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Texas Loop 360Loop 360 is a scenic highway winding through the hills of West Austin. The road is described by the Texas Department of Transportation as "a 4-lane depressed median arterial with at-grade signalized intersections". In 2001, the average daily traffic was 55,000 vehicles at the most traveled point. Despite its "Loop" designation, the road is not what many would consider a loop. According to TxDOT, a state highway loop is a by-pass between two system roadwayshttp://www.txdot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/glossary.htm, in this case Highway 290, Loop 1 and various other TxDOT system roads. The road runs roughly north-south, arcing slightly out to the west. Listing the major intersections going south to north, Loop 360 begins at Highway 290/71, then crosses Loop 1 (a.k.a. Mopac), then crosses FM 2244 (a.k.a. Bee Caves Road), then bridges the Colorado River at the Pennybacker Bridge (a.k.a. the "360 bridge"), then crosses RM 2222, then crosses US 183, and terminates at Loop 1. The entire length of Loop 360 is 13.987 miles. The road is popular with cyclists because of the road's hills, wide shoulders for biking, and bike access across the Pennyback Bridge. The road has rock cut-throughs as well as steep fills and has steep roadway grades, 6% to 7% in some areas. The road cuts through environmentally sensitive watersheds. It bridges Barton Creek just south of Loop 1 and runs along the east side of the Barton Creek Greenbelt. Northward, it passes to the west of Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. Just after the Wild Basin entrance, drivers and bikers can pull into a scenic vista and take in a view of downtown Austin including the state capital building and University of Texas Tower. Further north, Loop 360 crosses the Colorado River (a.k.a. Lake Austin) and enters the Bull Creek Watershed and crosses Bull Creek. Land use restrictions along Loop 360 help preserve Loop 360's Hill Country aesthetic. History The south section of Loop 360 from US 290 to RM 2244 was opened on February 11, 1970. The last section of roadway for Loop 360 (excepting the bridge) between RM 2244 and FM 2222 was approved on September 30, 1976. The north and south sections of Loop 360 were connected when the Pennybacker bridge was opened for traffic on December 3, 1980. On February 19, 1980 the Travis County commissioners voted to designate it the "Capital of Texas Highway." Despite popular outcry, segments of the future designation was changed on July 14, 2004 to a toll road by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO). However, toll conversion of the road is unfunded so plans to toll Loop 360 are delayed indefinitely and there remains substantial opposition to any toll conversion of the road from residents and environmentalists. Also, CAMPO has begun to re-examine the toll roll designation. The road should remain toll-free for at least the near-future. External links - http://www.texasfreeway.com/Austin/photos/360/360.shtml
- http://www.wildbasin.org
- http://360cycleworks.com
- http://www.sstx.org
- http://eanesisd.tx.schoolwebpages.com
- http://www.txdot.state.tx.us/tpp/hwy/sl/sl0360.htm
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