General Inquiries
Where does the Bankhead Highway run across Texas?
When was the Bankhead Highway built?
What types of resources are associated with the Bankhead Highway?
What is the Bankhead Highway project?
Who funded the Bankhead Highway project?
Q: Where does the Bankhead Highway run across Texas?
A: The roadway extended from Washington, DC to San Diego, California. Its path crossed approximately 850 miles of Texas, passing through Texarkana, Mount Vernon, Dallas, Fort Worth, Abilene, Midland, Van Horn, and El Paso, among other communities, and roughly followed US 67 and US 80. (Texas Bankhead Highway map)
Q: When was the Bankhead Highway built?
A: The Bankhead Highway was one of the nation’s earliest transcontinental highways. Its beginnings can be traced back to 1916 when the Bankhead Highway Association was organized to promote the highway’s development.
Q: What types of historic resources are associated with the Bankhead Highway?
A: Associated historic resources include auto repair garages, gas stations, diners, tourist camps, auto courts, motels, road markers, paving, traffic signs, and bridges.
Q: What is the Bankhead Highway project?
A: The Texas Historical Commission (THC) undertook a two-year study to document the history of this nationally important roadway. The project resulted in a history of the Texas section of the Bankhead Highway, and also surveyed the Texas Bankhead route and associated historic resources including auto repair garages, gas stations, diners, tourist camps, auto courts, motels, road markers, paving, traffic signs, and bridges.
Q: Who funded the Bankhead Highway project?
A: The project was funded by the Texas Legislature and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) through the Transportation Enhancement Program provided by the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).
