The Marsha Sharp Freeway is Lubbock's primary east-west access road. It has or will provide a western connection to West Loop 289, gives greater access Texas Tech University, downtown Lubbock and other high traffic areas and encourages development of the central business district.

The project has been in development since the 1980s and is being completed in five phases:

Phase One

• Widening of West Loop 289 from four to six lanes from 34th Street to Slide Road.
• Rebuilding frontage road system under the main lanes—three lanes on each side.
• Building the 50th Street overpass and extending 50th Street to Frankford.
• Project was completed in July 2006.

Phase Two

• Building the complete freeway from Salem Avenue to Avenue L.
• Building 19th St., Quaker Avenue, Fourth Street and Avenue Q interchanges.
• Construction started in the spring of 2005. Construction is scheduled to be completed in Summer 2009 and cost $131 million.

Phase Three

• Phase 3A includes US 82 main lanes and fly overs at Loop 289.
• Construction on phase 3A started in the spring of 2005. The project was completed in February 2008 and cost $32.7 million.
• Phase 3B includes US 82 from Chicago Avenue to Salem Avenue.
• Project letting date for phase 3B is March 2007. This $39.5 million project will wrap up in early 2010.

Phase Four

• Building the I-27 interchange.
• This $47,756,837 project will begin construction April 1, 2010. Project completion is scheduled for 2012.

Phase Five

• Phase 5A — Work on this $22.4 million phase began in June 2013. The project will build the (US 62/82) and Spur 327 interchanges at Milwaukee Avenue, add entrance and exit ramps at Spur 327 and MSF, complete the Spur 327 mainlanes to just west of the new interchange and make improvements to Milwaukee Avenue. It also will extend the freeway from one mile past the West Loop to past Wolfforth. Funding for this phase has not been secured and a start date is still to be determined.
• Phase 5B — This phase will extend the freeway 2.6 miles and include building the freeway main lanes, frontage roads, entrance and exit ramps, a bridge interchange at Upland Avenue, and reconfiguring the bridge interchange that connects Spur 327 to the Marsha Sharp Freeway. Estimated construction cost is $36 million and has an August 2014 letting date.