Where I-27 Meets I-40 Near Amarillo: Roadside Help

Broke down on I-27 near Amarillo? Give three things: the road, your direction and the cross street on the last exit sign you passed. Read the exit number too, but say the street name with it. TxDOT has been changing I-27 exit numbers, so a number alone can point to the wrong spot. Out past Canyon, read the nearest mile marker. If anyone is hurt or you're stuck in a live lane, call 911 first.

Why isn't the exit number enough on I-27?

I-27 is getting new exit numbers. In 2025, TxDOT said it would renumber the exit signs to match the new interstate mileage. The road is planned to stretch much farther someday, so the old count from Lubbock no longer fits.

That means two sets of numbers are out there. Take the Loop 335 exit, at Hollywood Road. Older listings call it exit 116. Newer listings call it exit 647. The TX 217 exit to Canyon is 106 on the old count and 636 on the new one. Your phone map, an old atlas and the green sign may not agree.

So say both. "Northbound I-27, just past Sundown Lane, the sign said exit 646." Your driver can find Sundown Lane on any map, no matter which number it uses.

What are the exits between Canyon and I-40?

In Amarillo, people call I-27 the Canyon E-Way. The frontage roads on each side go by Canyon Drive. Here are the exits from Canyon north to I-40, in the order you pass them going north. Use the street name when you call.

Exit (cross street)	What's there
TX 217	Canyon and the road to Palo Duro Canyon State Park
US 60 west, US 87 south	Toward Canyon and Hereford. Southbound exit only.
Rockwell Road	Open country between the towns
FM 2219	Farm road crossing
McCormick Road	Just before the city limits
Sundown Lane	Last exit before Loop 335
Loop 335 (Hollywood Road)	The loop around the city
Bell Street, Arden Road	South Amarillo
Hillside Road, Western Street, 58th Avenue	Shared exit, split into two signs going south
45th Avenue, then Georgia Street	Two exits close together
Washington Street, 34th Avenue	Also FM 1541
26th Avenue	Last exit before I-40

If your car still rolls, take the next exit and stop on the frontage road. From the US 60 junction north of Canyon all the way to I-40, those frontage roads run one way. Stop where you can see the cross street sign, then read it out.

What happens where I-27 meets I-40?

I-27 ends at I-40, just south of downtown. The interchange is a big turbine design, with ramps curving in every direction. On I-40, it's exit 70. It's a bad place to stop, and it's easy to describe wrong.

Here is the tricky part. The frontage roads break off through the I-40 interchange. A few blocks north, the freeway splits into one-way streets, and the frontage roads stay broken through that split too. Going north, you end up on Fillmore Street or Buchanan Street. Coming south, you start on Taylor Street or Pierce Street.

• Stuck on a ramp? Say which two roads it joins and which way it bends, like "the ramp from I-27 north to I-40 east."
• Stuck past the split? Name the one-way street and the closest numbered avenue.
• Stuck on I-40 itself? Say east or west, and whether you're before or after the I-27 exit.

A ramp with no shoulder is not a place to wait outside the car. Stay buckled in with your hazards on. If you're blocking a lane, call 911.

Is there road work between Amarillo and Canyon?

Yes, this stretch is changing. TxDOT plans to widen I-27 from four main lanes to six, from north of Western Street to just south of the US 60 junction north of Canyon. That's about 8.8 miles. The plan rebuilds the ramps and bridges at Western and Hillside, Bell, Sundown, Rockwell and FM 2219. It also upgrades the frontage roads.

In May 2026, TxDOT said the work to widen I-27 between Amarillo and Canyon moved forward that April. Work zones can mean shifted lanes, closed ramps and less room to pull over. A ramp you counted on may be shut that week.

Before you drive it, check DriveTexas, TxDOT's road conditions map. If you break down inside a work zone, tell your driver. They need to know where they can safely stop.

What if I break down south of Canyon?

Past Canyon, I-27 heads into open country toward Happy, Tulia, Kress and Plainview, then on to Lubbock. Exits are far apart. You may not see a cross street sign for a while.

Out there, the small mile marker posts on the shoulder are your best clue. Read the number on the nearest one. Then name the last town you passed and your direction. "Southbound I-27, mile marker such and such, past Happy" works.

The mile numbers are changing too. TxDOT's own page for the Hale County rest area, south of Plainview, still lists it at mile marker 29. That's the old count. So add the town name every time.

If the car is failing but still moving, a rest area beats the shoulder. The Hale County rest area has stops on both sides of I-27, about 8 miles south of Hale Center. TxDOT lists restrooms, drinking water and a storm shelter there. Whether a partner can reach you that far out depends on where you are. You'll hear that on the call, before you agree to anything.

Heading the other way? Our Lubbock roadside guide covers where I-27 meets Loop 289.

What should I do when wind or dust hits on the open stretch?

The Panhandle is known for strong wind, dust storms and sudden blue northers. On an open interstate, a dust wall can hide the road in front of you.

The National Weather Service says to get the car off the pavement, as far over as you can. Then switch your lights off, set the parking brake and lift your foot off the brake pedal. Wait until the dust passes before you call or drive.

What if I had a small crash on the Canyon E-Way?

Texas law has a rule for this. Under Transportation Code 550.022, if a crash on a city freeway only damages the cars, and both still drive normally, you move them. Go to the frontage road or the nearest cross street. On I-27 in Amarillo, the frontage road is right beside you.

If your car can't drive, leave it where it is and stay safe. Call 911 if anyone is hurt or a car blocks a lane. For an officer when nobody is hurt, Amarillo Police non-emergency is 806-378-3038. Later, the city says you can buy a certified copy of the crash report online through TxDOT.

A car that can't move after a crash needs a tow to a shop or home. A car that slid into the ditch with no damage may only need a winch-out.

Who comes when my car won't go?

Sentinel Towing is a towing and roadside network, not a tow company. A vetted local partner tow company does the work. We text you a locked price before anyone is sent. Then we check on you by text until help arrives. That's the Stay-With-You Promise.

Your partner handles the light-duty jobs that strand drivers along I-27:

• A jump start when a cold snap kills the battery overnight.
• A flat tire change, putting on your spare.
• A car lockout when the keys end up on the seat at a Canyon gas stop.
• A tow for cars, SUVs, minivans and light pickups.

Once a driver takes the job, you get their name, photo and truck by text. You can track your truck on a map, so you know which set of lights is yours.

Texas law tells passing drivers to move over a lane for a stopped tow truck with its lights on. If they can't, they must slow to 20 mph under the limit. That covers your driver while they work. It doesn't cover your stalled car, so don't stand between the car and traffic.

Stuck right now? Call 1-888-TOW-1213, or request help online.

For help anywhere from Canyon to North Amarillo, see our Amarillo towing page.

Amarillo Roadside Questions

Rules change, so check the official source before you rely on it. Sources: TxDOT I-27 widening project, TxDOT newsroom, TxDOT I-27 Advisory Committee summary, TxDOT Hale County rest area, Amarillo Police Department, Texas Transportation Code 550.022, Texas Transportation Code 545.157, National Weather Service, DriveTexas.