Ranch to Market Road 165

RM 165 begins at Loop 163 (the former alignment of US 281) in Blanco. The route generally travels east to an intersection with RM 2325, and then to the northeast before ending at a junction with US 290 near the town of Henly.[1]

RM 165 (in conjunction with Loop 163) provides a bypass of Johnson City and the US 281/290 junction for traffic traveling between Blanco and points east of Henly, such as Dripping Springs and Austin.[1][2]

RM 165 was designated on June 11, 1945, connecting US 281 (and, after its realignment, Loop 163) to Middle Creek Road, approximately 5.4 miles (8.7 km) to the east. The designation was extended to the current eastern terminus of US 290 on November 21, 1956.[1][3]

The bridge structure crossing the Blanco River (which had replaced the original low-water crossing) was washed out in a catastrophic flooding event on May 23–24, 2015, with road closure at that location until further notice. The bridge deck and support beams were displaced from the piers and washed downstream; the piers and bents may require some repair after inspection for damage, and completion of a replacement deck structure is not anticipated by the Texas Department of Transportation before October, 2015.