 State Highway 44 | ||||
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained byTxDOT | ||||
| Length | 128.853 mi[1][a] (207.369 km) | |||
| Existed | April 24, 1919–present | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |  US 83 nearEncinal | |||
| Major intersections |  I-35 inEncinal   Future I-69W /US 59 nearFreer  Future I-69C /US 281 nearAlice  I-69E /US 77 inRobstown | |||
| East end |  SH 358 inCorpus Christi | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Texas | |||
| Highway system | ||||
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State Highway 44 (SH 44) is a Texas state highway that runs from west ofEncinal toCorpus Christi, Texas. This highway is also known as the Cesar Chavez Memorial Highway outside the city limits ofRobstown,Banquete,Agua Dulce,Alice, and Corpus Christi inNueces andJim Wells counties.
SH 44 was originally proposed on April 24, 1919 as aconnector route betweenWaco andGiddings.[2] On July 16, 1923, the southern terminus extended south toLa Grange.[3] By 1926, construction was continuing on the highway, and SH 44 wasconcurrent withU.S. Highway 77 (US 77). On July 15, 1935,SH 21 was rerouted concurrent with SH 44 from north of Giddings to Giddings. On November 24, 1936, this route had extended south toHallettsville and another section fromVictoria south viaSinton andRobstown toAlice was designated, creating a gap and replacing part ofSH 72 and all ofSH 128 (which was reassigned to the portion of SH 72 that was disconnected due to SH 44).[4] On April 19, 1938, the section of SH 44 fromSH 21 north of Giddings to Giddings was no longer concurrent with SH 21, because SH 21 was rerouted west of Lincoln. On July 15, 1938, the section from Hallettsville to Victoria (already under construction as a lateral road) was added, closing the gap.[5] On September 26, 1939, the section north of Hallettsville was already part of US 77, the section from there to Victoria was changed toSH 295, the section from Victoria to Sinton was already part of US 77, and the section from Sinton to Robstown was reassigned as an extension ofSH 96. The eastern terminus was shifted toCorpus Christi over part ofSH 16. The western terminus was then extended toFreer on July 1, 1940. The section west of Freer approximately 56.4 miles (90.8 km) was Farm to Market Road 863 (FM 863)[6] which traveled west toUS 83 inWebb County, today's SH 44 terminus.
On November 21, 1917, an intercounty highway was designated from Taylor to Hearne.[7] A spur,SH 44A, was designated on July 20, 1920 along part of the intercounty highway fromTaylor toMilano.[8] On January 18, 1921, SH 44A became part of an extendedSH 43A.[9]
From 1948 to 1953, FM 863 went fromBeaver Creek to the town ofHilda which becameRM 648 and is nowRM 783. FM 863 was designated over a new route and part ofFM 133 fromEncinal to Freer in 1953. Before 1955, FM 863 ended at theWebb–LaSalle county line. On January 22, 1958, FM 863 began to be signed, but not designated, as SH 44. On August 29, 1990, FM 863 was officially designated as SH 44, and FM 863 was cancelled.
TxDOT has officially designated the SH 44 corridor fromFreer toCorpus Christi as part of theI-69 system in Texas.[10] This started as a bill, which was named H.R. 4523 or 44 to 69 Act of 2014, that was submitted by House RepresentativeBlake Farenthold to Congress to approve turning SH 44 into an Interstate Highway from Freer (where it will intersectI-69W) and Corpus Christi (about 73 miles (117 km)) in order to have a network of interstate highways connectingLaredo (the largest inland port on theUnited 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 ofSan Diego, Texas. The 23 miles (37 km) from San Diego to Freer is a two-lane section.[11] Following a study and a January 18, 2018 open house, SH 44 betweenFM 3386 to east ofFM 1694 inViolet inNueces County was also upgraded between 2018-2022.[12] A study regarding SH 44 upgrades inRobstown is ongoing as well.[13]
| County | Location | mi | km | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webb | | 0.0 | 0.0 | US 83 –Laredo,Carrizo Springs | Western terminus |
| La Salle | Encinal | 11.9 | 19.2 |     I-35 BL south (Main Street) toI-35 south –Encinal,Laredo | West end of I-35 Bus. overlap |
| 12.1 | 19.5 |  I-35 /I-35 BL ends –Cotulla,San Antonio,Laredo | East end of I-35 Bus. overlap; I-35 exit 39 | ||
| Duval | | 56.2 | 90.4 | Future I-69W south /US 59 south –Laredo | West end of Future I-69W/US 59 overlap. |
| Freer | 59.2 | 95.3 |  SH 16 –Tilden,Hebbronville,Falfurrias | ||
| | 60.6 | 97.5 |   Future I-69W north /US 59 north –George West,Houston | East end of Future I-69W/US 59 overlap. | |
| | 72.4 | 116.5 |  FM 3196 south / County Road 330 –Los Reyes,La Rosita,Benavides | ||
| San Diego | 84.1 | 135.3 |   SH 359 west –Hebbronville | West end of SH 359 overlap | |
| Jim Wells | | 86.9 | 139.9 |   FM 625 east | |
| | 91.3 | 146.9 |  FM 2507 south | ||
| | 92.0 | 148.1 | Future I-69C /US 281 –George West,Premont,Falfurrias | Interchange (U.S. 281 is the future Interstate 69C) | |
| Alice | 93.1 | 149.8 |  FM 1554 south (Beam Station Road) | ||
| 93.4 | 150.3 |  Bus. US 281 –Falfurrias,George West | Interchange | ||
| 94.6 | 152.2 |  FM 665 east (Cameron Street) | |||
| 96.2 | 154.8 |   FM 1931 north (Flournoy Road) –Airport | |||
| | 98.5 | 158.5 | SH 359 east –Orange Grove,Mathis | Interchange; East end of SH 359 overlap | |
| | 102.6 | 165.1 |  FM 2044 west | ||
| Nueces | Agua Dulce | 105.7 | 170.1 |  FM 70 –Sandia,Bishop | |
| Banquete | 112.1 | 180.4 |  FM 666 –Mathis,Driscoll | ||
| Robstown | 119.5 | 192.3 |  Bus. SH 44 east (Western Avenue) | ||
| 120.4 | 193.8 |  FM 1889 north (1st Street) | |||
| 120.9 | 194.6 | Bus. US 77 north (via Avenue J) –Victoria | interchange | ||
| 121.4 | 195.4 | I-69E /US 77 –Kingsville | interchange | ||
| 121.8 | 196.0 | Bus. SH 44 west (East Avenue A) | |||
| 121.9 | 196.2 | I-69E south /US 77 south | interchange | ||
| | 123.4 | 198.6 |  FM 1694 (Callicoatte Road) | Interchange; west end of freeway | |
| Violet | 125.1 | 201.3 |  FM 24 (Violet Road) / CO Road 61 | ||
| | 127.0 | 204.4 |  FM 3386 (McKinzie Road) | ||
| | 127.1 | 204.5 | Agnes Street | direct eastbound exit only | |
| Corpus Christi | 127.3 | 204.9 |  FM 2292 (Clarkwood Road) | ||
| 129.7 | 208.7 | Bus. SH 44 west (Agnes Street) | direct westbound exit only | ||
| 131.0 | 210.8 | Corpus Christi International Airport | |||
| 131.9 | 212.3 | Hopkins Road | direct westbound exit only | ||
| 131.9 | 212.3 | Talbert Road | no direct westbound exit (signed at Heinsohn Road) | ||
| 132.1 | 212.6 | Agnes Street | direct eastbound exit only | ||
| 132.7 | 213.6 | Heinsohn Road | |||
| 133.3 | 214.5 |  SH 358 toI-37 –Bayfront,NAS,CCAD,Padre Island | Eastern terminus | ||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
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SH 44 has twobusiness routes.
 Business State Highway 44 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Robstown |
| Length | 1.72 mi[14] (2.77 km) |
| Existed | June 21, 1990–present |
Business State Highway 44-C (formerly Loop 296) is a 1.72-mile (2.77 km) state highway business loop that runs on the former routing of SH 44 throughRobstown. The road was bypassed on January 19, 1956 by SH 44 and designated Loop 296. Loop 296 was designated as Business SH 44-C on June 21, 1990. On July 31, 2003 the road was rerouted on a new route to US 77 and the original section was returned to local jurisdiction.[14]
Business State Highway 44 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Corpus Christi |
| Length | 1.89 mi[15] (3.04 km) |
| Existed | October 26, 2006–present |
Business State Highway 44-D is a bypass of SH 44 inCorpus Christi. The route was created in 2006.[15]
Business State Highway 44 | |
|---|---|
| Location | Corpus Christi |
| Length | 5.8 mi[15] (9.3 km) |
| Existed | June 21, 1990–June 18, 1996 |
Business State Highway 44-D (formerly Loop 443) was a business loop that ran on the former routing of SH 44 through Corpus Christi. The road was bypassed on October 3, 1966 by SH 44 and designated Loop 443. Loop 443 was designated as Business SH 44-D on June 21, 1990, but much of the route was redesignated as Spur 544 on June 18, 1996 and a small section was returned to local jurisdiction.[15]
