User:Fortguy/Sandbox2

(Lead outline)
 * Sanderson-Denver
 * TX, NM, CO
 * State trunk system (http://www.pecos.net/news/arch2001/062901p.htm, also http://www.pecos.net/news/arch2001/012301p.htm)
 * Parent route US 85 (non-intersecting in TX)
 * Sibling US 385 (intersecting in Ft Stockton)

The early years before US 285 (1917-1933)
In 1917, the same year that the Texas State Highway Department (now TxDOT) was created, the department's Office of State Highway Engineer issued a proposal for the state highway system. This proposal included a State Highway 17 extending from a State Highway 12 along the Rio Grande and passing through Sanderson, Fort Stockton, and Pecos before terminating at the New Mexico state line in Reeves County near the former town of Mont Clair. The proposal called the portion of the highway between Fort Stockton and Mont Clair the Pecos Valley Highway. SH 12 at its southern terminus closely followed the Rio Grande from El Paso to Brownsville and then along the Gulf Coast through Houston and Beaumont to Louisiana. The proposal envisioned SH 17 intersecting a State Highway 10 at Fort Stockton that extended to Sonora, Brady and eventually to Fort Worth to the east and then to the west through Alpine and Van Horn before heading north to New Mexico. The proposal also included a State Highway 1 intersection at Pecos that largely followed the present path between El Paso and Texarkana along I-10, I-20, and I-30.

A 1919 proposal altered the route somewhat. That year's proposal shifted the southern terminus of SH 17 at SH 12 northward to Sanderson. Beyond Fort Stockton, SH 17 extended northward to Monahans where it joined an unchanged SH 1 back to Pecos after which it followed the route of the original proposal to New Mexico. Of the intersecting routes, SH 12 now terminated in Houston in the east, and in the west veered north from the Rio Grande south of Van Horn continuing through Van Horn north to New Mexico. The proposal had SH 10 ending at SH 12 south of Van Horn and introduced a State Highway 27 from Fort Stockton along present day I-10 to SH 1 near Kent and a State Highway 7A to San Angelo.

The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1921 provided 50% federal funding for seven percent of roads within each state of which three-sevenths had to be interstate in character. The state highway department designated the routes intended as interstate routes as first class, the remaining federally funded routes second class, and roads with only county funding were designated third class. A third proposal in 1922 regarded SH 17 as third class and had the route terminating at Monahans with a new spur between Grandfalls and Barstow. The portion between Pecos and New Mexico was renamed as a third class auxiliary route, SH 17A, which had a second class extension from Pecos to Balmorhea and a first class extension to Fort Davis and Alpine that was part of a collection of routes making up a New Mexico to Louisiana road. Identification of the roads in the federal-aid system was completed in 1923.

In 1924, the state highway department assumed responsibility to maintain all state highways which were previously maintained by the counties. The following year, state lawmakers vested the department with the authority to acquire right of way, survey, plan, and build highways. The department then became empowered to create a state highway system rather than merely offering counties state signage for county roads. By 1926 the third class road from Sanderson through Fort Stockton to Monahans became SH 82 without the Barstow spur. SH 17 was established from New Mexico through Pecos to Balmorhea as a second class road, and the rest of the formerly proposed route to Alpine became SH 3. SH 82 at its southern terminus at Sanderson now intersected SH 3 which east of Alpine was a first class road largely following the route of today's US 90. At Fort Stockton, SH 82 intersected SH 27 which largely followed the present I-10 between Balmorhea and Boerne, and SH 99 to San Angelo largely along what is now US 67. At Monahans, SH 82 terminated at SH 1 which was generally the same from the previous proposal and connected SH 82 to SH 17 at Pecos.

The American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) adopted the network of United States Numbered Highways in 1926 which was published in 1927. In the 1927 route log, US 285 was designated as a route between Denver, CO and Laramie, WY. Although the current US 285 in Texas was not included on the log, the current route intersected the newly created US 90 along SH 3 at the southern terminus in Sanderson, US 290 along SH 27 at Fort Stockton, and US 80 along US 1 in Pecos. Although the state highway department extended those designations concurrently over the state system the same year,  the department did not include U.S. Numbered Routes in its 1928 map. That map left the progenitor routes of US 285 largely unchanged except that SH 82 was extended westward a short distance along SH 1 before branching off to a new northern terminus at Kermit.

Construction along the former portion of SH 17 that is part of the present US 285 began in 1931 between Pecos and the former community of Arlo, and between Arlo and the Culberson County line the following year.; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; The designation of US 67 was extended past Dallas to Presidio in 1932 over a route that would intersect the current US 285 at Fort Stockton. When the state highway department issued its 1933 map, the map showed SH 17 between Arno and Orla as paved with the road between Pecos and Arno under construction. The road between Orla and the New Mexico state along with SH 82 between Sanderson and Fort Stockton were described as graded earth roads recommending local inquiry about travel conditions during wet weather. Most importantly, the 1933 map shows the adoption of a new SH 192, an unimproved road directly linking Fort Stockton and Pecos incorporating into the state highway system the last remaining portion of the current US 285. Other noteworthy changes to the routes along the current US 285 included the extension of SH 82 directly from Monahans to Kermit and then to the New Mexico state line south of Jal, NM with the former path of SH 82 from US 80 at Pyote to Kermit becoming SH 115, the extension of SH 17 from Balmorhea south to Fort Davis, Marfa, and Presidio, and a conditionally designated portion of the combined US 67 and SH 99 between Fort Stockton and a point on US 90 east of Alpine not yet under state maintenance.

Commissioning and construction (1934-1965)
US 285 was nationally re-designated in 1934 from Sanderson to Denver, CO. In Texas, the route was commissioned in 1935. That same year, construction began on the short section of the road within Culberson County. The 1936 state highway map indicated the road was paved between Pecos and the New Mexico state line. The rest of the road from Sanderson to Pecos was an earth road, although the road in Terrell County and parts of southern Pecos County were described as improved earth roads. The portion between Sanderson and Fort Stockton retained its SH 82 designation along with its new U.S. route designation. SH 17 was shortened terminating in Pecos, and SH 192 was decommissioned. Instead, SH 27 was rerouted over SH 285 from Fort Stockton to the state line. SH 196 was designated over US 290 west of Fort Stockton. A short state spur branched off US 285 at Arno. US 67 was extended to Alpine, but SH 99 that followed the same route as US 67 had been renumbered SH 10.

In 1938, the state spur route at Arno was extended to Mentone as SH 276.

During the 1939 general redescription of the state highway system, a number of changes were made to the route and the roads it intersects including eliminating many redundant and unnecessary state highway designations over U.S. routes. SH 82 was shortened with its southern terminus at Fort Stockton eliminating the portion between Sanderson and Fort Stockton. The SH 27 designation over US 285 between the New Mexico state line to Fort Stockton and over US 290 to the east was eliminated, as was the SH 196 designation over US 290 to the west. Also removed were the SH 1 designation along US 80, SH 3 along US 90, and SH 10 along US 67.

In a series of 1936 edition county highway maps with partial revisions to February 1, 1940 published by the state highway department, US 285 was portrayed as a paved road within the city of Fort Stockton and between Orla and the New Mexico state line. From Pecos to Orla, the road was shown as having a bituminous surface. The road was described as an unimproved road crossing some streams with bridges and others with concrete fords or dips and had several cattle guards between Fort Stockton and Pecos. The road between Sanderson and Fort Stockton was portrayed as a largely unimproved road with no bridges or cattle guards indicated. This stretch of road had two brief sections in Pecos County and one in Terrell County that were described as graded and drained road. The portion in Terrell County had some concrete fords or dips at stream crossings.

In 1941, construction began on a section of roadway immediately northeast of Fort Stockton. Construction commenced on the Pecos County portion of the route between Fort Stockton and Pecos in 1943. In 1946, Spur 194 was designated from US 285 in Fort Stockton to the city's stockyards. Construction of the Reeves County portion of the road between Fort Stockton and Pecos began in 1947. In 1948 Farm to Market Road 1053 was designated the first Farm to Market Road to branch off US 285 at Fort Stockton linking the route to US 80 near Penwell by way of Imperial, and FM 1216 at Pecos was designated the following year. 1949 also brought construction on the Pecos County portion of the route between Sanderson and Fort Stockton.

Construction in Terrell County finally began in 1950 which also saw further construction along the Pecos County portion of the route between Sanderson and Fort Stockton. In 1951, FM 652 would be designated from US 285 at Orla to the northeast where it would eventually reach the New Mexico state line. SH 276 at Arno was renamed SH 302 in 1953 over a route that extended beyond Mentone through Kermit to Odessa. FM 1450 was extended from the southeast to US 285 in 1954. Road construction resumed in Pecos County northwest of Fort Stockton toward Pecos in 1955 and again southeast of town toward Sanderson in 1956. Also in 1956, Ranch to Market Road 2400 was designated from US 285 in southeastern Pecos County to the northeast and would eventually be extended to SH 349 in Terrell County. In 1957, SH 51 was extended over US 67 from Rankin to Fort Stockton, and then branching off of US 67 and US 285 at Spur 194 to Marathon and Big Bend National Park. Elsewhere that year, a portion of US 285 in Reeves County between Pecos and Arlo was reconstructed. SH 82, which terminated at US 285 in Fort Stockton, was renamed SH 82, and FM 652 at Orla was renamed RM 652 and extended westward toward Pine Springs near Guadalupe Mountains National Park. US 385 was rerouted westward replacing SH 51 and the concurrent portion of Spur 194 in 1959. That year also saw reconstruction of US 285 in Reeves County from Arlo to the Culberson County line.

US 285 underwent further improvements between Orla and the New Mexico state line in Reeves and Culberson counties in 1960.; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; A series of 1955 edition highway department county road maps with revisions of state highways to January 1, 1961 showed US 285 to be paved within the city of Fort Stockton and from the city of Pecos to the New Mexico state line. All other portions of US 285 were depicted as having a bituminous surface. Also in 1961, the portion of US 285 between Arlo and Orla in Reeves County underwent more road improvements as did a portion in southeastern Pecos County. In 1962, FM 2007 was designated branching off US 285 to the southwest in southeastern Reeves County while more road work was performed in northwestern Pecos County. Road construction continued southeast of Fort Stockton in 1963.; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; FM 1776 was extended south from Coyanosa across US 285 to the junction of US 67 and US 290 west of Fort Stockton in 1964, a year which also included road construction along the Terrell County portion of the highway. Construction efforts in 1965 were focused in southeastern Pecos County and southeast of the city of Pecos in Reeves County.

The Interstate era (1966-present)
The construction of I-20 reached the city of Pecos in 1966 bypassing the city to the south, and an overpass carrying US 285 spanning the new interstate was built.


 * Terrell Co. construction: 1974
 * Pecos Co. construction: 1968, 1969, 1972, 1975, 1983, 2002
 * Reeves Co. construction: 1977, 1982, 1986, 1999, 2000, 2002
 * 1983 - I-10
 * 1990 - Sanderson-Fort Stockton added to trunk system
 * 1991 - I-10 Bus., I-20 Bus.
 * 2001 - Pecos-New Mexico added to trunk system