Texas State Highway Spur 1966

State Highway Spur 1966 (Spur 1966) is a spur route in the U.S. state of Texas, built and will be maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). The route, located in El Paso County on the west side of the city of El Paso, links U.S. Highway 85 (US 85) across Interstate 10 (I-10) to the campus of the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP). The spur's numerical designation commemorates the championship won by UTEP, then known as Texas Western College, in the 1966 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament.

State Highway Spur 1966

Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length0.3 mi[1] (480 m)
Existed2012[1]–present
Major junctions
West end US 85 in El Paso
Major intersections Loop 375 in El Paso
East endSchuster Avenue in El Paso
Location
CountryUnited States
StateTexas
CountiesEl Paso
Highway system
← FM 1965→ FM 1966

Route description

The 0.3-mile (482.8 m) spur begins at US 85 (Paisano Drive) and proceeds to the northeast over a bridge crossing I-10 before ending at Schuster Avenue. The route replaced the nearby Yandell Drive overpass across I-10, which was demolished.[2][3]

The route is intended to provide better access between UTEP and nearby medical facilities, provide an additional route along US 85 between the campus and downtown El Paso, and allow improved access to businesses along State Highway 20 (SH 20, Mesa Street). The route is also designed to alleviate heavy traffic encroachment into nearby residential neighborhoods, and foster a more pedestrian-friendly environment for the UTEP campus.[2][3] TxDOT planning for the spur includes accommodation, not only of vehicular traffic, but also bicycle and pedestrian traffic.[4]

History

Spur 1966 was originally designated on February 23, 2012 as Spur 73. To avoid conflict, this was changed to Spur 1966 on March 29, 2012.[1] The project was expected to have cost between $50–60 million, and was opened to traffic in early 2015.[3]

The spur's unusual designation—it is the only four-digit state highway spur in Texas—was chosen to honor the historic 1966 NCAA championship of the 1965–66 Texas Western Miners men's basketball team as UTEP and the UTEP Miners were previously known.[2] The Miners made history by playing the NCAA basketball championships' first-ever entirely African-American starting lineup[5] inspiring the film Glory Road.

Major intersections

The entire route is in El Paso, El Paso County.

mi[6]kmDestinationsNotes
0.000.00 US 85 (Paisano Drive)Western terminus
0.100.16 Loop 375 (Border West Expressway)interchange; Loop 375 exit 62
0.150.24Bridge over I-10/US 180; no access to freeway
0.300.48Schuster AvenueRoundabout; eastern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References
  1. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Spur No. 1966". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  2. Flores, Aileen B. (May 1, 2012). "Schuster spur proposed: TxDOT Project would link UTEP area to Paisano". El Paso Times. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  3. Hinojosa, Alex (May 2, 2012). "Few attend unveiling of Spur 1966 plans". El Paso Times. Retrieved May 15, 2012.
  4. "Public handout from May 1, 2012 public meeting" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. p. 3. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  5. Fitzpatrick, Frank (November 19, 2003). "Texas Western's 1966 title left lasting legacy". ESPN Classic. Retrieved May 16, 2012.
  6. "Overview of Spur 1966". Google Maps. Google, Inc. Retrieved June 13, 2019.
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