avenue h underpass

As a child, when we drove south on US 87 to "town" I knew we were in Lubbock when we passed 4th Street on Avenue H and drove through the underpass. At that time this was the main thoroughfare to Lubbock on US 87. The highway passed under the Santa Fe railroad tracks. I even remember when Avenue H and Texas split around the old courthouse!

State Highway 9 was one of the original state highways defined by the newly-created State Highway Department in 1917 and was part of the Puget Sound to Gulf Highway. The first paved roads in Lubbock County were Highway 7 Lubbock to Slaton, Highway 9 Plainview to Tahoka and Highway 53 Idalou to Brownfield. After several petitions and elections, the bond passed at $991,000 and paving commenced in May 1930. The Avenue H underpass has 1930 stamped in concrete; the US 87 underpass just south of New Deal is stamped 1931 --although the US 87 designation did not occur until 1935.

With the completion of the Marsha Sharp Freeway (earlier known as the East-West) the fate of the Avenue H underpass is unknown. The loss of another landmark, regardless of its lack of use, is lamentable. How else will folks know when they get here?