Texas State Highway Spur 78
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| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
| Length: | 1.547 mi (2.490 km) | |||
| Existed: | April 24, 1933 – present | |||
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| South end: | Mt. Locke summit, McDonald Observatory | |||
 Spur 77
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| North end: |
 SH 118
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| Location | ||||
| Counties: | Jeff Davis | |||
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Texas State Highway Spur 78 or Spur 78 is a spur road maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) connecting the University of Texas at Austin's McDonald Observatory complex atop Mt. Locke to State Highway 118 15.2 miles (24.5 km) from Fort Davis. The road is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) long and is located within Jeff Davis County.
Spur 78 was established on April 24, 1933 to aid in the construction of the observatory which was dedicated in 1939. Before 1941, the road connected the observatory to SH 166 until the section of that route between Fort Davis and the current intersection of SH 118 and SH 166 was re-designated as part of SH 118. On October 5, 1990, the only other intersecting highway, Spur 77, was created.
At its terminus at the summit of Mt. Locke, Spur 78 has the distinction of having the highest elevation at any point on the state highway system with an elevation of 6,791 feet (2,070 m). The route begins in front of the Otto Struve Telescope and Harlan J. Smith Telescope where there is a scenic overlook of the valley below and the surrounding Davis Mountains.
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