Texas State Highway Loop 473

State Highway Loop 473 is a loop located in Wichita Falls.

Route description

The highway begins at US 281 and Rathgeber Road. Loop 473 intersects SH 79 and FM 369 near Kickapoo Downtown Airport. Just south of downtown, the highway crosses US 281 again, which is cosigned with both US 82 and US 287. Shortly after crossing the East Central Freeway, Loop 473 ends at Business US 287-J.

History

Loop 473 was designated along an old alignment of US 281 on January 31, 1969, through the city when US 281 was relocated along the Henry S. Grace Freeway. At first, the Loop 473 designation was a hidden, internal one as the route was publicly signed as Bus. US 281 while the route originally terminated at its northern intersection with US 281. The Loop 473 designation became public after the route was extended northward on September 14, 1973, to the former Loop 370. Loop 370 itself was only an internal TxDOT designation publicly signed as a US 287 business route until that route formally became Business US 287-J in 1991.