Arkansas Highway 77
{{short description|State highway in Arkansas, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox road
|state=AR
|type=AR
|route=77
|map=Arkansas 77.png
|length_mi=66.381
|length_round=2
|length_ref={{Cite map |author= ((Transportation Planning and Policy Division)) |sections= |publisher= Arkansas Department of Transportation |title= State Highway Route and Section Map, Crittenden County, Arkansas |location= Little Rock |url= https://ardot-gis-imagery.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/PLAN/GIS/MAPS/COUNTY_MAPS_RAS/Crittenden_RAS.pdf |date=September 17, 2021 |scale= 1:62,500 |accessdate= November 27, 2022 }}{{Cite map |author= ((Transportation Planning and Policy Division)) |sections= |publisher= Arkansas Department of Transportation |title= State Highway Route and Section Map, Mississippi County, Arkansas |location= Little Rock |url= https://ardot-gis-imagery.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/PLAN/GIS/MAPS/COUNTY_MAPS_RAS/Mississippi_RAS.pdf |date=March 23, 2022 |scale= 1:62,500 |accessdate= November 27, 2022 }}
|established=April 1, 1926{{cite ArDOT map |year= 1926 |access-date=July 20, 2022 }}
|direction_a=South
|terminus_a={{jct|state=AR|US|70}} in West Memphis
|junction={{jct|state=AR|I|40|I|55|US|61|US|64|US|78|US|79}} in West Memphis
{{jct|state=AR|I|55|US|61|US|78}} in Turrell
{{jct|state=AR|I|555}} from Turrell to Gilmore
{{jct|state=AR|US|78|AR|18}} through Manila
|direction_b=North
|terminus_b={{jct|state=MO|MO|108}} at the Missouri state line
|counties=Crittenden, Mississippi
|previous_type=AR
|previous_route=76
|next_type=US
|next_route=78
}}
Highway 77 (AR 77, Ark. 77, and Hwy. 77) is a north–south state highway in Northeast Arkansas. The route of {{convert|66.70|mi|km}} runs from US Highway 70 (US 70) in West Memphis north through small towns and agricultural areas of the Arkansas Delta to Missouri Route 108 at the Missouri state line. It is generally a low-traffic road except in West Memphis. Created during the 1926 Arkansas state highway numbering, the route was extended in the 1950s and 1960s, including along a former alignment of US 61. AR 77 does not have any spur or business routes.
Between West Memphis and Turrell, the highway is part of the Great River Road National Scenic Byway. The route is maintained by the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT).
Route description
ArDOT maintains AR 77 as part of the state highway system. ArDOT estimates the traffic level for a segment of roadway was highest just south of the I-40 junction in West Memphis, estimated at 21,000 vehicles per day in 2021, on average. It dropped to 15,000 VPD north of the interstate and continues to drop north, to 8,800 VPD, 1,400 VPD at James Mill, to 820 at Turrell. In Mississippi County, traffic was below 400 VPD south of Athelstan, and ranges between 440-1800 north of it (excluding concurrencies).{{Cite map |author = System Information & Research Division |publisher = Arkansas Department of Transportation |title = Annual Average Daily Traffic Estimates |url = https://gis.ardot.gov/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=7c81a313f4174b99b2a01713c328bb7a |year = 2021 |access-date = November 19, 2022 }} For reference, roads under 400 VPD are classified as "very low volume local road" by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO).{{Cite book |author = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |title = Guidelines for Geometric Design of Low-Volume Roads |publisher = American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials |year = 2019 |edition = 2nd |location = Washington, DC |pages = 2–8 |oclc = 1140203768 |isbn = 978-1-56051-726-9 }}
A small segment of AR 77 in West Memphis is part of the National Highway System (NHS),{{cite web |url = https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Road-Log-Database.zip |title = Arkansas Road Log Database |author = Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |year = 2015 |publisher = Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |format = MDB |access-date = March 27, 2016 }} a network of roads important to the nation's economy, defense, and mobility.{{cite web |first1 = Stefan |last1 = Natzke |first2 = Mike |last2 = Neathery |first3 = Kevin |last3 = Adderly |url = https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/planning/national_highway_system/ |title = What is the National Highway System? |work = National Highway System |publisher = Federal Highway Administration |date = June 29, 2017 |access-date = July 15, 2018 |name-list-style = amp }}
AR 77 begins at US 70 (Broadway/Great River Road) in West Memphis, a suburb within the Memphis metropolitan area. The route runs north as Missouri Street and the Great River Road, beginning near the Wilson Power and Light Company Ice Plant{{NRISref|2013a|dateform=mdy|accessdate=July 30, 2022|refnum=09001244|name=Wilson Power and Light Company Ice Plant}} and one block north of the former West Memphis City Hall.{{NRISref|2013a|dateform=mdy|accessdate=July 30, 2022|refnum=10000444|name=West Memphis City Hall}} Continuing through a commercial area, AR 77 crosses Ten Mile Bayou and passes West Memphis Christian School before an intersection with I-40/I-55/US 61/US 64/US 78/US 79.{{Cite map |author= ((Transportation Planning and Policy Division)) |date=December 2016 |title=Map of Marion, Sunset, and West Memphis, Crittenden County, Arkansas |scale= 1:12,000 |publisher= Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |location= Little Rock |url= https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/marion_sunset_westmemphis_city.pdf |sections= A5, B5, C5-C6, D6, E7-J7 |accessdate= August 20, 2022 }} The highway passes underneath the freeway, briefly jogging along a service road and crossing the BNSF Railway before continuing northbound. Now in an industrial area known as Pressley Junction,{{Cite map |author = DeLorme |year = 2018 |map = |title = Arkansas Atlas & Gazetteer |edition = 5th |scale = 1:127,000 |location = Yarmouth, Maine |publisher = DeLorme |page = 70 |isbn = 9781946494207 |oclc = 1066245581 }} AR 77 serves as the northern terminus of AR 191 (7th Street) before crossing the Union Pacific Railway tracks and entering Marion. AR 77/GRR wind through the city to downtown Marion, where it intersects Military Road, which goes to US 64 near Marion City Hall. Continuing northbound, AR 77/GRR passes the historic Marion Colored High School in the small town of Sunset.
The highway continues north, paralleling the BNSF railway into a rural area, passing through the small communities of James Mill, Jericho, and Clarkedale, serving as the eastern terminus of AR 50 (Clarkedale Road) in the latter. Continuing north, AR 77/GRR passes along the west side of the Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuge (NWR), crossing Big Creek, entering the city of Turrell, and intersecting AR 42, which serves as the entrance to the NWR. The routes run along the west side of Turrell, passing the former Turrell High School before entering a large interchange. AR 77 first intersects US 61, with the Great River Road turning onto US 61 north, as well as an on-ramp to I-55 southbound/US 78 eastbound. US 61/AR 77 continue north to an on-ramp to I-55/US 61 northbound/US 78 westbound; now alone, AR 77 becomes an on-ramp for the beginning of I-555. The two routes run together as a freeway to exit 2, where AR 77 exits I-555 east into Gilmore. The route then turns south and runs as a frontage road along I-555, curving along I-55/US 78 and eventually becoming a section line road facing due north toward Mississippi County.{{Cite map |author= ((Transportation Planning and Policy Division)) |sections= |publisher= Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |title= General Highway Map, Crittenden County, Arkansas |location= Little Rock |url= https://ardot-gis-imagery.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/PLAN/GIS/MAPS/COUNTY_MAPS_GHM/CrittendenCounty.pdf |orig-year=January 2, 2007 |date=March 22, 2016 |edition=Revised |scale= 1:62,500 |oclc=910967299 |accessdate= November 16, 2022 }}
File:I-55 & US 61, I-555, AR 77 interchange, Gilmore, AR.png
AR 77 passes through a rural area of the Arkansas Delta, briefly overlapping AR 308 near Birdsong and crossing AR 118 and the Tyronza River. It passes near the Johnny Cash Boyhood Home before a junction with AR 14. Continuing north, AR 77 serves as the eastern of both AR 198 near Bondsville and AR 297 near West Ridge. The route turns right at AR 140 in Etowah, forming a concurrency eastbound to Athelstan, where AR 77 turns left, breaking the concurrency. Continuing northbound, AR 77 serves as the eastern terminus of AR 136 at Carroll's Corner, briefly overlaps AR 158 at Floodway, passes through the unincorporated community of Shady Grove, and forms a short overlap with US 78/AR 18 in the small town of Manila. AR 77 continues north to a junction with AR 119 at Poplar Corner. The two routes form a wrong-way concurrency westbound to Leachville, where the concurrency ends at Main Street, with AR 77 turning north and continuing to the Missouri state line, where the road continues as Route 108.{{Cite map |author= ((Transportation Planning and Policy Division)) |sections= |publisher= Arkansas Department of Transportation |title= General Highway Map, Mississippi County, Arkansas |location= Little Rock |url= https://ardot-gis-imagery.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/PLAN/GIS/MAPS/COUNTY_MAPS_GHM/MississippiCounty.pdf |orig-year=May 3, 2006 |date=April 1, 2022 |edition=Revised |scale= 1:62,500 |oclc=914805629 |accessdate= November 16, 2022 }}
History
Highway 77 was created in the 1926 Arkansas state highway numbering as one of the original state highways between State Road 40 between Etowah and West Ridge and Missouri.{{Cite map |publisher= [Arkansas] State Highway Department |title= Map Adopted by State Legislature as State Highway System, Mississippi County |url= https://geostor-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/maps%2FAHTD%2FHISTORIC%2FMississippi_County%2Fmmiss_SHS_1929.TIF |date=1929 |access-date= November 16, 2022 }} The southern terminus was switched from West Ridge to Athelstan on the 1952 state highway map.{{cite ArDOT map |date=1951-07 |section=B9 |access-date=November 27, 2022 }}{{cite ArDOT map |year=1952 |section=C12 |access-date=November 27, 2022 }}
A year later, a second segment of AR 77 was created between US 61 north of Turrell and Denwood.{{cite ArDOT map |year=1953 |section=C12 |access-date=November 27, 2022 }} On July 29, 1953, the Arkansas State Highway Commission extended the route along AR 14 and south to an area near Whitton.{{cite web |url=https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Mo53-69.pdf |format= PDF |title= Minutes of the Meeting of the Arkansas State Highway Commission |date= 1953–1969 |publisher=Arkansas State Highway Commission |location=Little Rock |accessdate= November 27, 2022 |oclc= 21798861 |page=2255 |ref={{harvid|"Minutes"|1953–69}}}} The route was extended along a former alignment of US 61 between Turrell and West Memphis on August 22, 1956.{{harvp|"Minutes"|1953–69|pp= 1661, 1919}}. In the 1960s, AR 77 was rerouted around downtown Manila, with the former alignment becoming AR 18 Business (AR 18B).{{harvp|"Minutes"|1953–69|pp= 676, 1045}}. On April 24, 1968, AR 77 was realigned onto a county road and replaced part of AR 136 through Bondsville at the request of the Mississippi county judge.{{harvp|"Minutes"|1953–69|p= 166}}.
A minor realignment took place at Manila following construction of a new AR 18 bypass in 2014.{{cite web |last=Bennett |first=Scott E. |url= https://www.ardot.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/060414_minute-orders.pdf |title= Minute Order 2014-071 |work= Administrative Circular 2014-08 |date= June 19, 2014 |publisher= Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department |location= Little Rock |pages= 12–14 |access-date= November 27, 2022 }}
Major intersections
Mile markers reset at concurrencies.
{{jcttop|state=AR|length_ref={{Cite map |orig-year=September 29, 2014 |edition=Updated |title= Arkansas Centerline File |url= http://gis.arkansas.gov/product/arkansas-centerline-file/ |date=May 13, 2022 |format= GIS Map |access-date= November 27, 2022 |publisher= Arkansas Department of Transformation and Shared Services |via= GIS Office }}{{#tag:ref| Although highways in the United States run from south to north and west to east, ArDOT lists mileposts running from north to south. |group="a"}}}}
{{ARint
|county=Crittenden
|cspan=9
|location=West Memphis
|lspan=3
|type=concur
|mile=17.845
|road={{jct|state=AR|US|70|GRR|dir2=south|name2=Broadway Avenue}}
|notes=Southern terminus; south end of GRR overlap
}}
{{ARint
|mile=16.27
|road={{jct|state=AR|I|40|I|55|name2=US 61 / US 64 / US 78 / US 79|city1=Little Rock|city2=Blytheville|location3=Memphis}}
|notes=I-40 exits 276 (eastbound) and 278 (westbound); I-55 exit 7 (southbound)
}}
{{ARint
|mile=15.83
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|191|dir1=south|name1=7th Street|to2=to|I|40|I|55|road|AFCO Road}}
}}
{{ARint
|location=Marion
|mile=12.81
|road={{jct|state=AR|road|Military Road| road|Mound City Road|to3=to|I|55|US|64|dir4=west}}{{#tag:ref| Military Road west of Highway 77 is US 64, even though the route also concurs with I-55/US 61/US 78 west of the intersection. This is a leftover alignment prior to building I-55.|group="a"}}
}}
{{ARint
|location=Clarkedale
|mile=5.89
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|50|dir1=west|name1=Clarkedale Road}}
}}
{{ARint
|location=Turrell
|lspan=3
|mile=1.87
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|42|to2=to|I|55|location1=Turrell Business District|location2=Wapanocca NWR Headquarters}}
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|mile=0.00
|road={{jct|state=AR|US|61|I|55|to2=yes|dir1=north|dir2=south|name2={{jct|state=AR|US|61|dir1=south|US|78|noshield=yes|dir2=east}}|name1=Great River Road|city1=Wilson|city2=Marion|city3=West Memphis}}
|notes=South end of US 61 overlap; north end of GRR overlap
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|mile=
|road={{jct|state=AR|I|55|name1={{jct|state=AR|noshield=yes|US|61|US|78|dir1=south}}|location1=Memphis|city2=Blytheville}}
{{jct|state=AR|I|555|dir1=begins}}
|notes=North end of US 61 overlap; southern terminus of I-555; I-55 exits 23B-A; I-555 exits 1B (north) and 1A (south); exit nos. not signed northbound; no northbound access to I-55 south
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|location=Gilmore
|mile=24.144
|road={{jct|state=AR|I|555|dir1=north|city1=Marked Tree|city2=Jonesboro|city3=Gilmore}}
|notes=North end of I-555 overlap; AR 77 north follows exit 2
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|county=Mississippi
|cspan=17
|location=Dimple
|mile=16.82
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|308|dir1=west|city1=Birdsong}}
|notes=South end of AR 308 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=15.90
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|308|dir1=east|city1=Frenchman's Bayou}}
|notes=North end of AR 308 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|location=none
|mile=13.38
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|118|city1=Tyronza|city2=Joiner}}
}}
{{ARint
|location=none
|mile=6.87
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|14|city1=Lepanto|city2=Wilson}}
}}
{{ARint
|location=none
|mile=4.39
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|198|dir1=west}}
}}
{{ARint
|location=none
|mile=1.01
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|297|CR|732|dir1=south|county2=Mississippi|dir2=east}}
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|location=Etowah
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|140|dir1=west|city1=Lepanto}}
|notes=South end of AR 140 overlap{{#tag:ref| Although Arkansas highways normally terminate when intersected by a route of greater importance, Highway 77 in Mississippi County ends when intersecting Highway 140 because the route was formerly numbered AR 40 prior to creation of I-40. |group="a"}}
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|location=Athelstan
|mile=12.189
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|140|CR|209|dir1=east|city1=Osceola|dir2=south|county2=Mississippi}}
|notes=North end of AR 140 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|location_special=Carroll's Corner
|mile=10.10
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|136|dir1=west|city1=Etowah}}
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|location=none
|mile=8.19
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|158|dir1=east|city1=Luxora}}
|notes=South end of AR 158 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|type=concur
|location=Floodway
|mile=6.67
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|158|dir1=west|city1=Caraway}}
|notes=North end of AR 158 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|location=none
|type=concur
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=AR|US|78|AR|18|dir1=east|dir2=east|city1=Blytheville}}
|notes=South end of US 78/AR 18 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|location=Manila
|lspan=2
|type=concur
|mile=12.203
|road={{jct|state=AR|US|78|AR|18|dir1=west|dir2=west}}
|notes=North end of US 78/AR 18 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|mile=11.93
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|18B|dab1=Manila|dir1=west|name1=West Lake Street}}
|notes=Former routing of AR 77
}}
{{ARint
|location=Poplar Corner
|type=concur
|mile=8.90
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|119|CR|180|dir1=north|dir2=east|location1=Buckeye}}
|notes=South end of AR 119 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|location=Leachville
|type=concur
|mile=4.27
|road={{jct|state=AR|AR|119|name1=Main Street|dir1=south|city1=Jonesboro}}
|notes=North end of AR 119 overlap
}}
{{ARint
|location=Arkmo
|mile=0.000
|road={{jct|state=MO|Route|108|dir1=north|city1=Cardwell}}
|notes=Continuation into Missouri
}}
{{jctbtm|keys=concur}}
See also
{{Portal|United States|U.S. Roads}}
Notes
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{Attached KML|display=title,inline}}
{{commons category-inline|Arkansas Highway 77}}
Category:Transportation in Crittenden County, Arkansas