U.S. Route 281: Difference between revisions

*{{Jct|country=USA|I|20}} near [[Brazos, Texas|Brazos, TX]]

The highway's northern terminus is at the [[International Peace Garden]], north of [[Dunseith, North Dakota]], at the [[Canada–United States border|Canadian border]], where it continues as [[Manitoba Highway 10|Highway 10]]. The route between Dunseith and the border is shared with [[North Dakota Highway 3]]. US 281 has two southern termini. The western terminus, known as International Blvd. in [[Hidalgo, Texas|Hidalgo]], begins from the McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge. The southern eastern terminus of US 281 is in [[Brownsville, Texas]], just short of the [[US-Mexico border|Mexican border]] ending on Bus. 77. The two spurs come together at South Cage Blvd in [[Las Milpas, Pharr, Texas|Las Milpas, Texas]] going north into [[Pharr, Texas]]. Thus, US 281 is the only continuous three-digit US route to extend from the Canadian border to the Mexican border.

The original ''Military Telegraph Road'' was incorporated into the US-281 route.<ref>{{Cite book|lastlast1=Lincoln|firstfirst1=Laura|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15hEjLRSTEQC&pg=PA44|title=Donna, Texas|last2=Gerhardt|first2=Karen|date=2002|publisher=Arcadia Publishing|isbn=978-0-7385-1943-2|language=en}}</ref>

US&nbsp;281 is a "child" of [[U.S. Route 81|US&nbsp;81]]. As a result of decommissioning portions of the parent route that have been superseded by concurrent Interstate Highways, the length of US&nbsp;281 is {{convert|672|mi|km}} greater than that of its parent.{{citation needed|date=February 2020}} US&nbsp;281 no longer connects to its "parent", US&nbsp;81.{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

US&nbsp;281, beginning at the west, or the lower Rio Grande Valley, at an intersection with Business US&nbsp;77 and [[Texas State Highway 48|SH 48]] about {{convert|2|mi|km|spell=in}} from the Mexico border.<ref name="Texas Mapbook 4122265">{{Texas Mapbook|page=2265|year=20142018|pagelink=412no|access-date=December 123, 20142022}}</ref> It travels along close to the border through the Rio Grande Valley. At the east, or Upper Rio Grande Valley, turning north from [[Hidalgo, Texas|Hidalgo]], travelling through Las Milpas, Pharr, Edinburg, and many small towns while also having a Border Patrol checkpoint in Brooks County south of Falfurrias, Texas. It is alternating as a divided highway and main street, until joining [[Interstate 37|I-37]]. It splits with I-37 and travels through [[Pleasanton, Texas|Pleasanton]] as Business 281, travelling north to [[San Antonio]]. In San Antonio, US&nbsp;281 overlaps [[Interstate 410 (Texas)|I-410]] on the south side of the city until the interchange with I-37. US&nbsp;281 and I-37 then overlap north into downtown San Antonio until I-37 ends at [[Interstate 35|I-35]]. US&nbsp;281 continues north from downtown San Antonio as a freeway, intersecting I-410 again on the north side of the city, with access to the [[San Antonio International Airport]]. A project to construct a stack interchange at I-410 (the "San Antonio Web"<ref name=web>{{cite news |first=Patrick |last=Driscoll |title=Now there's a name for it |url=http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/traffic/archives/2006/01/missing_interch.html |work=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |date=January 16, 2006 |access-date=June 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080223203630/http://blogs.mysanantonio.com/weblogs/traffic/archives/2006/01/missing_interch.html |archive-date=February 23, 2008 }}</ref>) was completed June 9, 2008;<ref name=saen>{{cite news |first=Patrick |last=Driscoll |title=U.S. 281/Loop 410 interchange ramps are complete |url=http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA061008.1A.Lastramps.389a3a1.html |work=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |date=June 10, 2008 |access-date=June 20, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080611023107/http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA061008.1A.Lastramps.389a3a1.html |archive-date=June 11, 2008 }}</ref> formerly there was no direct access between the two freeways and surface streets were required travel between the freeways. North of San Antonio, US&nbsp;281 is not a freeway and forms the [[Main Street]] of [[Blanco, Texas|Blanco]]. It overlaps [[U.S. Highway 290|US&nbsp;290]] south of [[Johnson City, Texas|Johnson City]]. US&nbsp;290 continues toward Austin, so US&nbsp;281 and US&nbsp;290 between San Antonio and Austin are available as a scenic and less congested alternate to I-35.