U.S. Route 77 Alternate (Texas)
Encyclopedia
U.S. Highway 77 Alternate is a north–south auxiliary route
of U.S. Highway 77, located entirely within the state of Texas
. The route was commissioned in 1953, when US 77 was rerouted in southeast Texas.
; also begins at this point, and runs concurrently with US 77 Alternate for approximately 60.9 miles (98 km). While US 77 runs to the northeast towards Victoria, US 183/77 Alt. travel more to the north, through unincorporated Refugio County and into Goliad County. The routes intersect south of Goliad
, and run concurrently until they reach downtown Goliad and ; US 183/77 Alt. continue to the north, while westbound SH 239 turns onto southbound US 59. North of Goliad, past a junction with , the US routes begin to travel slightly toward the northeast. The next major city is Cuero
in DeWitt County
; in a wrong-way concurrency, southbound merges on to northbound US 183/77 Alt., and the three US routes stay merged until US 87 separates in downtown Cuero. North of Cuero, US 183 finally separates from US 77 Alt.; US 183 turns to the northwest, while US 77 Alt. turns sharply to the northeast, toward Lavaca County and Yoakum
. West of Hallettsville
, US 77 Alt. merges onto , and the two routes stay merged until downtown Hallettsville, where the US 77 Alt. ends at another intersection with US 77.
in Yoakum
. Officially designated by TxDOT as Business US 77-Q, it is signed with two auxiliary banners as Business Alternate US 77. The route was originally established as in 1939, and was redesignated in 1991. The route begins at US 77 Alternate south of Yoakum, then travels northwest into the city along Huck Street. It then turns north along Irvine Street, and has a brief concurrency with . It then turns northwest along Gonzales Street to an intersection with mainline US 77 Alternate.
Auxiliary route
In road transportation, a special route is a prefixed and/or suffixed numbered road that forms a loop or spur of a more dominant route of the same route number and system. The dominant route is generally referred to as the "parent" or "mainline", while special routes are also unofficially or...
of U.S. Highway 77, located entirely within the state of Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The route was commissioned in 1953, when US 77 was rerouted in southeast Texas.
Route description
US 77 Alternate begins at an intersection with US 77 in RefugioRefugio, Texas
Refugio is a town in Refugio County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,941 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Refugio County. Although the town's name is derived from Spanish, a vast majority of the town's residents pronounce it re-fury-oh. The Spanish pronunciation is...
; also begins at this point, and runs concurrently with US 77 Alternate for approximately 60.9 miles (98 km). While US 77 runs to the northeast towards Victoria, US 183/77 Alt. travel more to the north, through unincorporated Refugio County and into Goliad County. The routes intersect south of Goliad
Goliad, Texas
Goliad is a city in Goliad County, Texas, United States. It had a population of 1975 at the 2000 census. Founded on the San Antonio River, it is the county seat of Goliad County. It is part of the Victoria, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area. Goliad is located on U.S. Highway 59, named also for...
, and run concurrently until they reach downtown Goliad and ; US 183/77 Alt. continue to the north, while westbound SH 239 turns onto southbound US 59. North of Goliad, past a junction with , the US routes begin to travel slightly toward the northeast. The next major city is Cuero
Cuero, Texas
Cuero is a city in DeWitt County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,571 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of DeWitt County. It is also unofficially known as the "turkey capital of the world"...
in DeWitt County
DeWitt County, Texas
DeWitt County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 20,013. DeWitt County is named for Green DeWitt, who founded an early colony in Texas. The seat of the county is Cuero. It was founded in 1846.-Geography:...
; in a wrong-way concurrency, southbound merges on to northbound US 183/77 Alt., and the three US routes stay merged until US 87 separates in downtown Cuero. North of Cuero, US 183 finally separates from US 77 Alt.; US 183 turns to the northwest, while US 77 Alt. turns sharply to the northeast, toward Lavaca County and Yoakum
Yoakum, Texas
Yoakum is a city in DeWitt and Lavaca Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 5,731 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Yoakum is located at ....
. West of Hallettsville
Hallettsville, Texas
Hallettsville is a city in Lavaca County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,345 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Lavaca County. The town is home to the Texas Championship Domino Hall of Fame and also hosts a dominoes tournament every year in January...
, US 77 Alt. merges onto , and the two routes stay merged until downtown Hallettsville, where the US 77 Alt. ends at another intersection with US 77.
History
The original routing of US 77 was to the southwest from Hallettsville, via Yoakum and Cuero, and then to the southeast to Victoria concurrent with US 87. In 1953, US 77 was transferred to the more direct north–south route to the east, replacing SH 295 between Hallettsville and Victoria; the original route from Hallettsville to Cuero was designated US 77 Alternate. In order to have it connect with US 77 at both ends, US 77 Alternate was designated to run concurrently with US 183 (which had been renumbered from SH 29 in 1952) from Cuero to its southern terminus in Refugio.Major intersections
Auxiliary route
US 77 Alternate has one business routeBusiness route
A business route in the United States and Canada is a short special route connected to a parent numbered highway at its beginning, then routed through the central business district of a nearby city or town, and finally reconnecting with the same parent numbered highway again at its...
in Yoakum
Yoakum, Texas
Yoakum is a city in DeWitt and Lavaca Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 5,731 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Yoakum is located at ....
. Officially designated by TxDOT as Business US 77-Q, it is signed with two auxiliary banners as Business Alternate US 77. The route was originally established as in 1939, and was redesignated in 1991. The route begins at US 77 Alternate south of Yoakum, then travels northwest into the city along Huck Street. It then turns north along Irvine Street, and has a brief concurrency with . It then turns northwest along Gonzales Street to an intersection with mainline US 77 Alternate.