U.S. Route 77

U.S. Route 77 marker

U.S. Route 77
Route information
Length: 1,305 mi[1] (2,100 km)
Existed: 1926[1] – present
Major junctions
South end: Fed. 101 / Fed. 180 at Mexican Border in Brownsville, TX
 
North end: I-29 at Sioux City, IA
Location
States: Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa
Highway system

U.S. Route 77 is a northsouth United States highway. As of 2005, the highway's northern terminus is in Sioux City, Iowa at an interchange with Interstate 29. Its southern terminus is in Brownsville, Texas, at Veteran's International Bridge on the U.S.-Mexico border, where it connects with both Mexican Federal Highway 101 and Mexican Federal Highway 180.[2]

It is unsigned in and around Dallas, Texas. Its historic segment through South Dakota and Minnesota was decommissioned with the advent of Interstate 29 but otherwise the route has been spared the decommissioning that has shortened other US highways. The route has major freeway sections in Oklahoma City including the Broadway Extension connecting suburban Edmond to downtown Oklahoma City.

Route description

Texas

Looking south along US 77 in Milford, Texas

The section between the Oklahoma-Texas state line and Waco, Texas is mostly co-located with Interstate 35 and the 35E spur through Dallas, Texas and, where it is co-located, it is not signed.

The two stretches in Texas that are not co-located are a stretch wholly within the city of Denton and a longer stretch from near Red Oak, to Hillsboro, the reason being that US 77 is a separate road between the two, serving the town of Waxahachie.

As of 2004, US 77 Alternate has a northern terminus in Hallettsville, Texas. It rejoins US 77 at Refugio, Texas. While the main line of US 77 passes through Victoria, Alternate US 77 veers to the west to serve Yoakum and Cuero.

The southern end extends from I-37 near Corpus Christi to Harlingen, where it merges with U.S. Highway 83 and runs through the cities of Harlingen, San Benito and Brownsville to its southern terminus at the United States/Mexico border.

A section of U.S. 77 located in the Giddings, Texas area is known as the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Highway.

Another section of US 77, from I-37 to SH 44 in Nueces County, was redesignated I-69/US 77 in 2011.

Oklahoma

In Oklahoma, U.S. Route 77 runs northsouth, paralleling Interstate 35, connecting Texas to Kansas and running for 268 miles (431 km) through the central part of the state. It passes through many major cities, including Ardmore, Oklahoma City and Norman, Guthrie, and Ponca City. It has a freeway section, the Broadway Extension, connecting Oklahoma City to its northern suburb Edmond, in addition to sections that are co-flagged with Interstate-35 and Interstate-235.

Kansas

US-77 runs for 234 miles (377 km) in Kansas. Between the U.S. 40 junction and the Cowley County line is designated as a Blue Star Memorial Highway. In Cowley County, it is the Robert B. Docking Memorial Highway. Near Arkansas City it is the Walnut Valley Greenway.[3]

From Nebraska to U.S. 24 and from K-15 to Arkansas City, it is part of the National Highway System.[3]

Nebraska

In Nebraska, U.S. 77 is a major northsouth artery connecting the capital city of Lincoln with outlying areas to the north and south. The highway is designated as the Homestead Expressway from Beatrice to Interstate 80 at Lincoln. In Lincoln, U.S. 77 becomes a full controlled-access expressway before it overlaps with Interstate 80 for about 8 miles. North of Interstate 80, U.S. 77 continues as an expressway to Wahoo, where it becomes a two-lane undivided road. It remains a two-lane highway except for two sections near Fremont, which are four-lane divided highways. The expressway north of Fremont is shared with U.S. Route 275 and Nebraska Highway 91. U.S. 275 and NE 91 separate from U.S. 77 just south of Winslow, Nebraska and U.S. 77 continues north as a two-lane highway until it meets U.S. Route 75 at Winnebago. The two highways run together to the junction of Interstate 129 and U.S. Route 20 at Dakota City, where U.S. 75 breaks off and U.S. 77 continues northward as a divided highway through South Sioux City before exiting the state via the Siouxland Veterans Memorial Bridge.

Iowa

Main article: U.S. Route 77 in Iowa

U.S. Route 77 barely enters Iowa. After crossing the Missouri River via the Veteran's Bridge at Sioux City, the highway ends at a diamond interchange with Interstate 29. Its total length in Iowa is slightly more than four-tenths mile (640 m).[4]

History

US 77 previously extended north through South Dakota to Ortonville, Minnesota. It followed the current I-29 corridor up to the Toronto, South Dakota area, and then followed current South Dakota Highway 15 north to Milbank, South Dakota. After reaching Milbank, it traveled to the east, concurrently with US 12 to Ortonville, where it ended at an intersection with US 75. Portions of the old highway in the Sioux Falls, South Dakota area exist today as South Dakota Highway 115.

Future

A bypass of U.S. 77 is in the beginning construction phase that will route U.S. 77 from going through the town of Wahoo, Nebraska. U.S. 77 will go around the northwest edge of Wahoo from the west junction of U.S. 77/Nebraska Highway 92 to the south junction of U.S. 77/N-92/Nebraska Highway 109. This bypass will be part of the Nebraska Expressway System.[5] U.S. 77 is currently being upgraded between the Mexican border in Brownsville, Texas to Victoria, Texas as Interstate 69E.

Major intersections

Texas
US 83 at the Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates at the Mexico–United States border in Brownsville. US 77/US 83 travels concurrently to Harlingen.
I69E in Brownsville. The highways travel concurrently to north of Raymondville.
I169 in Brownsville
I2 / US 83 in Harlingen
I69E in Robstown. The highways travel concurrently to Corpus Christi.
I37 / I69E in Corpus Christi. I-37/US 77 travels concurrently to west-northwest of Corpus Christi.
US 181 north of Sinton
US 183 in Refugio
Future I69 / Future I69E / Future I69W / US 59 south-southwest of Victoria. US 59/US 77 travels concurrently to southwest of Victoria.
US 87 in Victoria
US 90 in Schulenburg
I10 in Schulenburg
US 290 in Giddings
US 79 in Rockdale
US 190 southeast of Cameron. The highways travel concurrently to Cameron.
I35 in Waco. The highways travel concurrently to northeast of Hillsboro.
US 84 in Bellmead
I35 in Waxahachie
US 287 in Waxahachie
I-35E in Red Oak. The highways travel concurrently to Denton.
I20 in Dallas
US 67 in Dallas. The highways travel concurrently through Dallas.
I30 / US 67 in Dallas
I635 in Dallas
US 377 in Denton. The highways travel concurrently through Denton.
US 377 / US 380 in Denton
I35 in Denton. The highways travel concurrently to south of Thackerville, Oklahoma.
US 82 in Gainesville
Oklahoma
US 70 in Ardmore
I35 north of Springer
I35 in Davis
I35 in Norman. The highways travel concurrently to Oklahoma City.
I240 / US 62 in Oklahoma City. US 62/US 77 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City.
I35 / I40 / I235 / US 62 / US 270 in Oklahoma City. I-235/US 77 travels concurrently through Oklahoma City.
I44 / I235 in Oklahoma City
I35 in Edmond. The highways travel concurrently to Guthrie.
I35 in Perry
US 64 in Perry. The highways travel concurrently through Perry.
US 412 north of Perry
US 60 in Tonkawa. The highways travel concurrently to Ponca City.
US 177 east-northeast of Tonkawa. The highways travel concurrently to Ponca City.
Kansas
US 166 in Arkansas City. The highways travel concurrently through Arkansas City.
US 160 in Winfield
US 54 / US 400 in Augusta. US 54/US 77 travels concurrently to El Dorado. US 77/US 400 travels concurrently to Pickrell Corner.
I35 north of El Dorado
US 50 in Florence. The highways travel concurrently around a roundabout in Florence.
US 56 east-northeast of Marion. The highways travel concurrently to east of Herington.
I70 / US 40 in Junction City.
US 24 north of Riley. The highways travel concurrently to east of Riley.
US 36 in Marysville. The highways travel concurrently through Marysville.
Nebraska
US 136 in Beatrice
US 6 in Lincoln
I80 in Lincoln. The highways travel concurrently to north-northeast of Lincoln.
I180 / US 34 in Lincoln
US 30 / US 275 north of Fremont. US 77/US 275 travels concurrently to south of Winslow.
US 75 in Winnebago. The highways travel concurrently to South Sioux City.
I129 / US 20 / US 75 in South Sioux City
Iowa
I29 in Sioux City

See also

Bannered and suffixed routes

References

  1. 1 2 Droz, Robert V. U.S. Highways : From US 1 to (US 830). URL accessed 22:46, 20 February 2006 (UTC).
  2. "End of US highway 77". USEnds.com. Retrieved October 9, 2014.
  3. 1 2 Kennedy, Richie. Kansas Highways Routelog. Route56. URL accessed March 6, 2007.
  4. "2009 Volume of Traffic on the Primary Road System of Iowa" (PDF). Iowa Department of Transportation. January 1, 2009. Retrieved October 2, 2010.
  5. "Hwy 77 Wahoo Bypass". Nebraska Department of Roads. Retrieved 24 February 2014.
Browse numbered routes
SH 75TXSH 77
K-76KSK-78
I-76NEN-78
Iowa 76IAIowa 78
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