Interstate 77

Route description

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South Carolina

Main article: Interstate 77 in South Carolina

I-77 begins as an eight-lane highway at I-26 in the far southwestern part of the Columbia metropolitan area. In the Columbia area, I-77 offers 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.

After leaving the northern Columbia suburb of Blythewood, I-77 narrows to four lanes until it widens to eight lanes at Rock Hill from exit 77 to the North Carolina state line at I-485.

The final section of the entire length of I-77 was completed in Columbia in 1995.

North Carolina

Main article: Interstate 77 in North Carolina

I-77 through North Carolina begins at the South Carolina state line at Pineville. It narrows to six lanes on the North Carolina side south of Charlotte and then widens to 8 and 10 lanes through downtown before entering the North Carolina Piedmont region. In Charlotte, it intersects I-85 as well as intersecting each of the loops of I-485 and I-277 (twice). North of Charlotte, it skirts Lake Norman where it narrows again to four lanes before passing through Huntersville, Cornelius, Davidson, and Mooresville. At Statesville, 40 mi north of I-85, it intersects I-40 and US 70. Next, it crosses over US 421 in Yadkin County and continues on through Elkin. The final intersection in the state is with a discontinuous section of I-74 near Mount Airy.

I-77 in Charlotte 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. A 6 mi 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.

North Carolina completed its section of I-77 in 1975.

Virginia

Main article: Interstate 77 in Virginia

I-77 through Virginia passes through two tunnels: the Big Walker and East River mountain tunnels. For 8 mi, I-77 and I-81 overlap near Wytheville. This is a wrong-way concurrency, where two roads run concurrent with each other but are designated in opposite directions. For its entire length in Virginia, I-77 is either parallel to or concurrent with US 52. It will have a concurrency with I-74 throughout the state.

On March 31, 2013, there was a nearly 100-car pileup on I-77 near Fancy Gap; as a result of that crash, electronic variable speed limit signs are now in place along that stretch of I-77. The speed limit can be adjusted according to driving conditions at any given time.

West Virginia

Main article: Interstate 77 in West Virginia

I-77 enters West Virginia through the East River Mountain Tunnel. At milepost 9, I-77 becomes cosigned with the West Virginia Turnpike for the next 88 mi, a toll road between Princeton and Charleston. It is concurrent with I-64 to Charleston at Beckley. The speed limit is 70 mph for most of the length, with a 60 mph limit for the section between Marmet and the toll plaza near Pax.

It enters Charleston via the Yeager Bridge before splitting off at a four-level junction with I-64. 2 mi north of the city center, it junctions with I-79, before proceeding north to Ripley and Parkersburg.

North of Charleston, I-77 is known as the Korean War Veterans Memorial Highway.

Ohio

Main article: Interstate 77 in Ohio

Entering from West Virginia at Marietta, I-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 300 acre.

I-77 continues north through Canton and then Akron, where it connects with I-76. The interchange with I-80, the Ohio Turnpike, between Akron and Cleveland was completed in December 2001; previously, traffic had to exit at State Route 21 (SR 21) to access the turnpike. I-77 ends at I-90 in Cleveland.

I-77 is also known as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway in Ohio and the Willow Freeway in Greater Cleveland.

History

Junction list

;South Carolina : in Cayce : in Cayce : in Columbia : on the Woodfield–Dentsville CDP line : in Dentsville : south of Blythewood : on the Lesslie–Rock Hill line : in Rock Hill : north of Fort Mill. The highways travel concurrently to Charlotte, North Carolina. ;North Carolina : in Charlotte : in Charlotte : in Charlotte : in Charlotte : in Charlotte : in Huntersville : in Cornelius. The highways travel concurrently to Mooresville. : southeast of Troutman : in Statesville : in Statesville : north of Statesville : west-northwest of Hamptonville : south-southeast of Jonesville. The highways travel concurrently to Elkin. : west-southwest of Pine Ridge. The highways travel concurrently to the Virginia state line north-northwest of Pine Ridge. ;Virginia : in Woodlawn : in Fort Chiswell. The highways travel concurrently to Wytheville. : in Fort Chiswell. The highways travel concurrently to Wytheville. : west of Bland : in Rocky Gap : north-northwest of Rocky Gap. The highways travel concurrently to Bluefield, West Virginia. ;West Virginia : east-southeast of Princeton : south-southeast of Camp Creek : southeast of Crab Orchard. The highways travel concurrently to Charleston. : southeast of Snow Hill. The highways travel concurrently to Charleston. : northeast of Charleston : in Ripley. The highways travel concurrently to Silverton. : east of Parkersburg ;Ohio : in Marietta : south-southeast of Cambridge : east of Cambridge : northeast of Cambridge : in Newcomerstown : in New Philadelphia. The highways travel concurrently to south-southeast of Strasburg. : in Canton. I-77/US 62 travels concurrently through Canton. : south of Akron : in Akron. I-76 and I-77 travel concurrently through Akron. : West of Akron : in Richfield : on the Richfield–Brecksville line : on the Independence–Brooklyn Heights line : in Cleveland : in Cleveland : in Cleveland

Auxiliary routes

• I-277 – Charlotte, North Carolina
• I-277 – Akron, Ohio

References

References

1. Starks, Edward. (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". [[Federal Highway Administration]].
2. "Cayce, SC". City of Cayce.
3. AppalachianMagazine. (December 18, 2015). "Virginia & West Virginia's Shared Tunnel".
4. (December 29, 2014). "Road trip: the alternate route to Florida".
5. Exner, Rich. (December 2, 2001). "Turnpike ramps to I-77 open tomorrow". [[The Plain Dealer]].
6. (December 3, 2001). "Ohio Turnpike, I-77 Interchange Opens To Traffic". [[WEWS-TV]].
7. "5533.37 Vietnam Veterans' of America highway". [[Ohio Revised Code]].
8. (June 20, 1997). "Willow Freeway". [[Case Western Reserve University]].
9. Rand McNally. (2014). "The Road Atlas". [[Rand McNally]].