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State Highway 124 (Texas)
Encyclopedia
State Highway 124 or SH 124 is a state highway
in the U.S. state
of Texas
maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
. The highway begins along the Gulf Coast near the northeast end of the Bolivar Peninsula
at and extends to the northeast ending at and . In between, the highway has major intersections with and . The highway is located in Galveston
, Chambers, and Jefferson
counties and also serves the communities of Hamshire
, Fannett
, and Cheek. A portion of SH 124 is part of a longer coastal hurricane evacuation route.
The route number was originally assigned over a portion of the current between Fredericksburg
and Comanche
in Central Texas
during the late 1920s. By the early 1930s, the route number was assigned along the current route south of Stowell to High Island and along the current SH 87 to Port Bolivar
and eventually Galveston
. By the end of the decade, the highway received its current High Island to Beaumont configuration.
has been closed since 1990 due to coastal erosion. The highway proceeds to the north climbing up a salt dome
where the central portion of High Island is located. Leaving town, the highway travels back downhill entering marshland where the highway enters Chambers County upon bridging the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
.
The highway leaves the marshland and continues north with branching to the west and then . Further north, the highway passes through Stowell where SH 65 branches off to the west. In Stowell and Winnie, the route is known as Gulfway Drive south of SH 73. The highway intersects in Winnie and then turns east along SH 73 meeting the terminus of FM 1406 on the town's eastern edge at the boundary with Jefferson County.
The highway shortly branches off of SH 73 to the northeast passing through Hamshire
, intersecting at Fannett
, and then passing through Cheek. The highway continues to the northeast on a course closely parallel Interstate 10
into Beaumont. branches off to the north as the highway enters Beaumont where it as known as Fannett Road. The highway then terminates at US 69 / US 96 / US 287 in southern Beaumont.
The portion of SH 124 from its south end at SH 87 to FM 1406 in Winnie is part of a longer hurricane evacuation route extending northward to .
, San Saba
, and Goldthwaite
between 1926 and 1928. By 1933, that previous route was reassigned and is now part of SH 16, while SH 124 was designated over a new route from Port Bolivar along the current SH 87 to High Island, and then over the current SH 124 to Stowell. The route terminated in Stowell at which then was made up of the present SH 65 between Stowell and Anahuac
and the current SH 124 to Beaumont. The state highway department assumed control of the ferry
service between Port Bolivar and Galveston in 1930 and resumed operations in 1934 after making extensive renovations extending SH 124 to and in Galveston.
During the 1939 general redescription of the state's highway system, the portion of SH 124 from Galveston to High Island was renamed as an extension of SH 87, while SH 125 between Anahuac and Stowell was renamed as part of SH 73 and SH 124 was extended over the remainder of SH 125 including a concurrent
portion of SH 73 between Stowell and Winnie to Beaumont terminating at US 90. SH 124 was shortened within Beaumont in 1953 to its present terminus at the US 69 and US 96 bypass. In 1961, SH 73 was designated as terminating at I-10 in Winnie, and SH 65 was designated over the former portion of SH 73 between Anahuac and Stowell.
State highway
State highway, state road or state route can refer to one of three related concepts, two of them related to a state or provincial government in a country that is divided into states or provinces :#A...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation is a governmental agency in the U.S. state of Texas. Its stated mission is to "work cooperatively to provide safe, effective and efficient movement of people and goods" throughout the state...
. The highway begins along the Gulf Coast near the northeast end of the Bolivar Peninsula
Bolivar Peninsula, Texas
Bolivar Peninsula is a census-designated place in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 3,853 at the 2000 census.-History:...
at and extends to the northeast ending at and . In between, the highway has major intersections with and . The highway is located in Galveston
Galveston County, Texas
Galveston County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population was 291,309. Its county seat is Galveston. League City is the largest city in Galveston County in terms of population; between...
, Chambers, and Jefferson
Jefferson County, Texas
Jefferson County is a county located in the state of Texas, United States. As of 2000, the population was 252,051. Its county seat is Beaumont, and it is named for the former U.S...
counties and also serves the communities of Hamshire
Hamshire, Texas
Hamshire is an unincorporated community in western Jefferson County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hamshire, commonly referred to by some of its inhabitants as "Hamshire, America", is on State Highway 124 twenty miles southwest of...
, Fannett
Fannett, Texas
Fannett is an unincorporated town in Jefferson County, Texas, United States, about 15 miles southwest of Beaumont. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community is named after B. J. Fannett, a local landowner who opened a general store there in the 1890s...
, and Cheek. A portion of SH 124 is part of a longer coastal hurricane evacuation route.
The route number was originally assigned over a portion of the current between Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg, Texas
Fredericksburg is the seat of Gillespie County, in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census estimate, the city had a population of 10, 530...
and Comanche
Comanche, Texas
Comanche is a city located in Comanche County in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 4,482 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Comanche County. The town square has been renovated and is becoming a popular tourist attraction. With "Star Beaus" and "karens" on the square and their...
in Central Texas
Central Texas
Central Texas , is a region in the U.S. state of Texas. It is roughly bordered by San Marcos to Fredericksburg to Waco, and to Brenham, and includes the Austin–Round Rock, Killeen-Temple-Fort Hood, Bryan-College Station, and Waco metropolitan areas...
during the late 1920s. By the early 1930s, the route number was assigned along the current route south of Stowell to High Island and along the current SH 87 to Port Bolivar
Port Bolivar, Texas
Port Bolivar is an unincorporated area located in the Bolivar Peninsula census-designated place, in Galveston County, Texas, United States state of Texas within Galveston County and part of the metropolitan area., Port Bolivar had a population of 1,200...
and eventually Galveston
Galveston, Texas
Galveston is a coastal city located on Galveston Island in the U.S. state of Texas. , the city had a total population of 47,743 within an area of...
. By the end of the decade, the highway received its current High Island to Beaumont configuration.
Route description
SH 124 begins at SH 87 in High Island along the Gulf Coast near the northeastern end of the Bolivar Peninsula in Galveston County. SH 87 from this point toward Sabine PassSabine Pass, Texas
Sabine Pass is a neighborhood of Port Arthur, Texas, United States. It lies on the west bank of Sabine Pass, near the Louisiana border.Originally known as Sabine City, the original date of settlement of Sabine Pass is unknown, but is estimated at 1836...
has been closed since 1990 due to coastal erosion. The highway proceeds to the north climbing up a salt dome
Salt dome
A salt dome is a type of structural dome formed when a thick bed of evaporite minerals found at depth intrudes vertically into surrounding rock strata, forming a diapir....
where the central portion of High Island is located. Leaving town, the highway travels back downhill entering marshland where the highway enters Chambers County upon bridging the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
Gulf Intracoastal Waterway
The Gulf Intracoastal Waterway is the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway located along the Gulf Coast of the United States. It is a navigable inland waterway running approximately 1700 kilometers from Carrabelle, Florida, to Brownsville, Texas.The waterway provides a channel with a controlling...
.
The highway leaves the marshland and continues north with branching to the west and then . Further north, the highway passes through Stowell where SH 65 branches off to the west. In Stowell and Winnie, the route is known as Gulfway Drive south of SH 73. The highway intersects in Winnie and then turns east along SH 73 meeting the terminus of FM 1406 on the town's eastern edge at the boundary with Jefferson County.
The highway shortly branches off of SH 73 to the northeast passing through Hamshire
Hamshire, Texas
Hamshire is an unincorporated community in western Jefferson County, Texas, United States. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hamshire, commonly referred to by some of its inhabitants as "Hamshire, America", is on State Highway 124 twenty miles southwest of...
, intersecting at Fannett
Fannett, Texas
Fannett is an unincorporated town in Jefferson County, Texas, United States, about 15 miles southwest of Beaumont. It is part of the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The community is named after B. J. Fannett, a local landowner who opened a general store there in the 1890s...
, and then passing through Cheek. The highway continues to the northeast on a course closely parallel Interstate 10
Interstate 10
Interstate 10 is the fourth-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, after I-90, I-80, and I-40. It is the southernmost east–west, coast-to-coast Interstate Highway, although I-4 and I-8 are further south. It stretches from the Pacific Ocean at State Route 1 in Santa Monica,...
into Beaumont. branches off to the north as the highway enters Beaumont where it as known as Fannett Road. The highway then terminates at US 69 / US 96 / US 287 in southern Beaumont.
The portion of SH 124 from its south end at SH 87 to FM 1406 in Winnie is part of a longer hurricane evacuation route extending northward to .
History
SH 124 was originally designated along a route from Fredericksburg to Comanche passing through LlanoLlano, Texas
-History:Llano County was established in compliance with a February 1, 1856, state legislative act. The Llano River location was chosen in an election held on June 14, 1856, under a live oak on the south bank of the river, near the present site of Roy Inks Bridge in Llano...
, San Saba
San Saba, Texas
San Saba is a town located in Central Texas. It was settled in 1854 and named for its location on the San Saba River. The population was at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of San Saba County...
, and Goldthwaite
Goldthwaite, Texas
Goldthwaite is a small city located in Mills County in Central Texas. The population was 1,802 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mills County, which is named for John T. Mills, a justice of the Supreme Court for the Third, Seventh, and Eighth districts of the former Republic of Texas....
between 1926 and 1928. By 1933, that previous route was reassigned and is now part of SH 16, while SH 124 was designated over a new route from Port Bolivar along the current SH 87 to High Island, and then over the current SH 124 to Stowell. The route terminated in Stowell at which then was made up of the present SH 65 between Stowell and Anahuac
Anahuac, Texas
Anahuac is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population of the city was 2,210 at the 2000 census. Anahuac is the seat of Chambers County and is situated in East Texas.- History :...
and the current SH 124 to Beaumont. The state highway department assumed control of the ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
service between Port Bolivar and Galveston in 1930 and resumed operations in 1934 after making extensive renovations extending SH 124 to and in Galveston.
During the 1939 general redescription of the state's highway system, the portion of SH 124 from Galveston to High Island was renamed as an extension of SH 87, while SH 125 between Anahuac and Stowell was renamed as part of SH 73 and SH 124 was extended over the remainder of SH 125 including a concurrent
Concurrency (road)
A concurrency, overlap, or coincidence in a road network is an instance of one physical road bearing two or more different highway, motorway, or other route numbers...
portion of SH 73 between Stowell and Winnie to Beaumont terminating at US 90. SH 124 was shortened within Beaumont in 1953 to its present terminus at the US 69 and US 96 bypass. In 1961, SH 73 was designated as terminating at I-10 in Winnie, and SH 65 was designated over the former portion of SH 73 between Anahuac and Stowell.