Tuesday, June 17, 2008
The many faces of Belt Line Road
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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)
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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Comments
Pavel Lishin Verified
I've always wanted to drive all the way around Belt Line.
Probably should have done that before gas hit four bucks, though. :(
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
monogodo Anonymous
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.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Victor Johnson Verified
This is the most brilliant idea for a photo story in the history of photo stories.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Ashley Lyell Verified
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.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Chad Jones Staff
That Whataburger photo looks like it was pulled from the 1950s...
...if you ignore the badonkadonk SUVs, of course.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
lazukosky Anonymous
This is way cool, I never realized how long Beltline road was.. one of those things that never registers I guess.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Andrew Anonymous
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.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Victor Johnson Verified
Oh - and the photos rock too :P
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Stephanie Byrd Verified
This is fabulous! Do more of these!
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DallasPeace Anonymous
Awesome story, Laura!
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
James Scott Verified
According to Google, it should have only taken 3 hrs 16 minutes.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
John McClelland Verified
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.
4 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
ch0 Anonymous
What's the carbon footprint of this project?
3 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
cho makin' a comeback, I dig it. =)
Always wanted to do this as well...awesome story, risky as it may have been!
3 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
FoodCzar Anonymous
This proves it! Belt Line is the Route 66 of Dallas!!!
3 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Victor Johnson Verified
Carbon Footprint - Seriously?
3 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
jtmbls Anonymous
Cool pics! Now all we need is a song...What rhymes with Belt Line?
3 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
SonyaBlade Anonymous
Yashin.
3 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
mylerylander Anonymous
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.
3 months, 4 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
cornews_editor Anonymous
Belt Line Road is the only place I know where you can be going south on east northwest highway.
2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Apparently you've never been to Seattle.
2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jason Rice Verified
Laura - brilliant fun story.
2 months ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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