Interstate 610 is a freeway that forms a loop around the city of Houston, Texas. Interstate 610, colloquially known as "The Loop", "Loop 610" or "The 610 Loop", traditionally marks the the border between the inner city of Houston ("inside the Loop") and the suburbs, although that has become less so in recent years. It is the inner of the two Houston beltways, the other being the Sam Houston Tollway, the frontage roads of which are referred to as "Beltway 8". A typical rural freeway (Interstate 5 in the Central Valley of California). ... Location in the state of Texas City nickname: Space City Incorporated 1837 Counties Harris County Fort Bend County Montgomery County Mayor Bill White Area  - Total  - Water 1,558. ... Illustration of the backyards of a surburban neighbourhood Suburban redirects here. ... A beltway (American English), ring road or orbital motorway (British English) is a circumferential highway found around many cities. ... In the USA, a frontage road is a non-limited access road running parallel to a freeway and feeding it at appropriate points of access. ...

History

The concept of building a bypass highway around Houston was first proposed in 1931, but plans did not begin to formalize until 1941. The loop was initially proposed to transport troops and materials around the city. On May 3, Harris County voters approved a bond to build the "Defense Loop". It was officially designated as Loop 137 in 1942, and the North Loop was approved by the Texas Transportation Commission. However, World War II delayed construction of the Loop until the 1950s. Mitchell Freeway in Perth, Western Australia For other uses, see Highway (disambiguation). ... 1931 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... Harris County is the name of several counties in the United States: Harris County, Georgia Harris County, Texas See also the disambiguation page Harris. ... 1942 was a common year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 18 km (over 11 miles) into the air. ...

In July 1953, the city of Houston asked the Texas Transportation Commission to include 2 new sections of Loop 137 (the West Loop and the South Loop) as part of the state's highway system. It was initially rejected, but in October 1954, the North Loop was upgraded to a freeway, and the West and South Loops were approved as freeways. July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1953 is a common year starting on Thursday. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

When the interstate highway system was authorized in 1956, the then C-shaped Loop 137(now designated Interstate 610) was adopted into the plan. The East Loop would not be approved until 1960. A typical rural stretch of Interstate Highway, with two lanes in each direction separated by a large grassy median, and with cross-traffic limited to overpasses and underpasses. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Construction on the North Loop began in 1950. Construction was sporadic throughout the 1950s and 1960s. It was completed in 1976 with the interchange that connects Loop 610 to Interstate 10 east of Houston. 1950 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... Interstate 10, or I-10, is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway in the United States. ...

Additional information

Interstate 610 is known as the North Loop, the South Loop, the East Loop, and the West Loop. The North Loop runs from U.S. Highway 290 to U.S. Highway 90. The East Loop runs from Highway 90 to State Highway 225. The West Loop runs from Highway 290 to South Post Oak Road, and the South Loop runs from South Post Oak Road to Highway 225. Interstate 10, Interstate 45, U.S. Highway 59, and State Highway 288 also intersect 610. U.S. Highway 290 (or US-290) is an east-west highway entirely in Texas. ... United States Highway 90 is an east-west United States highway. ... Interstate 10, or I-10, is the southernmost east-west, coast-to-coast interstate highway in the United States. ... Interstate 45 is an intrastate interstate highway located entirely within the state of Texas, United States. ... United States Highway 59 is a north-south United States highway (though it is signed east-west in parts of Texas). ...