End of US highway 79 |
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1935-1944
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1944-1987
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1987-present
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US 79 was not among the original 1926 routes; it was commissioned in 1935. Originally its north end was near West Memphis. At the time, US 79 was routed north on what is now AR 147, ending at US 70:
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Taylor, Oct. 2004
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The overpass is I-40; in this area US 70 doubles as the southside frontage road for the interstate. Around 1940 US 79 was extended east, on an overlap with US 70 to the Tennessee border (photos and more info on the West Memphis page).
Tennessee did not pick up the route until 1944, which is when it was extended through that state and into Kentucky, and since then the north end of US 79 has been in Russellville. This photo was taken looking east on 9th Street, or Business US 68: |
Sanderson, July 2007
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Formerly that was mainline US 68, but when the Russellville bypass was completed in 1998, it was re-signed as a business loop. To the right was the north beginning of US 79. The sign assembly in the background was for traffic at the north end of US 79; it is shown close-up in this photo:
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Sanderson, July 2007
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To the right is actually Business 68, but it meets mainline 68 about a half-mile in that direction. This photo shows what used to be the begin US 79 sign for westbound Business 68:
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Sanderson, July 2007
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To the left on 9th was the north beginning of US 79. If a driver were to turn that way, this shot shows what was once the first US 79 sign heading south...
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Sanderson, July 2007
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...but in 2007, the US 79 designation was truncated by about two miles. About one mile ahead, 9th picks up US 431 traffic. Then, in about another mile, US 431 departs 9th to the north on the bypass, and straight ahead on 9th is where US 79 begins now:
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Elkins, June 2006
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That photo was taken before the truncation took place. There was not really any reason to change that particular assembly, but apparently the entire intersection has since been re-signed: the current assembly is similar, but there is no longer any reference to US 68. Next we are looking the opposite direction (northeast on 9th):
Welborn, Jan. 2011
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Buchanan/Nitzman, June 2017
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US 79 now ends at an "elbow" in US 431. It is unfortunate that new US 79 shield has such an ugly shape. It is also unfortunate that US 79 now ends at a 3dus route. Not only does it no longer connect to US 68, but there is not even any mention of US 68 at the terminus. Compare that to the assembly that was formerly posted at that junction:
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Sanderson, July 2007
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At the time of that photo, signage still reflected US 79's historic extent, which continued ahead for another two miles. It is interesting that the bypass was signed as "Truck 79", because that route never rejoined mainline 79, and actually continued about three miles further than mainline US 79. For a brief time in between those two photos, the road ahead was signed as "Formerly US 79". Here we are looking south on the bypass:
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Sanderson, July 2007
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Buchanan/Nitzman, June 2017
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That was southbound US 431, which continues to the left. Historically US 79 went to the left as well, but now it begins to the right. If one turns that direction, they soon encounter the first confirming assembly:
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Sanderson, July 2007 (unchanged as of 2010)
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Buchanan/Nitzman, June 2017
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At its original south end, US 79 overlapped with US 81 about 10 miles further south from its current terminus in Round Rock, ending in Austin:
c. 1936, TXDoT
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Until about 1955, US 79-81 was routed along what is now Loop 275 through Austin: south on Lamar Boulevard and Guadalupe Street, then east on 1st Street (which today is also known as Cesar Chavez Street):
c. 1937, TXDoT
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At Congress Avenue was a junction with US 290, where US 81 turned to cross the Colorado River and continue south, but the US 79 designation ended at that intersection:
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Karners, Dec. 2014
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That was looking east on Chavez -- US 79 ended here, but US 81 continued to the right on Congress. That direction was also westbound US 290, while eastbound was straight ahead. This interactive image is looking north on Congress:
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About 10 blocks in the distance, the gap in Congress is marked by the location of the Texas State Capitol. Historically that was eastbound US 290 (which continued to the right on Chavez) and northbound US 81 (which continued to the left). To the left was also the south beginning of US 79.
In about 1955, US 79-81-290 were re-routed along East Avenue -- part of the "Interregional Highway" which would soon become I-35: |
c. 1962, TXDoT
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At 7th Street was an exit for Business 183-290 through downtown. The US 79 designation was truncated to that interchange:
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Taylor, Sep. 2000
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That was looking west on 7th at I-35 (which was built over the alignment of East Av). To the right was the south beginning of US 79, until sometime between 1979 and 1991 (depending which source you believe). Here is another view, this time looking south on the I-35 frontage road:
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Karners, Dec. 2014
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That was US 81-79-290 down to this point at 7th, but US 79 ended there. In roughly 1985, US 79 was truncated to its interchange with I-35 in Round Rock. Let's start with the view from northbound I-35:
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Taylor, Sep. 2000
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Those signs have since been replaced with Clearview versions (shown in another photo below). The US 79 offramp takes drivers to the frontage road shown here:
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Taylor, Sep. 2000
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The white car was turning onto eastbound Palm Valley Boulevard, and the south beginning of US 79. Drivers heading that direction soon see the first sign on northbound 79:
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Karners, Dec. 2014
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That was posted almost immediately (between I-35 and Mays Street). But the first sign that includes a north tab was not posted for over two miles. That may be where the first sign was located in 2000:
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Taylor, Sep. 2000
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Heading the opposite direction, the last southbound US 79 sign is shown here:
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Taylor, Sep. 2000
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Continuing south from there (which is actually west), one passes Mays, which historically handled US 81 traffic through town, but is now Business Loop I-35 (more on that below). About a quarter-mile further is the interchange with I-35. That is shown in the photo below, and it marks the southern end of US 79:
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Taylor, Sep. 2000
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The shot below is from southbound I-35:
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Cozart/Nitzman, Oct. 2007
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The replacement Clearview panels are shown there. As a driver exits to the frontage road, these are the signs at the beginning of US 79:
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Taylor, Sep. 2000
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The partially-obscured green sign indicates that the town of Taylor is 17 miles to the left. It is interesting that the tab said "East" on US 79. Palm Valley certainly does run east-west, but US 79 is a north-south route, and that was corrected on a more recent assembly:
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Karners, Dec. 2014
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Research and/or photo credits: Carter Buchanan; Justin Cozart; H.B. Elkins; Karin and Martin Karner; Alex Nitzman; Dale Sanderson; Steven Taylor; Johnnie Welborn, Jr.
Page originally created 2000;
last updated June 13, 2017.
last updated June 13, 2017.
