US 277 from Wichita Falls to Abilene has been designated as part of the Texas Trunk System. The Texas Trunk System is a planned four-lane divided rural highway system that includes and compliments the Interstate Highway system. US 277 will be widened from two lanes to four lanes. The Wichita Falls District contracted with Carter & Burgess, Inc. to perform the advanced planning phase of this project from the Baylor/Knox County Line to the eastern city limits of Holliday in Archer County. The advanced planning phase of the project consisted of determining a feasible route for US 277, determining additional right-of-way needs for widening the roadway and securing an environmental clearance of the project.

The advanced planning phase of this project began in late April 1999.  Alternatives for the roadway alignment through Seymour, Holliday, Mankins, Dundee and Mabelle were decided on after a series of public meetings in 1999 and 2000. Public meetings included a presentation of the each alternative's impact and a question and answer period. The alternatives were then revised and refined based upon engineering and environmental study, public comments, local committee input and review by TxDOT.

The preferred alternative for each town was then selected. The routes were publicly announced in March 2000. Finally design schematics were prepared for the preferred alternatives. The schematics and environmental assessment had to be submitted to the Austin office of TxDOT and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for review and approval. The entire project has received final approval.

Public hearings were held in Seymour and Holliday in April 2002. Subsequently, a right-of-way map was prepared and the right-of-way acquisition process started in late 2002. Construction began in 2004 in Archer County and the last contract is anticipated to let in 2015.

Future Phases

• Letting September 2012 - Knox County Line to 2.155 miles west of US 183/283 between Seymour and Goree in Baylor County
• Letting August 2013 - 2.78 miles east of RM 1919 to .64 miles east of US 183 in Baylor County
• Letting April 2015 - 1.69 miles west of SH 25 to .795 miles east of Ferguson Road, near Mankins and 2.083 miles west of FM 2846 to 1.69 miles west of SH 25 between Dundee and Mankins in Archer Count