Loop 49 in Texas
| SH 49 | |||
| Get started | Tyler | ||
| End | Tyler | ||
| Length | 93 km | ||
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According to directoryaah.com, Loop 49 is a state route, loop, and toll road in the US state of Texas. The road, along with Interstate 20, forms a toll ring around the northeast town of Tyler. The road is to be 93 kilometers in total, currently 57 kilometers of it are open on the south and west side of Tyler. The entire road is still single carriageway.
Travel directions
The road should begin northwest of Tyler at US 59 at Lindale. The road must then run south and intersect Interstate 20, the highway from Dallas to Shreveport in Louisiana. SH 49 then curves south of Tyler in a wide arc before ending in two branches, one to US 271 and one to I-20, creating a ring road around Tyler along with I-20.
History
Plans for a ring road around Tyler already existed in the 1970s. Tyler does have a single-level ring road close to the city, but no large ring highway. Tyler is a fast-growing city of 109,000 people halfway between Dallas and the Louisiana border. The intention was to build the ring road as a toll-free route, but the Texas Department of Transportation has indicated that this was not possible before 2033. That is why the road has been chosen as an electronic toll roadto put on. Construction began in August 2003 south of Tyler. The road was initially constructed as a two-lane road, and will later be widened to 2×2 lanes. The opening was on August 17, 2006. On January 7, 2008, a second segment opened a little further east. On June 28, 2012, a third extension opened east to SH 110 and on November 9, 2012, a six-mile section opened on the west side of Tyler.
On July 1, 2016, construction began on a 6.7-mile section from I-20 to US 69 along Lindale, which opened on November 7, 2018, ahead of schedule.
Opening history
| From | Unpleasant | Length | Opening |
| SH 155 | US 69 (south) | 8 km | 17-08-2006 |
| US 69 (south) | FM 756 | 3 km | 07-01-2008 |
| FM 756 | SH 110 | 4 km | 28-06-2012 |
| SH 31 | SH 155 | 10 km | 09-11-2012 |
| I-20 | SH 31 | 17 km | 29-03-2013 |
| US 69 (north) | I-20 | 11 km | 07-11-2018 |
Future
The remainder of Loop 49 will be constructed in phases, originally scheduled for full completion in 2017. However, the major part was completed in 2013. The next phase is the section between SH 110 and I-20 east of Tyler.
The Loop 49 is part of a project called the East Texas Hourglass, a network of toll roads in several larger towns in eastern Texas, especially Tyler, Longview and Marshall. This I-20 corridor is relatively densely populated.
Schedule
| Segment | Length | From | Until | Status | Opening |
| 1 | 8.0 km | SH 155 | US 69 | opened up | 17-08-2006 |
| 2 | 3.2 km | US 69 | FM 756 | opened up | 07-01-2008 |
| 3A | 9.5 km | SH 155 | SH 31 | opened up | 09-11-2012 |
| 3B | 16.7 km | SH 31 | I-20 | opened up | 29-03-2013 |
| 4 | 10.8 km | I-20 | US 69 | opened up | 07-11-2018 |
| 5 | 4.2 km | FM 756 | SH 110 | opened up | 28-06-2012 |
| 6 | 30.9 km | SH 110 | I-20 | reconnaissance | ? |
| 6A | 10.5 km | FM 850 | US 271 | reconnaissance | ? |
Road safety
Loop 49 ‘s super two character is considered unsafe. In 2015 and 2016, 11 people were killed in accidents on Loop 49, of which 8 were on the section between SH 31 and I-20. The speed limit is relatively high (70 mph). There are wishes to widen Loop 49 to 2×2 lanes and turn it into a decent freeway.
Toll
The Loop 49 is a fully electronic toll road operated by the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority. The toll road accepts TxTag, TollTag and the EZ TAG. There is also ZipCash for vehicles without a transponder (tag). In 2014, there were approximately 29,000 transactions per day.
Traffic intensities
In 2016, 7,500 vehicles drove south of the junction with I-20 daily.
State Route 246 in California
| SR-246 | |||
| Begin | Lompoc | ||
| End | Santa Ynez | ||
| Length | 26 mi | ||
| Length | 42 km | ||
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According to ehotelat.com, State Route 246 is a state route in the U.S. state of California. The road forms an east-west route in the coastal region northwest of Los Angeles, from Lompoc to Santa Ynez. State Route 246 is 42 kilometers long.
Travel directions
State Route 246 begins in Lompoc, also the largest town on the route and known for its prison. In Lompoc the road has four lanes with a center turn lane. It also crosses State Route 1. From Lompoc the road heads east through a valley and crosses US 101 at Buellton. Via Solvang and Santa Ynez, the road then heads east to a roundabout with State Route 154.
History
The road has been a state route under California control since 1933, but has only been designated as State Route 246 since 1964. State Route 246 originally began on the Pacific Ocean south of Vandenberg Air Force Base, but the portion west of Lompoc was handed over to the county in 1984. The connection to State Route 154 east of Santa Ynez was originally an intersection but was converted to a roundabout in 2014.
Traffic intensities
8,000 vehicles pass through Lompoc daily, peaking at 25,000 vehicles at the junction with US 101 in Buellton. 18,000 vehicles a day pass through Solvang and Santa Ynez.