U.S. Route 287
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| U.S. Route 287 | |||||||||||||
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| Length: | 1791[1] mi (2882¼ km) | ||||||||||||
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| Formed: | 1935 | ||||||||||||
| South end: |    US 69 / US 96 / SH 87 in Port Arthur, TX |
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| Major junctions: |
 I-45 at Corsicana, TX
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| North end: |  US 89 in Choteau, MT |
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U.S. Route 287 is a north-south United States highway. It serves as the major truck route between the Texas cities of Fort Worth and Amarillo. The highway is broken into two segments by Yellowstone National Park, where an unnumbered park road serves as a connector.
The highway's northern terminus is in Choteau, Montana, 100 miles (161 km) south of the Canadian border, at an intersection with U.S. Route 89. Its southern terminus (as well as those of US 69 and US 96) is in Port Arthur, Texas at an intersection with State Highway 87, five miles (8 km) up the Sabine River from the Gulf of Mexico.
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[edit] Route description
[edit] Texas
[edit] Oklahoma
US-287 enters Oklahoma from Texas near Kerrick. It heads in a North-West path toward Boise City.On the outskirts of town US-287 merges with US-412,US-56,US-64 and SH-3, making a turn toward the west, while merging with the other highways. At this point the road is called US-287,US-412,US-56,US-64,SH-3. In downtown Boise City, US-412,US-56, and US-64 head south on US-385. US-287 and SH-3 turn to the north and merge with US-385 North. SH-325 continues west from where the five highways split. At the Colorado State Line, US-287 and US-385 continue into the state and SH-3 ends.
[edit] Colorado
US-287-US-385 enter into a very rural part of Colorado from Oklahoma. They continue in a mainly North-Sometimes North West track through the state. The two Highways pass through the tiny town of Campo, and on the outskirts of Springfield make an interchange with US-160. In Lamar-Carlton, the highways make an interchange with US-50. Here US-385 heads east on US-50, and US-287-US-50 continue to the North. Just outside the town the highways make a sharp turn toward the west, while the road heading north is SH-196. South of Wiley, US-50 heads west, while US-287 turns toward the north heading toward Wiley. East of Eads US-287 turns toward the west again, briefly merging with SH-96. In Eads SH-96 continues toward the West, while US-287 turns toward the North. Near Kit Carson, US-287 again turns toward the west and merges with US-40. Near Limon, the two highways make 2 interchanges with I-70 before passing through Limon. Then the two highways merge with I-70. Near the outskirts of Denver US-36 merges with the group of highways making the road, I-70,US-287,US-36,US-40. Just past SH-470, I-70 and US-36 split from US-287 and US-40. US-287 and US-40 continue west into Downtown Denver. Just past the I-25,US-6,US-87,US-85 interchange at an interchange with SH-88, SH-88 runs South, US-40 heads west and US-287 turns toward the North. In the suburbs of Denver US-287 turns west once again and merges with SH-128. Just before US-36, US-287 turns toward the North leaving SH-128 which at US-36 turns south where it briefly merges with SH-121. In Lafayette, US-287 briefly merges with SH-7. The two roads continue heading North, and in a short distance the two roads split with SH-7 heading west and US-287 heading North. Near Berthoud a branch of old US-287 heads into the town. This old section of US-287 does not get back to the Highway. In Fort Collins, US-287 merges with SH-14. On the edge of the mountains US-287 heads north, while SH-14 splits and heads toward the west. US-287 then passes into Wyoming a while later.
[edit] Wyoming
US-287 enters Wyoming through a pass between the Laramie Mountains to the east and the Medicine Bow Mountains to the west. In Laramie, US-287 merges with US-30. The two highways continue to head North. The two highways, after going through some small towns in Southern Wyoming, turn toward the South-West. Near Walcott the two highways merge with I-80. Near Rawlins, US-287 branches off from I-80 and US-30 and heads into the town. US-287 merges with State Highways 76, 80, and 30 for a short distance just outside Rawlins. SH-36 ends when US-287 branches to the North West as a stand-alone highway. Drivers can also choose to take the Business US-287 (SH-80, SH-30) into Rawlins. In Downtown Rawlins, SH-80 and 30 head toward the west while Business US-287 heads to the north merging with SH-789 where SH-30 and 80 split off the highway. A short while later Business US-287 and SH-789 merge with regular US-287 which made a quick detour around the city. US-287 and SH-789 stay merged all the way to Lander, where SH-789 heads toward the North-East and US-287 heads toward the North-West. In the very mountainous terrain of West-Central Wyoming, US-287 merges with US-26. The two highways then head west. The highways enter Yellowstone National Park and in the town of Moran make a big interchange. In Moran, US-287 and US-26 meet US-191, US-89. US-26 heads south merging with US-191 and US-89. US-287 heads North merging with US-191, US-89. At this point the road is US-287, US-191 and US-89. The three highways continue to run through Yellowstone National Park. Near West Thumb, US-287, US-191, US-89, meet with US-16, US-14 and US-20. While US 14 and 16 end here, US-20 merges with the highways making the road US-287, US-191, US-89 and US-20. The four highways actually pass the main Visitor's Center of Yellowstone National Park. At a point in the middle of the park, US-89 heads East, while US-287, US-191,US-20 keeps heading West. While still in Yellowstone National Park, they pass the Montana state line.
[edit] Montana
US-287,US-191,US-20 cross the Montana State Line in Yellowstone National Park. Just outside the park boundary in West Yellowstone,US-20 heads towards the West while US-287,US-191 takes a turn toward the North. North of the town, US-287 and US-191 split. US-287 heads toward the North-West and US-191 heads North-East, back into Yellowstone and eventually crosses into Wyoming again. North of Sappington, US-287 merges with SH-2, and runs North-East.At I-90, SH-2 ends and US-287 continues to head North. In Townsend, US-287 merges with US-12. The two highways continue North. At I-15 (Near Helena), US-287 continues North on I-15 and US-12 heads West through Downtown Helena. North-East of Wolf Creek US-287 and I-15 split with US-287 heading North-West and I-15 heading North-East. US-287 ends at US-89 in Choteau,Montana.
[edit] History
When US 287 was first commissioned in 1939, it extended only from the south entrance of Yellowstone National Park to Denver, Colorado. The route was extended southward to the Gulf Coast at Port Arthur, Texas in 1940, and northward into Montana to US 89 at Choteau, Montana in 1965. North of Choteau, U.S. 89 continues north into Alberta as Provincial Highway 2 through that province's major cities of Calgary and Edmonton, connecting with a Canadian link to the Alaska Highway in the latter city.
Included in the route of US 287 is former U.S. Route 370, which was commissioned in 1926 and connected Amarillo to Bowie, overlapping US 70 between Vernon and Wichita Falls.
The Canada to Gulf Highway Association, which later became the U.S. Highway 287 Association, was active from the 1910s until the 1970s to promote the highway as a popular tourist route with scores of members from businesses and organizations in cities all along the route.
The Wyoming state transportation department started widening U.S. Route 287 in 2009.[2]
[edit] US-287 as a Freeway
In some spots US-287 is built up to freeway standards (A freeway has exits and frontage roads with no at-grade intersections).
List of Sections:(From South to North:)
1.From just NW of SH-73 in Port Arthur to an area outside of Lumberton.
2.Concurrency with I-45 near Corsicana to when it splits from I-45 near Ennis.
3.Around the Waxahachie area.
4. Through Arlington, and Mansfield Tx until it intersects with TX Highway 360.
5.Through the City of Fort Worth itself and the Northern and Southern suburbs of the City (Including the portion when it is concurrent with I-35W).
6.Around the Bowie area.
7.Around the Henrietta area.
8.From SE of Wichita Falls all the way to west of Electra (Including the portion concurrent with I-44).
9.Around the Vernon area.
10.The part when it is concurrent with I-40 in Amarillo.
11.The northern suburbs of Amarillo (Last area where highway is a freeway while not being concurrent with an Interstate).
12.From Limon to Denver when it is concurrent with I-70.
13.From near Walcott to Rawlins when it is concurrent with I-80.
14.From when it merges with I-15 near Helena to near Wolf Creek, where it splits from the highway (Last freeway section).
[edit] See also
[edit] Related routes
[edit] References
- ^ Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 18 May 2006.
- ^ "Wyoming begins widening 287, site of many fatals," AP, April 16, 2009, found at Examiner website, Chapel 9 News website, and GJ Sentinal website. Accessed April 18, 2009.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: U.S. Route 287 |
| Browse numbered routes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
<  SH 286 |
TX | SH 288  > |
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<  US-283 |
OK | SH-325  > |
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<  US 285 |
CO | SH 291  > |
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<  MT 287 |
MT | US 310  > |
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