New Mexico US 82 begins at an intersection with US highways
54 and
70 north of
Alamogordo, and south of
La Luz, New Mexico. Heading east out of Alamogordo the road ascends into the
Sacramento Mountains, traveling through the
Lincoln National Forest. While climbing steep Mexican Canyon, the highway passes the abandoned railroad trestles of the
El Paso and Northeastern Railway, and passes through the only road tunnel in New Mexico. The road then traverses the New Mexico villages of
High Rolls,
Cloudcroft, and
Mayhill After descending the mountains into the rugged, flat plains of eastern New Mexico, it generally follows a north-northeasterly bearing until
Artesia, where it takes a more due-easterly bearing on through to
Lovington, veering back slightly to the north before crossing into Texas.
Texas US 82 crosses into Texas from New Mexico at Texas Farm to Market Road 769, turning northeastward toward
Plains, where it merges with
US 380. US 82 is co-signed with US 380 from Plains to
Brownfield, where it joins
US 62, and US 380 leaves the route. US 82/62 continues northeastward toward
Lubbock. In Lubbock, US 82 and US 62 split, where US 82 is a limited access freeway west of
US Route 87. From
Wolfforth to downtown Lubbock, US 82 is named Marsha Sharp Freeway after
Marsha Sharp, former
head basketball coach of the
Texas Tech Lady Raiders and
Women's Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. It once again merges with US 62 (along with
State Highway 114) east of the campus of
Texas Tech University, where it continues eastward through
Ralls, where US 62 makes a sharp turn to the north and leaves the route. US 82 continues eastward across the level plains of the
Llano Estacado to
Crosbyton and then dips downward as it crosses the
White River of
Blanco Canyon, where the
Texas Department of Transportation maintains the Silver Falls Rest Area with facilities and hiking trails. After climbing out of
Blanco Canyon, US 82 eventually exits the
Llano Estacado and enters the rolling plains near
Dickens, Texas. US 82/SH 114 continues eastward as a co-signed route until
Seymour, where it merges with U.S. Highways
183,
277 and
283, with US 183 and 283 leaving the route at
Mabelle. US 82/277 continues eastward to
Wichita Falls, merging with
US 287 just south of downtown. US 82 leaves US 287 at
Henrietta and continues east, signed independently (apart from various state highway routes) across the remainder of Texas, crossing into Arkansas in downtown
Texarkana.
Arkansas over the
Mississippi River between Arkansas and Mississippi US 82 enters Arkansas in downtown
Texarkana, then proceeds almost due east across the flat plains of the Red River. It crosses the Red River at Garland City on a new bridge, then passes through the towns of Lewisville and
Magnolia. At Magnolia the route joins US 79 for approximately two miles before continuing eastward. U.S. Route 82 is proposed to cross
Interstate 69 in the future. Next, US 82 passes through the cities of
El Dorado and Strong before crossing the Ouachita River just north of Lake Jack Lee, then continues through
Crossett and
Hamburg to
Lake Village. The route continues from there across the Mississippi River to
Greenville, MS. US 82 closely follows the historical alignment of
Arkansas Highway 2.
Mississippi Through the entire state, the highway is four-laned with interchanges at major junctions. After crossing the
Mississippi River from
Arkansas via a four-laned, cable-stayed
Mississippi River bridge, the road bypasses Greenville, then continues east to
Columbus, passing through
Indianola,
Greenwood,
Winona, and
Starkville, while bypassing
Itta Bena. From Starkville east through
Columbus and on to the Alabama state line, US 82 is built to freeway standards.
Alabama in 2018 Throughout Alabama, US 82 is paired with unsigned
State Route 6 (
SR 6). The highway enters the state east of
Columbus, Mississippi, and bears southeast towards
Northport and
Tuscaloosa, where it crosses over
I-20 and
I-59 south of town. It is known in West Alabama as McFarland Boulevard, in memory of Ward Wharton McFarland, a political, business, and civic leader who died in 1979. After leaving Tuscaloosa, the route continues southeast, passing through the cities of
Brent,
Centreville, and
Maplesville en route to
Prattville, on the northern edge of the
Montgomery metropolitan area. This approximately drive goes through some of the most rural areas of the state, much of it two lanes with the exception of the section from Tuscaloosa to Centreville. Upon arriving in Prattville, it runs concurrently with
I-65, with which it goes through downtown
Montgomery with (also junctioning with the current southern terminus of
I-85), and splits off to the east south of downtown. After leaving Montgomery, the route continues southeast through
Union Springs and
Midway en route to
Eufaula, on the Alabama–Georgia state line, where it junctions with
US 431. The route then crosses over the
Chattahoochee River into
Georgetown, Georgia, over
Lake Eufaula. Currently in Pickens County, Alabama, a widening project of US 82 is underway to make the highway four lanes. New bridges are being constructed using Federal Highway Administration monies, as well as matching Alabama Department of Transportation funds. Four-laning the highway in Tuscaloosa County, west of Northport to the Pickens County line, was completed in the fall of 2010. The highway is now four lanes from the Mississippi state line to just southeast of Centreville at mile marker 88, with the exception of a short two lane stretch from Gordo to the Tuscaloosa County line.
Georgia US 82 is a
U.S. Highway in the U.S. state of
Georgia. Throughout much of southern Georgia, US 82 is paired with
State Route 520 and designated as "Corridor Z" and "South Georgia Parkway." West of Dawson, US 82 is paired with
State Route 50, the historic State Route number for US 82 in Georgia. From Dawson onwards, US 82 becomes a four-lane highway as it moves through Albany and then onto
Tifton where US 82 intersects with
I-75. After this the highway moves east through southern plains and
Waycross, near the Okefenokee Swamp. US 82 then proceeds to
Brunswick, where it terminates at the intersection with
I-95. ==History==