Texas State Highway 349

Infobox TX State Highway
type=State
route=349

---

length_mi=194.427
length_ref=TxDOT|SH|349|accessdate=2008-03-21]
length_round=3
formed=1943
dir1=South
dir2=North
from=jct|state=TX|US|90 at Dryden
junction=jct|state=TX|I|10
jct|state=TX|US|190
jct|state=TX|US|67
jct|state=TX|I|20
to=jct|state=TX|SH|137 near Lamesa
previous_type=State
previous_route=348
next_type=State
next_route=350

State Highway 349 or SH 349 is a 194.43 mile (312.90 km) state highway in the western part of Texas.

History

The original formation of the highway in 1943 included only the section from Rankin to Midland. In 1947 FM 177 and FM 306 were redesignated to form the part of SH 349 from Midland to near Lamesa. The section from Iraan to Rankin was added in 1956 by redesignating part of SH 51. The current configuration was completed in 1990 when the route was extended from Dryden to Iraan by redesignating FM 1217.

Route description

SH 349 runs generally northward from its originating junction with U.S. Highway 90 at the tiny town of Dryden (population 13) near the Rio Grande River, the southern border of the state. The road passes west of the Fort Lancaster State Historical Park to Sheffield and a junction with Interstate 10. SH 349 then runs along the Pecos River to Iraan, where it is co-routed for a few miles with U.S. Highway 190. The road then proceeds nothward to a junction and brief co-routing with U.S. Highway 67 at Rankin. SH 349 continues northward to the relatively heavily populated area of Midland.

SH 349 currently bisects Midland directly through the city center. However, the highway has been redesignated to loop around Midland to the west, by co-routing it with portions of Interstate 20 (and State Highway 158) and Farm to Market Road 1788. A new section of highway, a so-called "reliever route", is planned to complete the loop back to SH 349 at a point about five miles north of Midland. Once completed, this new section of SH 349 will be part of the "La Entrada al Pacifico Corridor" trade route from west Texas to Mexico. The portion of SH 349 that currently runs directly through Midland will be redesignated as Business State Highway 349-C (BS 349-C). Construction on this reliever route is scheduled to begin in July 2008 and take about 2 years to complete , [http://www.mywesttexas.com/site/news.cfm?dept_id=475626&newsid=19198097] ] North of Midland, SH 349 proceeds generally northward to its final junction with State Highway 137, just south of Lamesa. Counties traversed by the highway include Terrell, Pecos, Crockett, Upton, Midland, Martin and Dawson. With the exception of the metropolitan area of Midland, most of the terrain covered by the highway is sparsely populated ranch country.cite map|publisher=Google Maps|title=Overview map of SH 349|accessdate=2008-03-21|url=http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&geocode=5766163553002279279,30.044680,-102.114420%3B14811388498168592833,32.579460,-102.012596%3B14769479309361939004,32.699693,-101.950845&saddr=TX-349+%4030.044680,+-102.114420&daddr=TX-349+%4032.579460,+-102.012596+to:TX-349+N+%4032.699693,+-101.950845&via=1&doflg=ptm&sll=31.372185,-101.997035&sspn=2.654432,5.800781&ie=UTF8&ll=31.184609,-101.535645&spn=5.318533,11.601562&z=7]

Junction List

References

External links

* [ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/trv/maps/totm-mxd.pdf Texas official travel map] at the Texas Department of Transportation (enlargement required for legibility)
* [http://www.house.state.tx.us/news/release.php?id=1547 Construction notice for new portion of SH 349 to complete loop to the western side of Midland]