Texas State Highway 44

State Highway 44 marker

State Highway 44
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Length: 128.9 mi[1] (207.4 km)
Existed: by 1938 – present
Major junctions
West end: US 83 near Encinal
 

I-35 in Encinal

I-69W / US 59 near Freer

I-69C / US 281 near Alice

I-69E / US 77 in Robstown
East end: SH 358 in Corpus Christi
Highway system
I-44I-45
FM 862FM 863RM 864

State Highway 44 (SH 44) is a Texas state highway that runs from west of Encinal to Corpus Christi, Texas. This highway is also known as the Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway outside the city limits of Robstown, Banquete, Agua Dulce, Alice, and Corpus Christi in Nueces and Jim Hogg counties.

History

SH 44 was originally proposed in 1919 as a connector route between Waco and Giddings. By 1926, construction was continuing on the highway, with the southern terminus extended south to LaGrange, and was concurrent with U.S. Highway 77 (US 77). By 1938, this route had been fully converted to US 77, with a new designation from Sinton to Alice, via Robstown over former SH 128. In 1939, the section from Sinton to Robstown was reassigned as an extension of SH 96 designation. The eastern terminus was shifted to Corpus Christi. The western terminus was then extended to Freer in 1940. The section west of Freer approximately 56.4 miles (90.8 km) was Farm to Market Road 863 (FM 863)[2] which traveled west to US 83 in Webb County, today's SH 44 terminus.

Image of FM 863 highway shield. The square shield has a white symbol in the shape of Texas as the state appears on maps on a black background. Inside this symbol is the number 863. The black background contains the word FARM in the upper right corner and the word ROAD in the lower left corner.

From 1948 to 1953, FM 863 went from Beaver Creek to the town of Hilda which became RM 648 and is now RM 783. FM 863 was designated over a new route and part of FM 133 from Encinal to Freer in 1953. Before 1955, FM 863 ended at the WebbLaSalle county Line. In 1990, FM 863 mileage was transferred to SH 44.

Possible future

A bill has been submitted by House Representative Blake Farenthold to Congress to approve turning SH 44 into an Interstate Highway. The bill is called H.R. 4523 or 44 to 69 Act of 2014.[3] The plans are to turn SH 44 into an interstate highway between Freer (where it will intersect I-69W) and Corpus Christi, Texas (about 73 miles (117 km)) in order to have a network of interstate highways connecting Laredo (the largest inland port on the United States–Mexican border) with Corpus Christi (a major seaport and manufacturing center). In Corpus Christi, SH 44 is already at interstate highway standard and it is a four-lane divided highway westward to the city of San Diego, Texas. The 23 miles (37 km) from San Diego to Freer is a two-lane section.[4]

Major intersections

CountyLocationmikmDestinationsNotes
Webb 0.00.0 US 83 Laredo, Carrizo SpringsWestern terminus
La SalleEncinal BL I-35 south (Main Street) to I-35 south Encinal, LaredoWest end of I-35 Bus. overlap
I-35 Cotulla, San Antonio, LaredoEast end of I-35 Bus. overlap; I-35 exit 39
Duval  US 59 south LaredoWest end of US 59 overlap; Future I-69W South.
Freer SH 16 Tilden, Hebbronville, Falfurrias
  US 59 north George West, HoustonEast end of US 59 overlap; Future I-69W North.
  FM 3196 south / County Road 330 – Los Reyes, La Rosita, Benavides
San Diego SH 359 west HebbronvilleWest end of SH 359 overlap
Jim Wells  FM 625 east
  FM 2507 south
  US 281 George West, Premont, FalfurriasInterchange (future I-69C)
Alice FM 1554 south (Beam Station Road)

Bus. US 281 Falfurrias, George West
Interchange
FM 665 east (Cameron Street)
FM 1931 north (Flournoy Road) Airport
  SH 359 east Orange Grove, MathisEast end of SH 359 overlap; interchange
  FM 2044 west
NuecesAgua Dulce FM 70 Sandia, Bishop
Banquete FM 666 Mathis, Driscoll
Robstown
Bus. SH 44 east (Western Avenue)

Bus. US 77 north (via Avenue J) Victoria
interchange
I-69E / US 77interchange

Bus. SH 44 west (East Avenue A)
I-69E south / US 77 southinterchange
  FM 1694 Petronila
Violet FM 24 north (Violet Road)
  FM 3386 north
Corpus Christi FM 2292 (Clarkwood Road / Bus. SH 44 east)interchange; west end of freeway

Bus. SH 44 west (Agnes Street)
direct westbound exit only
Corpus Christi International Airportaccess to FM 763 south
Hopkins Roaddirect westbound exit only
Talbert Road / Agnes Street (Bus. SH 44 east)no direct westbound exit (signed at Heinsohn Road)
Heinsohn Road
SH 358 to I-37 – Bayfront, NAS, CCAD, Padre IslandEastbound exit and westbound entrance
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

  1. Texas Department of Transportation,
  2. Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Farm to Market Road No. 863". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
  3. Congress.gov: H.R. 4523
  4. Bill Would Add SH 44 to I-69 Priority Corridor
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