US59, co-signed with I-69, in Houston looking eastUS59, connects Texarkana to Laredo. It is also known as the Lloyd M. Bentsen Highway in honor of the late Democratic U.S. senator from Texas, who served from 1971 to 1992. This sign is located near Freer, the seat of Duval County east of Laredo.
U.S. Highway 59 (US59) in the U.S. state of Texas is named the Lloyd Bentsen Highway, after Lloyd Bentsen, former U.S. senator from Texas. In northern Houston, US59, co-signed with Interstate 69 (I-69), is the Eastex Freeway (from Downtown Houston to the Liberty–Montgomery county line). To the south, which is also co-signed with I-69, it is the Southwest Freeway (from Rosenberg to Downtown Houston). The stretch of the Southwest Freeway just west of The Loop was formerly one of the busiest freeways in North America, with a peak AADT of 371,000 in 1998.[2]
US59 (overlapped by US71) actually straddles the border between Texas and Arkansas north of I-30 near Texarkana, with the east side of the highway on the Arkansas side and the west side of the highway on the Texas side. In the past, both highways remained on the border past I-30 as State Line Avenue to downtown Texarkana; today, only US71 does so. Nearly 90 percent of this route is designated to become part of I-69 in the future. Currently 75-mile-per-hour (121km/h) speed limits are allowed on US59 in Duval County and portions of northern Polk County.
The total length of the southernmost segment of US59 that passes through Texas and terminates at the Mexico–US border is 615 miles (990km).
History
The US96 designation was originally applied in 1926 from Rosenberg, Texas, near Houston, to Pharr in the Rio Grande valley. This diagonal route, south of U.S. 90, did not violate the convention of even numbers for east–west routes. The highway's east–west nature was boosted in 1934 when US96 was rerouted from Alice to Laredo.[citation needed]
US59 begins at the Mexican border with Loop 20 on the World Trade International Bridge over the Rio Grande in Laredo. The portion of US59 that is co-signed with Loop 20 is also named the Bob Bullock Loop. At under two miles (3.2km), the two highways run together concurrently with I-69W from the Mexican border until I-35 in Laredo, where I-69W temporarily ends. US59 and Loop 20 continue to run together until just south of Lake Casa Blanca, where Loop 20 heads south to Mangana-Hein Road (and potentially into Mexico) and US59 heads towards Freer; traveling in a mostly northeast direction. US59 shares a short congruency with SH44 in and around Freer. From Freer, US59 passes through the southeastern part of McMullen County, but does not intersect any highways. The highway continues northeast, intersecting US 281 in George West, before intersecting I-37 about 55 miles (89km) north of Corpus Christi. Between Laredo and I-37, US59 passes through many rural areas and ranching sites. A significant portion of US59 in Texas has a 75 miles per hour (121km/h) speed limit.
Interstate 37 to Houston
From I-37, US59 heads northeast passing through Beeville. US59 bypasses Victoria to the south, and becomes a divided highway, and has a series of interchanges, until it becomes a freeway south of Houston in Rosenberg and resumes the designation of I-69. Between Houston and Victoria, US59 passes through Edna, Ganado, El Campo, and Wharton. US59 intersects many major Texas highways in Houston, including I-10 (which goes to San Antonio and Beaumont) and I-45 (which goes to Dallas and Galveston).
Houston to Marshall
Leaving Houston, US59 intersects Beltway 8 again on the northside of town, passing by Bush Intercontinental Airport and heads into Humble. Between Houston and Livingston, most of US59 is a limited-access freeway but the I-69 designation temporarily ends at the Montgomery-Liberty county line. US59 passes through or bypasses the towns of Cleveland, Shepherd before crossing the Trinity River, then US59 passes through Livingston. 46 miles north of Livingston, US59 bypasses Lufkin, where it overlaps US69. After leaving Lufkin, US59 crosses the Angelina River. Ten miles (16km) north of Lufkin, US59 bypasses Nacogdoches and heads in an almost entirely east–west direction. Drivers wishing to stay on US59 must turn left in Tenaha, where the highway intersects US96 and ends its overlap with US84. US59 passes through Carthage before intersecting I-20 south of Marshall.
Marshall to Texarkana
US59 intersects US80 in Marshall, where US59 is known as East End Boulevard (due to the fact the highway runs on the east side of town, near the city limits). US59 passes through Jefferson, 15 miles (24km) west of Caddo Lake. US59 passes through the towns of Linden and Atlanta before arriving in Bowie County. US59 intersects SH93 south of Texarkana, the old highway through the city. Shortly after, I-369 designation with US59 when the freeway intersects Spur 151, where US59 becomes a freeway on the westside of the city. Before US59 intersects I-30, and overlaps I-30 until exit 223B, at the state line, I-369 designation ends. After leaving I-30, US59 joins US71, where both highways run on the state line between Texas and Arkansas, where both highways continue north towards DeQueen, Arkansas.
In 1991, Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act designated US 59 in Texas as a High Priority Corridor #18 for future Interstate Highway 69 being the designation as an extension of Interstate 69 out of Michigan and Indiana, with it being High Priority Corridor #20. I-69 east of Tenaha will follow US 84 to Louisiana state line then will be built on new alignment from there.
Most of US59 is in the process of being upgraded between Laredo & Victoria, to become I-69W; Between Victoria & Tenaha, as I-69; and Tenaha & Texarkana, I-369. Segments of I-69 are currently designated: I-69W runs between Mexico and I-35, I-69 runs through the Houston Metro, and a segment of I-369 exists on the west side of Texarkana. Some cities are going to be bypassed, dubbed as "relief routes," such Diboll, the Diboll bypass is under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2025.[4] US59 was redesignated on the unfinished bypass on May 25, 2023 with the former alignment becoming Bus. US59-H.[5] A bypass for Corrigan started construction in late 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2028.[6] More projects for future I-69 corridors are planned but not in the works as the entire I-69 project in Texas does not have dedicated funding to complete the entire project.[7]
Exit list
This section is missing mileposts for junctions. Please help add them.
Current southern end of I-69 concurrency; at-grade intersection; no northbound entrance nor access to Cottonwood Church southbound; current southern end of freeway
Interchange; southern end of freeway; signed as exits 436A southbound and 436B northbound to I-69 Bus./US59 Bus.; no exit number signed for US59 north to FM1988
436D 434B
Frontage Road
Signed as exits 434B southbound and 436D northbound
Northern end of US84 concurrency; future northern end of I-69 concurrency; future southern end of I-369 concurrency; US84 to the east will be upgraded to I-69 in the future; interchange
↑ Mileposts along US59 either reflect I-69W, I-69, US59 or any lower number U.S. Highways that US59 may be concurrent with. U.S. Highway mileposts start at 0.000 from the northern terminus in Texas.
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US 59 / US 71 in Texarkana, AR 
