,Denison,Cherokee, andPrimghar. Except for small stretches ofexpressway nearAvoca, Denison, andHolstein, the entire length of US 59 in Iowa is an undivided two-lane road. US 59 exits the state nearHawkeye Point, the highest point in the state of Iowa.
US 59 entersMinnesota south ofWorthington, just one mile (1.6 km) east ofBigelow. It passes through rural western Minnesota for its entire length in the state. Some cities along the way includeSlayton,Marshall,Clarkfield,Montevideo, andMorris. US 59 overlapsI-94/US 52 in theFergus Falls area. North of Fergus Falls, US 59 passes throughPelican Rapids,Detroit Lakes, andThief River Falls before ending at the Lancaster–Tolstoi border crossing on the Canadian border. US 59 runs for about 425 miles (684 km) through Minnesota.
The Minnesota section of US 59 is legally defined as all or part of Routes 265, 16, 17, 88, 66, 144, 3, 30, and 174 in Minnesota Statutes §§ 161.115(19), (75), and (196) and 161.114(2).[8][9]
In 1934, a coalition of government officials from Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota agreed to sign the current US 59 as Highway 73 in an attempt to extendUS 73 north fromAtchison, Kansas. However, theAmerican Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) approved the route as US 59, instead.[citation needed]
The part in Missouri was defined in 1922 asRoute 52 from Kansas to St. Joseph,Route 1 from St. Joseph to Tarkio, andRoute 61 from Tarkio to Iowa. Route 61 becameRoute 9 in 1926, and Route 52 became part ofRoute 4 in 1927, and this portion becameRoute 18 in 1932, before being removed in favor of US 59 in the 1930s.
Before the 1950s, US 59 headed northwest toUS 75 atNoyes, crossed theRed River of the North atSt. Vincent, and terminated atUS 81 inPembina, North Dakota. A new highway and border crossing were built north of Lancaster on the present alignment in 1950. The former segment of US 59 between Lancaster and US 75 became CR 6, and the extremely short segment between US 75 and US 81 becameMN 171 andND 59. ND 59 still exists in Pembina from the state line to I-29.
From 1934 to 1935, the US 59 designation referred to a 50-mile-long (80 km) route across southeastern Minnesota, fromLake City, Minnesota, to theIowa state line just short ofChester, Iowa. That entire route is now part ofUS 63, and nowhere close to the present US 59, established in 1935.[citation needed]
In 1933, much of the present US 59 and the entirety of US 96 in Texas were originally proposed to be part of US 71. Under this plan, discussed at a meeting of the United States Good Roads Association inBeaumont, US 71 was to be diverted out of Louisiana altogether and instead rerouted from theTexarkana area southward through East Texas.[10]
A large portion of US 59 is proposed to become part of the future extension of I-69, I-69W andI-369 through Texas, allowing the current alignment and right-of-way to be upgraded without the need for government environmental studies or extensiveeminent domain proceedings.[11]
I-69W inLaredo. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I-35 /US 83 in Laredo
Future I-69C /US 281 inGeorge West
I-37 east of George West
US 181 inBeeville
US 183 inGoliad
Future I-69 /Future I-69E /Future I-69W /US 77 southwest ofVictoria. I-69/US 59 will travel concurrently toHouston. US 59/US 77 travels concurrently to south-southwest of Victoria.
US 87 in Victoria
I-69 /I-610 in Houston
I-45 in Houston
I-10 /US 90 in HoustonI-69 /I-610 in Houston. I-69/US 59 will travel concurrently toTenaha.
US 190 inLivingston
US 287 inCorrigan
US 69 inLufkin. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 259 inRedfield
US 84 inTimpson. The highways travel concurrently to Tenaha.
Future I-69 / Future I-369 /US 84 /US 96 in Tenaha. I-369/US 59 will travel concurrently toTexarkana.
US 79 inCarthage. The highways travel concurrently to north of Carthage.
I-20 inMarshall
US 80 in Marshall
I-369 in Texarkana. I-369/US 59 travels concurrently to I-30.
US 67 in Texarkana
US 82 in Texarkana
I-30 /I-369 in Texarkana. I-30/US 59 travels concurrently to theArkansas state line.
I-30 /US 71 inTexarkana. US 59/US 71 travels concurrently toAcorn.
I-49 north of Texarkana
US 371 inLockesburg. The highways travel concurrently toDe Queen.
US 70 in Saline Township. The highways travel concurrently to De Queen.
US 278 inWickes
US 71 /US 270 in Acorn. US 59/US 270 travels concurrently toHeavener, Oklahoma.US 259 west-northwest ofPage
US 271 inPoteau. The highways travel concurrently to west ofSpiro.
I-40 inSallisaw
US 64 in Sallisaw. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 62 inWestville
US 412 inWest Siloam Springs. The highways travel concurrently toKansas.
US 60 /US 69 east-northeast ofAfton. US 59/US 60 travels concurrently for approximately 0.6 miles (0.97 km). US 59/US 69 travels concurrently to north ofDotyville.
I-44 /US 60 east-northeast of Afton
US 166 inChetopa. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 160 inOswego. The highways travel concurrently to the Mount Pleasant–Fairview township line.
US 400 inParsons
US 54 inMoran
US 169 inWelda Township. The highways travel concurrently toWashington Township.
I-35 /US 50 inOttawa. The highways travel concurrently toOttawa Township.
US 56 inWillow Springs Township
US 40 inLawrence. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
I-70 in Lawrence
US 24 /US 40 in Lawrence. US 24/US 59 travels concurrently toWilliamstown.
US 73 inShannon Township. The highways travel concurrently toAtchison.
I-229 inSt. Joseph. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 36 in St. Joseph
I-29 /US 71 inJefferson TownshipUS 71 inNodaway TownshipI-29 inJackson Township. The highways travel concurrently toNodaway Township.I-29 in Hickory Township
US 159 in Hickory TownshipI-29 in Union Township
US 136 inTarkio Township. The highways travel concurrently toTarkio.
US 34 inIndian Creek Township
US 6 inBelknap Township. The highways travel concurrently toOakland.
I-80 inAvoca
US 30 inDenison. The highways travel concurrently through the city.
US 20 on the Logan–Griggs township line. The highways travel concurrently toHolstein.
US 18 on theFranklin–Lincoln township line. The highways travel concurrently toSanborn.
I-90 inWorthington
US 14 inCuster Township
US 212 inCamp Release Township. The highways travel concurrently toMontevideo.
US 12 inMoyer Township
I-94 /US 52 on theBuse–Dane Prairie township line. The highways travel concurrently toFergus Falls Township.
US 10 inDetroit Lakes
US 2 inKnute TownshipPTH 59 at theCanadian border on theRichardville–St. Joseph township line
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
← SH 57 | TX | → SH 59 | ||
← AR 58 | AR | → AR 59 | ||
← SH-58 | OK | → SH-59 | ||
← K-58 | KS | → K-60 | ||
← Route 58 | MO | → Route 59 | ||
← Iowa 58 | IA | → Iowa 60 | ||
← MN 58 | MN | → MN 60 | ||
Routes initalics are no longer a part of the system. Highlighted routes are considered main routes of the system. |
