TxDOT considers turning U.S. Highway 287 into an interstate highway

Wichita Falls may have a new interstate highway running through it in the future, but those plans face some sharp curves and bumps.

That’s the finding of a study conducted by the Texas Department of Transportation.

The study on the feasibility of upgrading U.S. Highway 287 to interstate standards examined the highway’s entire existing route from Port Arthur to Amarillo.

The roadway is the major highway through Wichita Falls that connects the city with Interstate Highway 44, U.S. Highway 277 and State Highway 79.

The conversion would mean upgrading the entire route “to provide a continuous-flow, fully access-controlled facility with a minimum of two lanes in each direction separated by a median within a typical 300-foot to 500-foot right-of-way,” the study said.

The TxDOT study conclud