U.S. Highway 87 (US 87) is a north–south United States highway (though it is signed east–west in New Mexico) that runs for 1,998 miles (3,215 km) from northern Montana to southern Texas. Most of the portion from Billings, Montana, to Raton, New Mexico, is co-signed along Interstates 90 and 25. It is also co-signed along the majority of Interstate 27 in Texas.
 U.S. Route 87 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Route information | |
| Length | 1,998 mi[citation needed] (3,215 km) |
| Existed | 1926[citation needed]–present |
| Major junctions | |
| South end |  SH 238 in Port Lavaca, TX |
| |
| North end |  US 2 at Havre, MT |
| Location | |
| Country | United States |
| States | Texas, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana |
| Highway system | |
As of 2004, the highway's northern terminus is Havre, Montana, at U.S. Highway 2. Its southern terminus is Port Lavaca, Texas.
Route description
Texas
New Mexico
US 87 continues in a northwesterly direction in New Mexico, and is signed by NMDOT primarily as an east–west route. It merges with US 64 (and thus the Santa Fe Trail National Scenic Byway) in Clayton, shortly after entering New Mexico. It continues to the northwest until Des Moines, when it takes a more westerly approach to Raton. In Raton, it separates from US 64 and merges with Interstate 25 and US-85, with which it remains concurrent through Raton Pass and into Colorado, though it is unsigned on much of the concurrency.
Colorado
US 87 remains concurrent with Interstate 25 throughout the states of Colorado and Wyoming, of which is a rare occurrence for a US highway to have a concurrency with an Interstate in its entirety within state boundaries. For more on this section of US 87, see Interstate 25 in Colorado.
Wyoming
US 87 remains concurrent with Interstate 25 northward until its terminus with Interstate 90. It then follows I-90 west to exit 44 where it runs up to Sheridan. A portion of US-87 has been washed out for several years along this stretch and "temporary" detour signs are posted directing US-87 traffic along Wyoming Highway 193 through Story. In Sheridan US-87 rejoins Interstate 90 into Montana.
Montana
US 87 remains concurrent with Interstate 90 westward until Billings, where it breaks off and heads north. Between Crow Agency and Billings, US 87 and I-90 are merged with US 212. It intersects with (and briefly merges with) US 12 in Roundup and continues north with a slight bend to the northwest until, at Grass Range it takes a sharp turn to the west at an intersection with Montana State Highway 200. US 87 remains concurrent with Montana State Highway 200 until Great Falls. In Lewistown, it merges with US 191 and remains heading generally west. Some ten miles (16 km) out of Lewistown, it breaks with US 191 and merges with Montana State Highway 3, heading generally northwest and merging briefly with US 89 before breaking with all three in Great Falls. US 87 heads northeast then east to Fort Benton and then generally northeast to its terminus with US 2 about two miles (3 km) west of Havre.
History
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US Route 87 originally ran northwest out of Great Falls, Montana towards the eastern border of Glacier National Park. US 87 ran to the Canadian Border at the Piegan Border Crossing. This was changed in 1934, when US Route 89 was changed to run over US 87's former roadbed towards Glacier Park. US 87 ended in Great Falls until around 1945 when it was extended to run to its current northern terminus in Havre, Montana[1]
U.S. Route 185 was formed in 1926, and extended from US 85 in Cheyenne north to Orin. It became part of a southern extension and realignment of US 87 in 1936.
Major intersections
- Texas
SH 238 in Port Lavaca
Future I-69 / US 59 in Victoria
US 77 in Victoria
US 183 in Cuero. The highways travel concurrently to southwest of Cuero.
I-410 in San Antonio
I-10 / US 90 in San Antonio. I-10/US 87 travels concurrently to Comfort. US 87/US 90 travels concurrently through San Antonio.
I-37 / US 281 in San Antonio
US 290 in Fredericksburg. The highways travel concurrently through Fredericksburg.
US 377 northwest of Mason. The highways travel concurrently to Brady.
US 190 in Brady. The highways travel concurrently to Brady.
US 283 northwest of Brady
US 83 in Eden
US 277 in San Angelo. The highways travel concurrently through San Angelo.
I-20 in Big Spring
US 180 south of Los Ybanez. The highways travel concurrently to Lamesa.
US 380 in Tahoka
I-27 in Lubbock. The highways travel concurrently to south of Kress.
US 84 in Lubbock
US 62 in Lubbock
US 82 in Lubbock
US 70 in Plainview
US 60 in Canyon. The highways travel concurrently to Amarillo.
I-27 / I-40 / US 287 in Amarillo. US 87/US 287 travels concurrently through Amarillo.
US 385 in Hartley. The highways travel concurrently to Dalhart.
US 54 in Dalhart
- New Mexico
US 56 / US 64 / US 412 in Clayton. US 64/US 87 travels concurrently to Raton.
I-25 / US 64 / US 85 in Raton. I-25/US 87 travels concurrently to southeast of Glenrock, Wyoming. US 85/US 87 travels concurrently to Fountain, Colorado.
- Colorado
US 160 in Trinidad. The highways travel concurrently to Walsenburg.
US 50 in Pueblo. The highways travel concurrently through Pueblo.
US 24 in Colorado Springs. The highways travel concurrently through Colorado Springs.
I-225 in Denver
US 285 in Denver
US 6 in Denver. The highways travel concurrently through Denver.
I-76 southeast of Twin Lakes
I-270 / US 36 on the Twin Lakes–Sherrelwood–Welby line
US 34 in Loveland
- Wyoming
I-80 south-southwest of Cheyenne
US 30 southwest of Cheyenne
US 26 west-southwest of Dwyer Junction. The highways travel concurrently to the Casper–Hartrandt city line.
US 18 / US 20 in Orin. US 20/US 87 travels concurrently to the Casper–Hartrandt city line.
I-25 in Casper. The highways travel concurrently to north-northeast of Buffalo.
US 16 in Buffalo
I-25 / I-90 north-northeast of Buffalo. I-90/US 87 travels concurrently to Lockwood.
US 14 in Sheridan. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Ranchester.
- Montana
US 212 in Crow Agency. The highways travel concurrently to Lockwood.
I-94 in Lockwood
US 12 north of Klein. The highways travel concurrently to Roundup.
US 191 in Lewistown. The highways travel concurrently to west-northwest of Moore.
US 89 south-southeast of Armington. The highways travel concurrently to Great Falls.
US 2 northeast of Herron
See also
Related routes
- U.S. Highway 187 (decommissioned)
- U.S. Highway 287
Bannered and suffixed routes
References
- ^ "End of US Highway 87". US ENDS. Retrieved 30 June 2018.
External links
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