Texas Recreational Road 3

Recreational Roads
Texas Recreational Road markers
System information
Length:	80.5 mi (129.6 km)
Formed:	April 1, 1970 (1970-04-01)
Highway names
Interstates:	Interstate X (I-X) Interstate Highway X (IH-X)
US Highways:	U.S. Highway X (US X)
State:	State Highway X (SH X)
Loops:	Loop X
Spurs:	Spur X
Recreational:	Recreational Road X (RE X)
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads:	Farm to Market Road X (FM X) Ranch to Market Road X (RM X)
Park Roads:	Park Road X (PR X)
System links
Highways in Texas Interstate US State Toll Loops Spurs FM/RM Park Rec

Recreational Roads (RE) are a secondary state highway system located in the U.S. state of Texas, and are created and maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). Similar to the state's Park Road system, routes on the Recreational Road system provide access to recognized recreation areas, such as those operated by the National Park Service. However, Park Roads provide access to state-maintained parks. Recreational Roads currently make up approximately 80.5 miles (129.6 km) of Texas's highway system. The longest route in the system is Recreational Road 255 (RE 255), while the shortest route in the system is RE 6. Recreational Roads are signed with a route marker that is very similar to the sign which marks the Farm to Market Road system, with just a few differences. The most noticeable difference is that the base color for the Farm to Market Road marker is black, while the base color for the Recreational Road sign is brown.

The system was created on April 1, 1970, by TxDOT Minute Order 063535, which redesignated a portion of Farm to Market Road 255 (FM 255), as RE 255. Except for RE 255, TxDOT numbers the recreational routes sequentially. RE 2 is the system's second oldest route, and is numbered accordingly, while RE 11 is the system's eleventh route, the newest one, and is numbered as such. Only a few highways on the system were created from preexisting routes. One route on the system has been cancelled. The TxDOT defined one type of auxiliary route for the system, although no highway from the system currently exists.

The Recreational Road System began on April 1, 1970, when TxDOT Minute Order 063535 was passed, designating RE 255 and RE 2. Two weeks later, on April 15, the TxDOT's Administration Circle approved the route of RE 255, and authorized its creation. On May 7, 1970, the TxDOT designated RE 3, and on June 1 of the same year, both RE 2 and RE 3 were approved for creation by the Administration Circle. On September 1, RE 4 was designated, and was approved on October 15, 1970. On April 3, 1972, RE 5 was designated, and was approved less than two weeks later. In October of the same year, RE 6 was designated and approved. On the first of April, 1981, RE 7 was designated and approved. Later that month, RE 8, was designated, and in June of that year, it was approved. On October 31, 1993, RE 9 was designated, and it was approved in December. In October 1996, RE 10 was designated, and it was approved on December 20. RE 11, was the last route to be created, being approved on December 20, 1996. On July 10, 2012, RE 5 was cancelled from the system, and turned over to the control of Polk County. It is currently the only Recreational Road to have been completely canceled. RE 255 and RE 8 are the only routes in the system that have been edited.