The storm surge pushed the barges inland before they came to rest on the highway.

Construction was slow, with only small portions outside Houston, Port Arthur, and the stretch from Winnie to Anahuac (signed as 73-T) completed by 1954.

On November 30, 1961, the route was shortened from Port Arthur to Winnie, with the western portions having been replaced by Interstate 10 (I-10).

A similar road sign of SH 73 is also depicted on the set of The Partridge Family.

Media related to Texas State Highway 73 at Wikimedia Commons