Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The many faces of Belt Line Road
It sounds crazy, driving around Belt Line from start to finish. No one is saying it isn't just a little bit nuts. If you live in Dallas, however, chances are you know Belt Line Road because you either live off Belt Line, drive by it on your way to work or have stopped at one of its local business for one thing or another. Belt Line is about 92 miles long, hits 15 suburbs of Dallas (as well as the city itself), crosses 13 freeways (many of them twice) and remains part of the address of innumerable churches, restaurants and residences. It also took 5.5 hours to traverse the whole thing (however keep in mind we stopped for lunch and turned around a few times for photos). Belt Line has long been a street that hugs our city, and this is her story.
(Note: The first image below is the photo gallery if you prefer to enlarge and click through, or you can keep scrolling down)
Belt Line Road
(Click photo to see entire gallery)
Lone Star Country Club, bar and volleyball courts just east of Belt Line and MacArthur.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Clock tower between Coit and 75.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
A t-shirt shop, Belt Line and Main in Richardson.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Yard art at Belt Line and Bowser in Richardson.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Car Wash at Plano Road.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Belt Line at North Garland Avenue.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Trucks at Crist Road.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Catfish Cove in Sunnyvale.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Whataburger car port, at 80.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
"Post Office," in Balch Springs.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Gateway to nothing, in Seagoville.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Dust bowl between Seagoville and Wilmer.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Advertisement in the middle of nowhere, Belt Line Road.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Wilmer's old-school water tower.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Lancaster has an airport?
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Apparently De Soto is all about the rubber duckies.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
The lovely radio towers of Cedar Hill.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
An old fire engine in Grand Prairie.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Horses in Irving
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Leaving Las Colinas.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
A new building in Coppell.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Lone Star Country Club, bar and volleyball courts just east of Belt Line and MacArthur.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
Church on the Rock International Headquarters at Belt Line and Luna.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
American Psychic, Belt Line in Carrollton.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
I (heart) Pho. Belt Line and Josey.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
DNT, Addison
Photo by Laura Seewoester
A shopping cart, misplaced and forgotten in North Dallas.
Photo by Laura Seewoester
The proverbial "concrete jungle," North Dallas
Victor Johnson contributed to this story.
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I've always wanted to drive all the way around Belt Line.
Probably should have done that before gas hit four bucks, though. :(
Pavel Lishin Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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My wife and I drove around Belt Line Road about 5 years ago (when gas was cheaper). It made for a good way to spend an afternoon.
monogodo Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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This is the most brilliant idea for a photo story in the history of photo stories.
Victor Johnson Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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A friend and I did this back in high school when we got bored one afternoon. Good pictures - makes me want to do it again.
Ashley Lyell Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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That Whataburger photo looks like it was pulled from the 1950s...
...if you ignore the badonkadonk SUVs, of course.
Chad Jones Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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This is way cool, I never realized how long Beltline road was.. one of those things that never registers I guess.
lazukosky Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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Thanks for the article. I have always wanted to drive the whole thing. I used to ride my bike on the original part that is now gone. They renamed it Robinson Road in Grand Prairie and most of it is under Joe Pool Lake. It orginally turned north at the TV towers in Cedar Hill and now dead-ends at the State Park. It picks back up on the north side of Joe Pool as Robinson Road at Camp Wisdom Road. The old road wound around quite a bit in the Florence Hill park of Grand Prairie due to all of the farms. Thank you again for allowing us to share some history.
Andrew Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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Oh - and the photos rock too :P
Victor Johnson Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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This is fabulous! Do more of these!
Stephanie Byrd Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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Awesome story, Laura!
DallasPeace Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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According to Google, it should have only taken 3 hrs 16 minutes.
James Scott Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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Belt Line is somewhat of a horror for some. When I first flew to Dallas several years ago, I was instructed not to go the wrong way out of DFW, otherwise I'd end up on Belt Line. Oh the horror! Well of course, I did it anyway and had to turn around. But hey, at least Belt Line is a loop, so you couldn't really get lost I guess.
John McClelland Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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What's the carbon footprint of this project?
ch0 Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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cho makin' a comeback, I dig it. =)
Always wanted to do this as well...awesome story, risky as it may have been!
Scott Doyle Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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This proves it! Belt Line is the Route 66 of Dallas!!!
FoodCzar Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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Carbon Footprint - Seriously?
Victor Johnson Verified
1 year, 5 months ago
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Cool pics! Now all we need is a song...What rhymes with Belt Line?
jtmbls Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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Yashin.
SonyaBlade Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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The black and white photo's, billboards, vehicle shots, and buildings sure does make the belt around Dallas old.
I drove half of it, from south to north. The road does seem to go through several old neighborhoods.
mylerylander Anonymous
1 year, 5 months ago
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Belt Line Road is the only place I know where you can be going south on east northwest highway.
cornews_editor Anonymous
1 year, 3 months ago
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Apparently you've never been to Seattle.
Scott Doyle Verified
1 year, 3 months ago
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Laura - brilliant fun story.
Jason Rice Verified
1 year, 3 months ago
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