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Interstate 37 - Texas
Interstate 37 is one of the three Interstates that never leave Texas. The road covers 143 miles, and only serves two major cities - Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Interstate 37 replaced SH 9 from Corpus Christi to Three Rivers, and supplanted US 281 between Three Rivers and San Antonio. Indirectly, IH-37 supplanted US 181.
Beginning in Corpus Christi at US 181 (where Waco street meets IH-37/US 181), IH-37 immediately spawns SH 286, the Crosstown Expressway, and US 181. The freeway proceeds west, paralleling Corpus Christi Bay and Leopard Street (former SH 9) to reach SH 358, South Padre Island Drive, continuing east through Oil refineries to reach US 77. At US 77, the road turns northwest and leaves the city, entering the coastal plains until reaching Mathis, an agricultural center. The freeway passes Lake Corpus Christi, a reservoir and recreational lake, before entering the scrubby, Live Oak-dotted South Texas Plains.
Crossing US 59 and future IH-69, IH-37 skirts George West, county seat of Live Oak County, and Three Rivers. Three Rivers, named for the confluence of the Atascosa, Frio and Nueces Rivers, is home to Choke Canyon Reservoir, constructed in the early 1980s and an oil refinery. The small town is also noted for The Goodie Box, a craft cooperative. North of Three Rivers, US 281 merges with IH-37.
Along Alternate US 281, which parallels IH-37, are the small towns of Peggy and Whitsett. The next town is Pleasanton, which calls itself the Birthplace of the Cowboy. US 281 separates from IH-37, but the newer interstate parallels US 281 into San Antonio.
IH-37 passes Braunig Lake, a reservoir for San Antonio, and continues north into San Antonio. Meeting the city at Loop 410, IH-37 merges with US 281 and turns northwest to pass Loop 13, Military Drive, and crosses IH-10. IH-37 passes to the east of downtown San Antonio, curving past Hemisfair Park and Hemisfair Arena, site of the 1968 Worlds Fair, and the relatively new Alamodome, before meeting IH-35 and ending at the interchange with IH-35. The US 281 freeway continues north of the IH-35/IH-37/US 281 interchange.
There are no business loops on IH-37. Note that the US 181/IH-37 interchange is not actually part of IH-37. IH-37's terminal milepost (Mile 0) is actually where IH-37 meets Waco street. The remaining mileage through the US 181 interchange to Shoreline Blvd is considered part of US 181 by TxDOT.
Construction Timeline
- 1958: Freeway proposed from Corpus Christi to San Antonio. Some objections are raised to the proposed route through Corpus Christi, but the freeway is not rerouted.
- 1959: IH-37 commissioned. No construction begins at this time.
- 1961: Ground broken on October 10 from Waco street to Peabody street. The 0.8 mile stretch of freeway lies between Antelope and Buffalo streets.
- 1962: First bridge opens on September 25, carrying Staples Street over IH-37. Construction begins on November 11 between Peabody street and Up River Road.
- 1963: Waco street to Peabody street section opens May 11. Peabody street to Nueces Bay Blvd opens October 18.
- 1964: Nueces Bay Blvd to Up River Road opens January 8.
- 1965: Up River Road to CCTA railroad opens in March.
- 1966: CCTA railroad to Corn Products Road opens.
- 1967: Corn Products Road to Rand Morgan Road opens in January.
- 1969: Freeway complete from Corpus Christi to SH 234, and Loop 1604 north to Florida Street in San Antonio.
- 1970: SH 234 to SH 359 in Mathis opened.
- 1971: Freeway completed from Corpus Christi to Swinney Switch (FM 534) by August. Florida Street north to IH-35 opened in San Antonio.
- 1973: Freeway complete from Corpus Christi to just south of US 59, and Loop 1604 to IH-35.
- 1976: Construction in progress from US 59 to Oakville. Construction begins from Oakville north to FM 536. Freeway complete from Corpus Christi to US 59.
- 1979: Campbellton to Pleasanton complete.
- 1980: Construction still in progress from FM 536 south to Pleasanton. Oakville south to Corpus Christi is open.
- 1981: The last uncompleted section, from Oakville north to US 281 at mile 72, opens in October.
- 1988: Construction begins on the IH-37/US 77 interchange on January 14 in Calallen.
- 1991: Construction completed on the IH-37/US 77 interchange in November.
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