Texas State Highway Loop 49

State Highway Loop 49
Open section of Loop 49 in red, future corridors and segments in blue
Route information
Maintained by NET RMA
Length	32 mi[1] (51 km)
Existed	1986[2]–present
Major junctions
CW end	US 69 near Lindale
Major intersections	I-20 in Lindale SH 110 near Lindale SH 64 near Tyler SH 31 in Tyler SH 155 at Noonday US 69 in Tyler
CCW end	SH 110 near Whitehouse
Location
Country	United States
State	Texas
Counties	Smith
Highway system
Highways in Texas Interstate US State Toll Loops Spurs FM/RM Park Rec
← Loop 48 → Loop 50

Loop 49 (also called Toll 49) is a currently 32-mile (51 km) circular freeway that, along with I-20, will encircle the city of Tyler and serve other various communities in Northeast Texas upon its completion. Routing of the loop north of I-20 bypasses Lindale to the west and passes by the west and south sides of Tyler south of I-20. The highway interconnects suburban areas and areas of potential development around Tyler with I-20 and provides local areas easier access to the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.

Currently, the route exists as an undivided two-lane highway stretching from US 69 near Lindale to SH 110 near Whitehouse. According to TxDOT, costs have exceeded $176 million, and the projected total cost for the completion of the route as a divided four-lane highway is still unknown. This proposed extension of Loop 49, the East Texas Hourglass (ETHG), planned as a divided four-lane highway between SH 110 and US 59 near Marshall, includes two additional spur highways and will run through Smith, Gregg, Upshur, and Harrison Counties.^[3] It is designed to ease congestion and provide faster connections between the cities of Tyler, Longview, and Marshall. The highway will adhere to Interstate highway standards. Loop 49 and the East Texas Hourglass are the first major projects of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA).