Texas State Highway Loop 322
State Highway Loop 322 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Roberts Freeway | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
| Length | 7.167 mi[1] (11.534 km) | |||
| Existed | 1957[1]–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| South end | US 83 / US 84 | |||
| SH 36 | ||||
| North end | I-20 | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Texas | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Loop 322 is a 7.167-mile (11.534 km) loop route in the city of Abilene in the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in Taylor County.
Until the late 1990s, virtually all of Loop 322 was a two-lane freeway. Today, virtually all of the road has been upgraded to typical freeway standards, except its northern terminus, which is an at-grade intersection with the service roads of Interstate 20.
Route description
Loop 322 starts at its junction with the Winters Freeway (US 83 and US 84) and Treadaway Boulevard about 1 mile north of Abilene Regional Medical Center and continues north towards Interstate 20. Loop 322 passes through one of the fastest growing areas of Abilene right before Abilene Regional Airport. After the airport, Loop 322 continues about 2.4 miles to its northern terminus at Interstate 20. Loop 322 mainly traverses rural parts of eastern Abilene.
The highway was designated the "Jake Roberts Freeway" by the city of Abilene in September 1971, after the longtime engineer for the then-Texas Highway Department.[2][3][4] It also carries the state memorial designation of the "Officer Rodney T. Holder Memorial Highway", in recognition of the Abilene Police Department motorcycle officer and Cooper High School graduate who died in the line of duty on April 20, 2010 when he was struck by a turning vehicle.[5][6]
History
Loop 322 was designated on July 16, 1957, running from US 80 (now Business I-20) to SH 36. On June 26, 1962, it was extended north to Interstate 20. On June 28, 1963, it was extended south to US 83 and US 84, completing its current routing.
Junction list
The entire route is in Abilene, Taylor County.
| mi | km | Destinations | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.00 | 0.00 | US 83 / US 84 / Bus. US 83 – Ballinger, Coleman, Anson, Sweetwater | Westbound exit and eastbound entrance | ||
| 0.89 | 1.43 | Maple Street | |||
| 1.87 | 3.01 | Industrial Boulevard – Cisco Junior College | |||
| 2.70 | 4.35 | FM 1750 (Oldham Lane) – Potosi | |||
| 4.80 | 7.72 | SH 36 (11th Street) – Cross Plains, Airport | Interchange | ||
| 5.63 | 9.06 | I-20 BL | Interchange | ||
| North end of freeway | |||||
| 6.96 | 11.20 | East North 10th Street | At-grade intersection | ||
| 7.16 | 11.52 | I-20 – Fort Worth, El Paso | At-grade intersection; I-20 exit 290 | ||
| 1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi | |||||
References
- ^ a b Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway Loop No. 322". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved April 7, 2008.
- ^ "Abilene City Council Minutes: 1971-1974". via University of North Texas Portal to Texas History. City of Abilene. September 9, 1971. p. 93. Archived from the original on November 30, 2025. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
"Abilene City Council Minutes: 1971-1974". via University of North Texas Portal to Texas History. City of Abilene. September 9, 1971. p. 94. Archived from the original on November 30, 2025. Retrieved November 30, 2025. - ^ Staff (September 10, 1971). "Loop 322 Now Jake Roberts Freeway". Abilene Reporter-News via University of North Texas Portal to Texas History. p. 16-A. Archived from the original on November 30, 2025. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ Jaklewicz, Greg (April 24, 2020). "Lambert: Holder hopefully first Abilenian to have highway designation". Abilene Reporter-News. Archived from the original on April 25, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2025. Note: The Holder memorial designation was ultimately extended to I-20, not just to SH 36 as this source had predicted.
- ^ Jaklewicz, Greg (June 17, 2020). "Memories of late Abilene Police officer Rodney Holder recalled at sign dedication". Abilene Reporter-News. Archived from the original on June 18, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2025.
- ^ "Sec. 225.158. OFFICER RODNEY T. HOLDER MEMORIAL HIGHWAY". Texas Statutes: Transportation Code: Title 6, Roadways: Chapter 225, State Highway Names. State of Texas.