U.S. Route 83 in Texas

U.S. Highway 83 (US 83), dedicated as the Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway, is a U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of Texas that begins at US 77 (Interstate 69E, I-69E) in Brownsville and follows the Rio Grande to Laredo, then heads north through Abilene to the Oklahoma state line north of Perryton, the seat of Ochiltree County.

In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, US 83 is a freeway that is at or close to interstate standards from Brownsville to Peñitas. In May 2013, the Texas Department of Transportation applied to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to designate this 48 mi section as I-2. After the Special Committee on Route Numbering initially disapproved the application, the AASHTO Board of Directors approved the I-2 designation, conditional on the concurrence of the Federal Highway Administration. On May 29, 2013, the segment of US 83 was approved as an I-69 connector using the I-2 designation extending approximately 46 mi from Harlingen to west of Mission.

At a length of 906.5 mi (1,458.9 km), it is the longest numbered highway in Texas, besting the east west I-10, which runs 880 miles. It is also the longest stretch of a single US Highway within a single US state.

Route description
US 83's southern terminus is at a concurrency with I-69E/US 77 on the south side of Brownsville at the Brownsville – Veterans Port of Entry at the US/Mexico border. It remains co-signed with I-69E/US 77 until Harlingen, where I-69E/US 77 makes a sharp turn northward and US 83 maintains a westerly route to McAllen, concurrent with I-2 until Peñitas. From there, the highway roughly parallels the Rio Grande until Laredo where it makes a northwesterly turn toward Carrizo Springs, the seat of Dimmit County. The speed limit on US 83 is briefly 75 mph through Dimmit County.

Merging with I-35 just south of downtown, US 83 remains co-signed with the interstate until an exit at Botines. From there, it continues northward, intersecting with I-10 just south of Junction. US 83 is co-signed with I-10 for approximately 8 mi, turning northward and leaving I-10 at the Kimble County Airport.

After continuing northward through several rural western Texas towns, US 83 then merges with US 84 east of Tuscola, where it makes a sharp turn back to the north. US 83/84 remains a co-signed route until Abilene, where US 84 turns to the northwest and US 83 remains northbound, merging with US 277 on the west side of the city. US 83/277 remains a co-signed route until approximately 2 mi north of Anson, where US 277 turns northeast, and US 83, northwest.

After merging with US 380 in Aspermont and briefly sharing a route, US 83 continues northward, merging with US 62 in Paducah. US 83/62 continues as a co-signed route until approximately 15 mi south of Wellington, where US 62 makes a sharp turn eastward, leaving US 83 to continue northward, where it crosses into Oklahoma approximately 6 mi north of Perryton.

Future
TxDOT is planning to upgrade multiple portions of the US 83 corridor to interstate highway standards. Long-term plans call for I-2 to be extended along the US 83 corridor to Laredo, where it will terminate at I-69W. On March 15, 2022, a bill was signed by President Joe Biden that added the extension of I-27 north to Raton, New Mexico, and south to Laredo to the Interstate Highway System. The extension would utilize the US 83 corridor between Carrizo Springs and Laredo. Part of the I-14 project also includes upgrading US 83 to interstate highway standards between I-10 in Junction and US 87 (Future I-14N) in Eden. The routing will also include an interchange with US 190 (Future I-14S) in Menard.