Collection: TexasFreeway
Hill Country
Follow the Guadalupe, cross the Llano, or find an older alignment beside a familiar highway.
Explore the Hill Country →Across Texas · Roads, places & history
Texas roads.
Beyond the
city limits.
A limestone cut outside Kerrville. An old crossing of the Pecos. A coastal highway claimed by the Gulf. Explore the roads that connect Texas beyond its big-city freeways.
Collection: TexasFreeway
↳ The Hill Country makes room for I-10.
Start with a place
Which part of Texas?
Choose a region to find its county pages and road collections. River crossings, small-town highways and long stretches of open road all have a place here.
Collection: TexasFreeway
Gulf Coast
Swing bridges, coastal roads and the places where moving water has changed the route.
Explore the Gulf Coast →
TexasFreeway archive photograph · photographer unlisted
Big Bend & West Texas
Start with the Pecos River crossings and explore the roads and county archives farther west.
Explore the western roads →Pick what interests you
Texas road history,
one discovery at a time.
Source: TxDOT archive library
Waco · June 1970
A familiar road, before it was familiar.
Historic photographs →
See the construction, street scenes and opening days behind roads you may know today.
Historic road maps →
Follow an old route, compare the connections, and zoom in on the places between cities.
Abandoned & realigned roads →
Find the pavement left behind when a highway moved—or when nature had other plans.
Historic road signs →
Destination boards and route markers offer a different way to read the road’s history.
Freeway planning maps →
Explore the city archives for routes proposed, revised and sometimes never built.
A few places to begin
Worth a closer look.
A bridge that turns. A highway that stops. A rail network that stayed on paper. These collections reward a little curiosity.
Collection: TexasFreeway
Southeast Texas · Swing bridges
When the road
has to move.
A fixed bridge stays out of a boat’s way by going over it. A swing bridge turns aside. Explore the structures that made room for both road and water traffic.
Explore the swing bridges →Looking for the Wichita Falls collage? See Bobby Henderson’s July 2001 photographs with the I-44 construction collection.
Read the historical directory notes and state profile
Historical directory notes
These descriptions retain the original archive’s wording, dates and outlook. Links lead to the corresponding collections above and elsewhere in the archive.
Statewide directory descriptions
Collection descriptions retain the original archive’s dates and outlook.
- SE Texas SwingbridgesSee four unique swingbridges around southeast Texas..
- Texas TGVIn 1993, a major study identified a route for high speed rail service in Texas.
- Historic InformationA facinating collection of photos and maps looking into the history of Texas' highway system. Including abandoned and realigned roads, old highway maps and old highway signs.
- Rural Interstates, Highways, and RoadsPhotos from other locations around the state.
Original directory image: Rural Interstates, Highways, and Roads
- Texas 87 Between High Island and Sabine PassTexas 87 - (added-12-September-2001) See dramatic views of the remains of this highway
Texas 87 suffered severe erosion during Hurricane Allen in 1980, and was closed around 1990. There are no imminent plans to rebuild the highway as of September 2001.Original directory image: Texas 87 Between High Island and Sabine Pass
- Wichita Falls Overhead ExpresswayPhoto Collage of Elevated Freeway (950k) - contributed by Bobby Henderson
This elevated structure completed the missing link of IH-44 through Wichita Falls, TX, in the summer of 2001.
Thanks to Bobby Henderson for contributing these great views. - Quintana Swing BridgeQuintana Swing Bridge - see the fascinating bridge, which should be gone by the end of 2002.
Views around the Brazosport Area - includes the 332 Intracoastal bridge. - Brazosport Area (50 miles south of downtown Houston)
Original directory image: Brazosport Area (50 miles south of downtown Houston)
Road history directory descriptions
Original directory created April 13, 2004. Its descriptions are preserved below.
- Abandoned & Realigned RoadsAs urban growth swallows the old, winding country roads around the cities, many road re-alignments have occurred. Many of the old roadways are still visible. But take a look at these abandoned roads while you can, because eventually they'll be lost to development.
- Photo GalleryAn interesting collection of old photos from around the state.
- Road MapsOld road maps of Texas.
- Old Road SignsPhotos of old road signs around the state.
. - Freeway Planning MapsThe story of Texas' highway system had an interesting start. Take a look at the early planning maps and think about how the highways are today.
Explore the planning-map collections through the city archives.
Texas in the original archive
These figures are preserved historical reference, including the population recorded for 2000.
| Population (2000) | 20,852,000 |
|---|---|
| Rank | 2 |
| Average annual precipitation | |
| Orange, TX | 56.0 inches (142 cm) |
| El Paso, TX | 8.8 inches (22.3 cm) |
| Maximum Elevation | Guadalupe Peak 8749 ft (2667m) |
