.gif)
State Highway 77H (Oklahoma)
Encyclopedia
State Highway 77H is a spur that runs from US-77 in Norman
, north through a small piece of unincorporated Cleveland County
and Moore
, to Oklahoma City
. The state highway designation ends at I-240
, although Sooner Road continues north to its terminus at I-35
, I-44
, Turner Turnpike
, Kilpatrick Turnpike, and SH-66.
State Highway 77H was originally created to serve the now-defunct town of Hollywood. This likely explains why the suffix "H" was assigned when letters earlier in the alphabet were available.
The northernmost mile of SH-77H (from S.E. 89th Street to I-240
) is in Oklahoma County
, and the remainder of the route is in Cleveland County
.
The route is popular with local commuters as an alternative to I-35 between Norman and Oklahoma City. Norman commuters typically use it to head north to Tinker Air Force Base
and the Midwest City
–Del City
area. Oklahoma City commuters typically drive south to the University of Oklahoma
.
Oklahoma Senate Bill 280, passed by the 2003 Legislature, named the highway the Pearl Harbor/USS Oklahoma Memorial Highway. This designation was subsequently applied by the Oklahoma Transportation Commission on 2003-06-02. Signage was installed at each end of the highway displaying the name.
SH-77H was returned to active service on 1955-02-07. This time, the highway began at the corner of Porter Avenue and Robinson Street in Norman and travelled north to the previous SH-77H's southern terminus at Hollywood. On 1959-02-27, the Department of Highways assumed maintenance of Sunnylane Road south of S.E. 29th Street (at that time part of SH-3), adding it to SH-77H. This made all of the old SH-77H part of the new SH-77H, and extended the highway's northern terminus into the Oklahoma City suburb of Del City
. On 1977-06-06, the highway was extended further north into Del City along Sunnylane Road to Reno Avenue, where it turned west, ending at US-77 (which followed Lincoln Boulevard at the time).
On 1988-12-12, SH-77H was removed from Sunnylane Avenue and Porter Avenue and redesignated one section line
east onto Sooner Road and 12th Avenue. At the same time, it was truncated to I-240 in Oklahoma City, and its southern terminus became the 12th Avenue–Classen Boulevard intersection in Norman. Before this rerouting, SH-77H served as SH-37's eastern terminus, but when SH-77H was moved, SH-37 was not extended to meet the new alignment. Thus, SH-37 still ends at Sunnylane Road, one block short of SH-77H.
In April 2009, US-77 was realigned through Norman. The portion of 12th Avenue between Classen Boulevard and Tecumseh Road became part of US-77. This change shortened SH-77H by 4.7 miles (7.6 km), and brought its terminus to the present-day location of the 12th Avenue–Tecumseh Road intersection.
Norman, Oklahoma
Norman is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma, United States, and is located south of downtown Oklahoma City. It is part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, Norman was to have 110,925 full-time residents, making it the third-largest city in Oklahoma and the...
, north through a small piece of unincorporated Cleveland County
Cleveland County, Oklahoma
Cleveland County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 255,755 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Norman. Cleveland County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and Moore
Moore, Oklahoma
Moore is a city in Cleveland County, Oklahoma and is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Area. The population was 55,081 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh largest city in the state of Oklahoma....
, to Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
. The state highway designation ends at I-240
Interstate 240 (Oklahoma)
Interstate 240 is an Interstate Highway in Oklahoma, USA, that runs 16.22 miles west from Interstate 40 to Interstate 44 in southern Oklahoma City. After its terminus in southwest Oklahoma City, the main I-240 roadbed becomes Interstate 44 and Airport Road toward Will Rogers World Airport...
, although Sooner Road continues north to its terminus at I-35
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 is a north–south Interstate Highway in the central United States. I-35 stretches from Laredo, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border to Duluth, Minnesota, at Minnesota Highway 61 and 26th Avenue East. Many interstates used to have splits or spurs indicated with suffixed letters , but I-35...
, I-44
Interstate 44
Interstate 44 is a major highway in the central United States. Its western terminus is in Wichita Falls, Texas at a concurrency with US 277, US 281 and US 287; its eastern terminus is at the Illinois state line on the Poplar Street Bridge over the Mississippi River in St...
, Turner Turnpike
Turner Turnpike
The Governor Roy J. Turner Turnpike is a toll road in central Oklahoma, connecting its two largest cities, Oklahoma City and Tulsa. It was authorized by the Oklahoma Legislature in 1947 and opened in May, 1953, it is the oldest of the state's ten turnpikes. The route is signed as Interstate 44 for...
, Kilpatrick Turnpike, and SH-66.
State Highway 77H was originally created to serve the now-defunct town of Hollywood. This likely explains why the suffix "H" was assigned when letters earlier in the alphabet were available.
Route description
State Highway 77H begins at the intersection of 12th Avenue N.E. and Tecumseh Road in Norman. US-77 follows 12th Avenue south of the intersection and Tecumseh Road west of it, with SH-77H following 12th Avenue north of the intersection. Throughout its length, SH-77H is an undivided four-lane road. It intersects other streets at grade, and has numerous traffic signals.Interstate 240 (Oklahoma)
Interstate 240 is an Interstate Highway in Oklahoma, USA, that runs 16.22 miles west from Interstate 40 to Interstate 44 in southern Oklahoma City. After its terminus in southwest Oklahoma City, the main I-240 roadbed becomes Interstate 44 and Airport Road toward Will Rogers World Airport...
) is in Oklahoma County
Oklahoma County, Oklahoma
Oklahoma County is a county located in the central partof the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 718,633 at the 2010 census. The county seat and principal city is Oklahoma City...
, and the remainder of the route is in Cleveland County
Cleveland County, Oklahoma
Cleveland County is a county in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The population was 255,755 at the 2010 census. Its county seat is Norman. Cleveland County is part of the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
.
The route is popular with local commuters as an alternative to I-35 between Norman and Oklahoma City. Norman commuters typically use it to head north to Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base
Tinker Air Force Base is a major U.S. Air Force base, with tenant U.S. Navy and other Department of Defense missions, located in the southeast Oklahoma City, Oklahoma area, directly south of the suburb of Midwest City, Oklahoma.-Overview:...
and the Midwest City
Midwest City, Oklahoma
Midwest City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 54,371, making it the eighth largest city in the state....
–Del City
Del City, Oklahoma
Del City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 21,332 at the 2010 census....
area. Oklahoma City commuters typically drive south to the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
.
Designations
SH-77H is also designated as Sooner Road in Moore and Oklahoma City, and as 12th Avenue N.E. in Norman. Locals often refer to the entire length of the road as Sooner Road, ignoring both the highway number and its designation as 12th Avenue in Norman.Oklahoma Senate Bill 280, passed by the 2003 Legislature, named the highway the Pearl Harbor/USS Oklahoma Memorial Highway. This designation was subsequently applied by the Oklahoma Transportation Commission on 2003-06-02. Signage was installed at each end of the highway displaying the name.
History
State Highway 77H was originally commissioned on 1950-01-11, running from Hollywood in Cleveland County to the Oklahoma County line. This original iteration of SH-77H was decommissioned less than two years later, being removed from the state highway system on 1951-11-05SH-77H was returned to active service on 1955-02-07. This time, the highway began at the corner of Porter Avenue and Robinson Street in Norman and travelled north to the previous SH-77H's southern terminus at Hollywood. On 1959-02-27, the Department of Highways assumed maintenance of Sunnylane Road south of S.E. 29th Street (at that time part of SH-3), adding it to SH-77H. This made all of the old SH-77H part of the new SH-77H, and extended the highway's northern terminus into the Oklahoma City suburb of Del City
Del City, Oklahoma
Del City is a city in Oklahoma County, Oklahoma, United States, and a part of the Oklahoma City metropolitan area. The population was 21,332 at the 2010 census....
. On 1977-06-06, the highway was extended further north into Del City along Sunnylane Road to Reno Avenue, where it turned west, ending at US-77 (which followed Lincoln Boulevard at the time).
On 1988-12-12, SH-77H was removed from Sunnylane Avenue and Porter Avenue and redesignated one section line
Section line road
In many jurisdictions, roads were run along every section line, giving access to previously remote areas and serving in many instances as firebreaks. A road or arterial in which the centerline is laid out along a section line boundary is often referred to as a section line road or section line...
east onto Sooner Road and 12th Avenue. At the same time, it was truncated to I-240 in Oklahoma City, and its southern terminus became the 12th Avenue–Classen Boulevard intersection in Norman. Before this rerouting, SH-77H served as SH-37's eastern terminus, but when SH-77H was moved, SH-37 was not extended to meet the new alignment. Thus, SH-37 still ends at Sunnylane Road, one block short of SH-77H.
In April 2009, US-77 was realigned through Norman. The portion of 12th Avenue between Classen Boulevard and Tecumseh Road became part of US-77. This change shortened SH-77H by 4.7 miles (7.6 km), and brought its terminus to the present-day location of the 12th Avenue–Tecumseh Road intersection.