Interstate 77
93076
225162538
2008-07-12T05:57:37Z
Mirage45331
5717850
changed US 312 to 321
{{Infobox Interstate|article_route=77|type=Main|map=Interstate 77 map.png|route_type=reg|direction_a=South|direction_b=North|length_mi=611|length_km=984|year_established=|terminus_a=[[Image:I-26.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 26|I-26]] to [[Image:US 21.svg|20px]][[Image:US 176.svg|25px]][[Image:US 321.svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 21|US 21]]/[[U.S. Route 176|US 176]]/[[U.S. Route 321|US 321]] near [[Columbia, SC]]|terminus_b=[[Image:I-90.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 90|I-90]] in [[Cleveland, OH]]|junction=[[Image:I-20.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 20|I-20]] near [[Columbia, SC]]<br>[[Image:I-85.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 85|I-85]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]<br>[[Image:I-40.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 40 in North Carolina|I-40]] in [[Statesville, NC]]<br>[[Image:I-74.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 74|I-74]] near [[Mount Airy, NC]]<br>[[Image:I-81.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 81|I-81]] near [[Wytheville, VA]]<br>[[Image:I-64.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 64|I-64]] near [[Beckley, WV]]<br>[[Image:I-70.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 70|I-70]] in [[Cambridge, OH]]<br>[[Image:I-80.svg|20px]] [[Image:OhioTurnpike.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 80|I-80]] in [[Richfield, Ohio|Richfield, OH]]
|commons=category
}}
'''Interstate 77''' (abbreviated '''I-77''') is an [[interstate highway]] in the eastern [[United States]]. It traverses diverse terrain, from the mountainous state of [[West Virginia]] to the rolling farmlands of [[North Carolina]] and [[Ohio]]. It largely supplants the old [[U.S. Highway 21]] between [[Cleveland, Ohio]], and [[Columbia, South Carolina]], as one of the best north-south corridors through the middle [[Appalachian Mountains|Appalachians]]. The southern terminus of Interstate 77 is in Columbia at the junction with [[Interstate 26]]. The northern terminus is in Cleveland at the junction with [[Interstate 90]].
The [[East River Mountain Tunnel]] is one of only two instances in the United States where a mountain ''road'' tunnel crosses a state line. The other one is the [[Cumberland Gap Tunnel]], connecting [[Tennessee]] and [[Kentucky]].
== Route description ==
{{lengths table}}
|-
|[[Interstate 77 (South Carolina)|SC]]
|90
|145
|-
|[[Interstate 77 (North Carolina)|NC]]
|105
|169
|-
||[[Interstate 77 (Virginia)|VA]]
|67
|108
|-
|[[Interstate 77 (West Virginia)|WV]]
|187
|301
|-
|[[Interstate 77 (Ohio)|OH]]
|163
|262
|-
|Total
|611
|984
|}
{| class="infobox" width="230px"
!style="background: #ccf;"|<big>Major cities</big><br><small>'''Bolded cities''' are officially-designated [[control city|control cities]] for signs</small>
|-
|
*'''[[Charleston, South Carolina]]''' (via I-26)
*'''[[Columbia, South Carolina]]'''
*[[Rock Hill, South Carolina]]
*'''[[Charlotte, North Carolina]]'''
*'''[[Statesville, North Carolina]]'''
*[[Elkin, North Carolina]]
*[[Fort Chiswell, Virginia]]
*'''[[Wytheville, Virginia]]'''
*'''[[Bluefield, West Virginia]]'''
*'''[[Beckley, West Virginia]]'''
*'''[[Charleston, West Virginia]]'''
<!--*'''[[Ripley, West Virginia]]''' not a control city! Or even a major city. -->
*'''[[Parkersburg, West Virginia]]'''
*'''[[Marietta, Ohio]]'''
*'''[[Canton, Ohio]]'''
*'''[[Akron, Ohio]]'''
*'''[[Cleveland, Ohio]]'''
|}
=== South Carolina ===
{{main|Interstate 77 in South Carolina}}
I-77 begins as a six-lane highway at I-26 in the far southeastern part of the Columbia metropolitan area. The Columbia skyline is visible from this interchange. In the Columbia area, I-77 offers easy access to [[Fort Jackson]] before meeting I-20 in the northeastern part of the city. This segment of I-77, combined with I-20 and I-26, form a beltway around Columbia, though it is not officially designated as such. In the Columbia area, the control city for northbound traffic is Charlotte, North Carolina, while the control city for southbound traffic is Charleston, South Carolina.
After leaving the northern Columbia suburb of Blythewood, I-77 narrows to four lanes until [[Rock Hill, South Carolina|Rock Hill]]. From Exit 75 near Rock Hill to the North Carolina state line, the highway widens to eight lanes following a recent widening project. The final exit in South Carolina, Exit 90, takes motorists to Carowinds, an amusement park that was built along the North and South Carolina state line.
=== North Carolina ===
{{main|Interstate 77 in North Carolina}}
Interstate 77 through [[North Carolina]] begins at the South Carolina state line at [[Pineville, North Carolina|Pineville]] where the [[Carowinds|Carowinds theme park]] is visible. It then travels south of [[Charlotte, North Carolina|Charlotte]] and through downtown before entering [[Piedmont (United States)|piedmont]] North Carolina. In Charlotte it intersects [[Interstate 85]] as well as intersecting each of the loops of [[Interstate 485]] and [[Interstate 277 (North Carolina)|Interstate 277]] (twice). North of Charlotte, it skirts [[Lake Norman]], while passing through [[Huntersville, North Carolina|Huntersville]], [[Cornelius, North Carolina|Cornelius]], [[Davidson, North Carolina|Davidson]] and [[Mooresville, North Carolina|Mooresville]]. Forty miles north of Interstate 85, at [[Statesville, North Carolina|Statesville]] it intersects [[Interstate 40]]. The final intersection is with a discontinuous section of [[Interstate 74]] near [[Mount Airy, North Carolina|Mount Airy]] within sight of the Southern Blue Ridge that Interstate 77 will climb shortly after leaving the state of North Carolina.
Interstate 77 in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]] is also known as the "Bill Lee Freeway"; this designation stretches from Exit 6 (South Tryon Street/Woodlawn Road) in Charlotte to Exit 33 (US 21 North), near [[Mooresville, North Carolina|Mooresville]]. A 6-mile (9.6-km) portion south of the city is called the "General Younts Expressway". When I-77 crosses over I-85 (which runs in an east-west direction through the interchange), the northbound lanes are to the west of the southbound lanes. Likewise, southbound I-77 is to the east of northbound I-77.
=== Virginia ===
[[Image:I77NCline.jpg|thumb|right|250px|I-77 entering North Carolina from Virginia]]
[[Image:Pilot Mt from I-77 near Fancy Gap.JPG|thumb|right|250px|[[Pilot Mountain (North Carolina)|Pilot Mountain]] in the distant haze, from I-77 near [[Fancy Gap, Virginia]].]]
{{main|Interstate 77 in Virginia}}
Interstate 77 through Virginia passes through two tunnels. The [[Big Walker Mountain Tunnel]] and the [[East River Mountain Tunnel]] provide quick interstate access with minimal environmental disruption. For eight miles (13 km), Interstate 77 [[Wrong-way concurrency|overlaps]] with [[Interstate 81]] near [[Wytheville, Virginia|Wytheville]]. This is a [[wrong-way concurrency]], where two roads run concurrent with each other but are designated in opposite directions.
The highway passes through "Virginia's Technology Corridor" despite its very rural and isolated settings. Outside of [[Wytheville, Virginia|Wytheville]], there is little in the way of development.
=== West Virginia ===
{{main|Interstate 77 in West Virginia}}
{{seealso|List of roads in Charleston, West Virginia}}
Interstate 77 enters from [[Virginia]] through the [[East River Mountain Tunnel]]. At milepost 9, Interstate 77 becomes co-signed with the [[West Virginia Turnpike]] for the next 88 miles (142 km), a [[toll road]] between [[Princeton, West Virginia|Princeton]] and [[Charleston, West Virginia|Charleston]]. It is concurrent with [[Interstate 64]] to Charleston at [[Beckley, West Virginia|Beckley]]. The speed limit is 70 MPH for most of the length, with a 60 MPH limit for the section between [[Marmet, West Virginia|Marmet]] and the toll plaza near [[Pax, West Virginia|Pax]].
It enters Charleston via the Yeager Bridge and passes by the state capitol complex before splitting off at a four-level junction with Interstate 64 in the downtown. Two miles north of the city center, it junctions with [[Interstate 79]] before proceeding northward towards [[Ripley, West Virginia|Ripley]] and [[Parkersburg, West Virginia|Parkersburg]]. It leaves the state at [[Williamstown, West Virginia|Williamstown]] for [[Ohio]].
North of Charleston, Interstate 77 is known as the "Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway". Within the city limits of Charleston, it is labeled as the "Nurse Veterans Memorial Highway" although not signed or mentioned as such. The toll-free section south of Princeton to Virginia is known as the "[[Hugh Ike Shott]] Memorial Highway" although no signage exists to identify it as such. In practice, none of these terms are used by the general public.
=== Ohio ===
[[Image:Picture 1223.jpg|thumb|right|250px|I-90 East approaching I-77 interchange in [[Downtown Cleveland|downtown]] [[Cleveland, Ohio|Cleveland]] ]]
Entering from [[West Virginia]] at [[Marietta, Ohio|Marietta]], Interstate 77 passes through rolling Appalachian terrain.
The interchange with I-70 at Cambridge is (or at least at one time was) thought to be the largest interchange in the world, covering over {{convert|300|acre|km2}} of land.
Other major interstate highways I-77 connects with in Ohio are I-76, I-80 (Ohio Turnpike), and I-90.
The interchange with the Ohio Turnpike was completed in the early 2000s, providing direct access-previously traffic had to exit at [[Ohio State Route 21]] to get to the Turnpike.
Interstate 77 is also known as the "Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway" in Ohio.
==History==
In [[South Carolina]], the southern terminus of Interstate 77 near [[Columbia, South Carolina]] was originally the interchange with [[South Carolina Highway 12|SC 12]] (Percival Road) with mile markers signed accordingly. In 1986, an interstate spur to be named [[Interstate 326 (South Carolina)|Interstate 326]] between [[South Carolina Highway 760|SC 760]] ([[Fort Jackson]] Boulevard) and [[Interstate 26]] was planned. The decision to extend Interstate 77 from SC 12 and SC 760 (five miles between the two roads) was made before I-326 was opened, so the southern portion was never signed as such and the mile markers for Interstate 77 were adjusted accordingly when the extension was opened in 1995. (Prior to this, southbound traffic on I-77 was detoured, by "Temporary I-77" signage, via I-20 and I-26 to bypass Columbia.) Because of this, SC 12 and Interstate 77 run parallel for a stretch of three miles (5 km) from Exit 15 until Exit 12. This added a northbound exit only at the {{convert|13|mi|km|sing=on}} point at Decker Boulevard.
The part of [[Interstate 94 (Michigan)|Interstate 94]] from [[Detroit, MI|Detroit]] northeast to [[Port Huron, Michigan]] was originally planned as I-77 in 1957; the current I-77 was I-79.<ref>[[:Image:Interstate Highway plan August 14, 1957.jpg|Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways]], [[August 14]], [[1957]]</ref> When the current [[Interstate 79]] was added in [[Pennsylvania]], the I-77 designation was moved to its current route, but the I-77 in Michigan also remained in the 1958 numbering plan.<ref>[[:Image:Interstate Highway plan June 27, 1958.jpg|Official Route Numbering for the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways]], [[June 27]], [[1958]]</ref> It soon became part of I-94.
== Major intersections ==
[[Image:IMG 29931.JPG|right|thumb|300px|The southern terminus of I-77 at I-26]]
*[[Interstate 26]] near [[Columbia, South Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 20]] near [[Columbia, South Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 485]] in Charlotte, which is the city's outerbelt
*[[Interstate 277 (North Carolina)|Interstate 277]] in Charlotte, which is the beltway of the city's downtown area
*[[Interstate 85]] in [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 40 in North Carolina|Interstate 40]] in [[Statesville, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 74]] runs concurrently for 4 miles (6.4 km) near [[Mount Airy, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 81]] runs concurrently for 9 miles (14.5 km) around [[Wytheville, Virginia]]
*[[Interstate 64]] in [[Beckley, West Virginia]]. They stay joined until [[Charleston, West Virginia]].
*[[Interstate 79]] in [[Charleston, West Virginia]]
*[[Interstate 70]] in [[Cambridge, Ohio]]
*[[Interstate 277 (Ohio)|Interstate 277]] in [[Akron, Ohio]] (a connector route to [[Interstate 76 (east)|Interstate 76]] on the south side of Akron)
*[[Interstate 76 (east)|Interstate 76]] in [[Akron, Ohio]] (I-76 runs concurrently with I-77 for a few miles in downtown Akron)
*[[Interstate 271]] in [[Richfield, Ohio]]
*[[Interstate 80]] in [[Richfield, Ohio|Richfield]]/[[Brecksville, Ohio|Brecksville]], [[Ohio]]
*[[Interstate 480 (Ohio)|Interstate 480]] in [[Independence, Ohio]]
*[[Interstate 490 (Ohio)|Interstate 490]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]]
*[[Interstate 90]] in [[Cleveland, Ohio]]
==Auxiliary routes==
*[[Interstate 277 (North Carolina)|I-277]] - [[Charlotte, North Carolina]]
*[[Interstate 277 (Ohio)|I-277]] - [[Akron, Ohio]]
{{3di|77}}
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{interstates}}
[[Category:Interstate 77| ]]
[[Category:Interstate Highway System|77]]
[[Category:Interstate Highways in Ohio|77]]