One thing that amazes me about the county is NO GAS. It even states it on signs along US 77 entering the county that there are NO SERVICES for 50 plus miles. You would figure for the benefit of the few that live there that they would at least have one!
It must be awkward for them to have to drive to either Kingsville or Raymondville to gas up and buy groceries.
There are places in west Texas and in other states with gaps of more than 100 miles between gas stations. Living in such places is as much a lifestyle choice as a geography choice.
I cannot imagine them either driving to the nearest interchange and make a u turn after years of being able to turn out of your driveway to make a left turn.
To me our federal income taxes are being wasted here as really the current US 77 really does not create that much of an obstacle for free trade truckers as it does have interstate (or at least close to) speed limits and with the limited access it already has the truckers that the corridor is supposed to serve will not really save that much in time to warrant billions of dollars just to upgrade a simple roadway.
Why not let us here in Florida use it on roads that are already crowded or other such cities around the U.S that need the money for better roads, or even better yet get I-49 done in Arkansas including the Bella Vista Bypass.
It does seem wasteful to spend all that money, especially when the ranchers will probably drive over the median anyway. The speed limit there, except through Sarita, is 75, which is as high as it would be after the upgrade. Spending all that money on ramps and overpasses, and then spending more money on cable barriers to prevent illegal turns, and accomplishing nothing but making life a little harder for ranchers, seems silly to me.
A few Interstates have grade crossings due to isolation, light traffic, and the inordinate cost of providing grade separations for so small a benefit. This road could be left as it is, other than one overpass at Sarita. It could be another exception while in no way degrading service, and improved some day when conditions warrant.