State Highway Loop 456 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Texas. Despite its name, Loop 456 does not make a complete circuit. Instead, it is a partial beltway on the south and southeast sides of the town of Jacksonville. As of August 2018, signs for Loop 456 are visible at the US 79-SH 204 intersection east of downtown Jacksonville. These include a southbound sign post on US 79 and the first eastbound sign post on SH 204. Inclusion of this intersection as part of Loop 456 has not been made official by the state; the signage, while unclear, could mean that Loop 456 is accessible by way of SH 204 from US 79. If so, sign banners with the word TO, as yet not present, would be needed to help convey the meaning of the presence of the Loop 456 signage there.
Route description
Loop 456 begins at an intersection with FM 347 south of downtown Jacksonville. The two-lane road goes eastward, then curves toward the northeast while passing by an intermediate school with a lower school zone speed. After passing the school, there is a signaled intersection with US 69. After a somewhat short distance, Loop 456 intersects with FM 768. The road continues on northeastward for a bit then curves slightly more northeast. After a shorter time, Loop 456 curves left a little more as it intersects SH 204. This sideways T-shaped intersection is the east terminus of Loop 456, with eastbound SH 204 going off to the right; westbound traffic for SH 204 continues ahead.
History
On January 2, 1968, Loop 456 was designated based on a minute order from the state Highway Commission dated December 16, 1967. It is unclear when Loop 456 was actually constructed and open. A later plan to extend the Loop from US 79 east of downtown Jacksonville around to the north side of town on US 69 was not implemented or built. In recent years, the Loop 456 intersection at US 69 south was upgraded from stop-signed to a signal-lighted intersection.
'Relief Route' proposals
The Texas Department of Transportation has proposed a relief route for US 69 around Jacksonville. The proposed routings are along several paths east and west of the city. A few seem to include Loop 456 as part of the proposal, but the process is still in the study and public opinion stage. As such, it is not yet known whether Loop 456 will eventually be included or if any future relief route will take a different and separate path altogether.
