Interstate_69_(Texas)

Interstate 69 in Texas

Interstate 69 in Texas

Interstate Highway in Texas

This article is about the section of Interstate 69 in Texas. For the entire route, see Interstate 69.
Not to be confused with U.S. Route 69 in Texas.

Interstate 69 (I-69[lower-alpha 1]) is an Interstate Highway that is in the process of being built in the U.S. state of Texas. It is part of a longer I-69 extension known as the NAFTA superhighway, that, when completed, will connect Canada to Mexico. In Texas, it will connect Tenaha and the Louisiana segment of the route through the eastern part of the state and along the Texas Gulf Coast to Victoria, where it will split into three branches: I-69E to Brownsville, I-69C to Pharr, and I-69W to Laredo. The first segment of I-69 in Texas was opened in 2011 near Corpus Christi. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) approved an additional 58 miles (93 km) of U.S. Highway 77 (US 77) from Brownsville to the Willacy–Kenedy county line for designation as I-69, which was to be signed as I-69E upon concurrence from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). FHWA approval for this segment was announced on May 29, 2013.[2] By March 2015, a 74.9-mile (120.5 km) section of US 59 had been completed and designated as I-69 through Greater Houston. As of 2024, short segments near the southern terminuses of the three branch routes (I-69E, I-69C, and I-69W) have also all been completed. These branches are planned to be connected to the rest of the Interstate Highway System.

Quick Facts Route information, Length ...

Route description

The congressionally designated I-69 corridor begins at the Mexico–U.S. border with three suffixed routes:

I-69 (along with US 59) in Houston looking east
What is now I-69/US 59 (Southwest Freeway) in 1972

I-69W and I-69E will merge just south of Victoria, where mainline I-69 will follow US 59 northeast to Fort Bend County. In Greater Houston, I-69 follows US 59 (Southwest Freeway) from Fort Bend County to the west loop of I-610. I-69 then follows US 59 (Eastex Freeway) from the north loop of I-610 to the Montgomery–Liberty county line. The segment of US 59 inside the I-610 loop, through Downtown Houston, was approved for designation as I-69 by the FHWA on March 9, 2015, and approved for signage as I-69 by the Texas Transportation Commission on March 25, 2015.[3]

From Houston, I-69 will follow US 59 to the north, serving Cleveland, Shepherd, Livingston, Lufkin, Nacogdoches, and Tenaha. From Tenaha, the I-69 mainline will head east into Louisiana along the US 84 corridor. In Texas, an Interstate route designated I-369 will proceed north along US 59 from Tenaha to Texarkana, serving Carthage, Marshall, and Atlanta.[4][5][6]

History

The federal legislation designating the south Texas branches as I-69 suggested that these routes may be designated as "I-69E" (east, following US 77), "I-69C" (central, following US 281), and "I-69W" (west, following US 59). The AASHTO Special Committee on Route Numbering rejected the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)'s request for these three designations along the proposed I-69 branches, citing that AASHTO policy no longer allows Interstate Highways to be signed as suffixed routes. Stating that the I-69E, I-69C, and I-69W designations for the three I-69 branches south of Victoria were written into federal law, the initial denial of TxDOT's applications were subsequently overturned by the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highways, and the approval for the I-69E, I-69C, and I-69W branch designations were confirmed by the AASHTO Board of Directors, pending concurrence from the FHWA during the AASHTO Spring Meeting on May 7, 2013. During this same meeting, the section of US 83 between Harlingen and Peñitas was conditionally approved to be designated as I-2, with FHWA concurrence. The US 83 freeway in south Texas was widely anticipated to receive an I-X69 designation instead of I-2. In any case, Texas is proceeding in the same fashion as Indiana, conducting environmental studies for its portion of I-69 in a two-tier process. The mainline route through Texas will be approximately 500 miles (800 km). On June 11, 2008, TxDOT announced they planned to limit further study of I-69 to existing highway corridors (US 59, US 77, US 84, US 281, and State Highway 44 [SH 44]) outside transition zones in the lower Rio Grande Valley, Laredo, Houston, and Texarkana.[7]

Texas originally sought a public–private partnership to construct much of the route through Texas as a privately operated toll road under the failed Trans-Texas Corridor project. On June 26, 2008, however, TxDOT announced that they had approved a proposal by Zachry American and ACS Group to develop the I-69 corridor in Texas, beginning with upgrades to the US 77 corridor between Brownsville and I-37; the Zachry American/ACS Group plan calls for the majority of the freeway to be toll-free; the only two tolled sections would be bypasses of Riviera and Driscoll.[8]

Original plans for the route included a potential overlap with the "TTC-35" corridor component as well, but the preferred alternative for that component follows I-35 south of San Antonio instead of entering the Lower Rio Grande Valley.[citation needed]

Recent and future improvements

Since July 2011, Texas has been proceeding with upgrading rural sections of US 59, US 77, and US 281 to Interstate standards by replacing intersections with interchanges and converting two-lane stretches to four lanes by adding a second roadway to the existing roadway and adding one-way frontage roads. Some bypasses will be built around some cities with some of them being considered as a relief route.

A stated goal of TxDOT's I-69 initiative is that "existing suitable freeway sections of the proposed system be designated as I-69 as soon as possible".[9] A bill was introduced and passed by the House of Representatives that allows Interstate quality sections of US 59, US 77, and US 281 to be signed as I-69 regardless of whether or not they connected to other Interstate Highways.

Meanwhile, TxDOT has submitted an application to the FHWA and AASHTO to designate 75 miles (121 km) of US 59 in the Houston area and eight miles (13 km) of US 77 near Corpus Christi as I-69, as these sections are already built to Interstate standards and connect to other Interstate Highways. In August 2011, TxDOT received approval from the FHWA for a six-mile (9.7 km) segment of US 77 between I-37 and SH 44 near Corpus Christi and was approved by AASHTO in October 2011.[10] Officials held a ceremony on December 5, 2011, to unveil I-69 signs on the Robstown–Corpus Christi section.[11] On May 29, 2013, the Robstown–Corpus Christi section of I-69 was resigned as I-69E.[citation needed]

At the May 18, 2012, AASHTO meeting, 35 miles (56 km) of US 59 (Eastex Freeway) from I-610 in Houston (on the loop's northern segment) to Fostoria Road in Liberty County were also approved as ready for I-69 signage, pending concurrence from the FHWA.[12] The FHWA later granted concurrence and with the final approval of the Texas Transportation Commission, the 35-mile (56 km) stretch was officially designated as I-69.[13] It was announced on February 6, 2013, that the FHWA had approved a 28.4-mile (45.7 km) segment of US 59 (Southwest Freeway) from I-610 in Houston (on the loop's western segment) to just southwest of Rosenberg;[14][15] the transportation commission gave final approval later that month and signage was erected on April 3, 2013.[16][17] The remaining segment of the original 75-mile (121 km) submission (the section within Houston between the northern and western sections of I-610) was approved for designation as I-69 by the FHWA on March 9, 2015, and approved for signage as I-69 by the transportation commission on March 25, 2015.

On May 29, 2013, the transportation commission gave approval to naming completed Interstate-standard segments of US 77 and US 281 as I-69. On July 15, 2013, the Interstate markers were unveiled.[18] US 77 through Cameron and Willacy counties are signed as I-69E. That includes 53 miles (85 km) of existing freeway starting at the international boundary in the middle of the Rio Grande in Brownsville and running north past Raymondville. The 13 miles (21 km) of US 281 freeway in Pharr and Edinburg are signed as I-69C.[19]

On November 20, 2014, the transportation commission voted to add two new sections totaling 6.1 miles (9.8 km) to I-69 in south Texas.[20] The first section is 1.6 miles (2.6 km) of newly finished freeway near Robstown in Nueces County and was co-designated as I-69E/US 77,[20] and the second section is a 4.5-mile (7.2 km) section of new freeway on the north side of Edinburg in Hidalgo County which was codesignated as I-69C/US 281.[20] The designations were approved by the FHWA and by AASHTO.[20] As a result, there is now a total of 192 miles (309 km) of I-69 in Texas (including I-2).[citation needed]

On May 24, 2019, both the Texas House of Representatives and Senate approved a 10-year extension of highway funding needed for I-69.[21]

The southern terminus of the I-69 designation is to be extended to the Fort Bend–Wharton county line. This project was scheduled for completion in 2022.[22] The northern terminus of I-69 will also be extended to Cleveland. This project was scheduled for completion in by end of 2022[23] but got delayed to 2023 due to weather and supply chain issues.[24] Both of these segments have since been completed and are awaiting approval to be designated as I-69.[25] Although the Riggs Cemetery, established in 1892, lies in the path the freeway in Liberty County, TxDOT is choosing to preserve it.[26] Work to extend I-69 northward to Shepherd and south to Victoria are in various stages of planning, development, design, and construction.[27]

There is no timeline of when I-69 in Texas will be completed as there no funding to complete it entirely.[28] Various portions of US 59 are being upgraded to Interstate standards with some bypasses being constructed. Construction on building a new alignment in Nacogdoches to bypass an interchange began in 2019 and is scheduled to be completed by mid-2025.[29][30] TxDOT also held a public meeting on August 3, 2023, on the planned $115-million reconfiguration of the US 59 and US 259/Business US 59-F (Bus. US 59-F) interchange just north of Nacogdoches, although construction is not scheduled to start until 2029. This meeting came about one year after the last public meeting and discussed how the horseshoe-style intersection would be removed with the addition of flyover bridges.[31] A bypass for Diboll is under construction and is scheduled for completion in 2025.[32][33] US 59 was redesignated on the unfinished bypass on May 25, 2023 with the former alignment becoming Bus. US 59-H.[34] The bypass for Corrigan started construction in late 2022 and is scheduled for completion in 2028.[35][36]

Exit list

More information County, Location ...

Notes

  1. Some sources use "IH-69", as "IH" is an abbreviation used by TxDOT for Interstate Highways.[1]

References

  1. [1]
    Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Highway Designations Glossary". Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 10, 2022. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
  2. [2]
    Clark, Steve (May 29, 2013). "S.H. 550 ribbon-cutting crowd gets big I-69 news". The Brownsville Herald. ISSN 0894-2064. Archived from the original on July 1, 2017. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  3. [3]
    "Minute Order 113100" (PDF). ftp.dot.state.tx.us. Texas Transportation Commission. March 25, 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  4. [4]
    Land Line Staff (December 6, 2022). "U.S. 59 Texas city bypass project clears route for future I-69". Land Line Magazine. ISSN 0279-6503. Archived from the original on May 8, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  5. [5]
    McLane, Rodger G. (October 18, 2013). "Future of I-369 looking brighter". The Panola Watchman. Archived from the original on November 19, 2023. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  6. [6]
    "I-69 System (I-369) Harrison County/Marshall Working Group and I-69 System (I-369) Harrison County/Marshall Route Study Fact Sheet #2" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved November 19, 2023.
  7. [7]
    Cross, Mark (June 11, 2008). "TxDOT Recommends Narrowing Study Area for Texas Portion of I-69" (Press release). Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on July 5, 2008.
  8. [8]
    "TxDOT Recommends Narrowing Study Area for Texas Portion of I-69/TTC". Keep Texas Moving. Texas Department of Transportation. June 11, 2008. Archived from the original on September 26, 2008.
  9. [9]
    "What's Next for I-69 Texas?". Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on August 21, 2011. Retrieved August 1, 2011.
  10. [10]
    "Portion of US 77 Approved as Part of U.S. Interstate System" (Press release). Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on November 2, 2011. Retrieved August 2, 2011.
  11. [11]
    Clark, Steve (October 30, 2011). "First I-69 signs going up on U.S. 77 in December". The Brownsville Herald. ISSN 0894-2064. Archived from the original on April 5, 2012. Retrieved January 1, 2012.
  12. [12]
    Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 19, 2012). "Report to SCOH" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2019.
  13. [13]
    Alliance for I-69 Texas (July 26, 2012). "35 More Miles of I-69 Route Added to Interstate Highway System" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2013.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. [14]
    Fikac, Peggy; Begley, Dug (February 6, 2013). "Interstate 69 coming, piece by piece". Houston Chronicle. ISSN 1074-7109. OCLC 30348909. Archived from the original on February 14, 2013. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  15. [15]
    Media Relations. "I-69 Designation as an Interstate Means More Jobs for Texas and Economic Development in Growing Communities" (Press release). Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original on April 25, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  16. [16]
    Alliance for I-69 Texas (February 28, 2013). "Southwest Freeway Now Interstate 69" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  17. [17]
    "28 miles of US Hwy. 59 now Interstate 69". KPRC-TV. Houston, Texas. April 3, 2013. Archived from the original on April 20, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
  18. [18]
    Janes, Jared. "Valley's I-69 signage the latest stop along superhighway dream". The Monitor. McAllen, Texas. OCLC 14375474. Retrieved July 16, 2013.
  19. [19]
    Essex, Allen (May 30, 2013). "I-69 comes to the Valley". Valley Morning Star. Harlingen, Texas. Archived from the original on June 15, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  20. [20]
    Alliance for I-69 Texas. "6.1 Miles in Two New Sections Added to I-69" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. Archived from the original on January 17, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2014.{{cite press release}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. [21]
    Weaver, Jim (May 24, 2019). "Texas Highway Funding Extended For I-69 And More". KKYR-FM. Texarkana, Texas. Archived from the original on November 8, 2022. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  22. [22]
    Hernandez, Cathy (December 13, 2019). "Some relief coming to drivers in Rosenberg after years of construction". KPRC-TV. Houston, Texas. Archived from the original on May 6, 2021. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
  23. [23]
    "US 59 widening project in Cleveland to be finished by year's end". Bluebonnet News. October 14, 2022. Archived from the original on October 19, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  24. [24]
    "Opening of I-69 widening project in Cleveland delayed". Bluebonnet News. January 4, 2023. Archived from the original on March 7, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
  25. [25]
    "I-69 Corridor Designation Map" (PDF). txdot.com. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  26. [26]
    "TxDOT: Work beginning on US 59/I-69 project in Cleveland area". Bluebonnet News. April 30, 2019. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  27. [27]
    Gutierrez, Marcus (June 3, 2019). "TxDOT plans $116M upgrade to Hwy. 59 between Cleveland, Shepherd". Houston Chronicle. ISSN 1074-7109. OCLC 30348909. Archived from the original on August 7, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
  28. [28]
    Advocate Editorial Board (December 9, 2022). "Designated federal funding needed to complete I-69". The Victoria Advocate. Archived from the original on June 8, 2023. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  29. [29]
    Bradford, Nicole (June 3, 2020). "Work continuing on I-69 projects". The Daily Sentinel. Nacogdoches, Texas. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  30. [30]
    Davis, Shaquiena (January 3, 2024). "Nacogdoches construction project creates traffic switch to new frontage road". KLTV. Tyler, Texas. Archived from the original on January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
  31. [31]
    Bradford, Nicole (July 24, 2023). "Meeting on US 59/259 interchange set for Aug. 3". The Daily Sentinel. Nacogdoches, Texas. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  32. [32]
    McCollum, Donna (October 3, 2019). "City, state dignitaries celebrate groundbreaking for Nacogdoches I-69 flyover project". KTRE. Lufkin, Texas. Archived from the original on September 29, 2020. Retrieved September 26, 2020.
  33. [33]
    Merrell, Danny (August 7, 2020). "TxDOT Updates Progress on Three Major Construction Sites". KICKS 105. Archived from the original on July 14, 2021. Retrieved July 14, 2021.
  34. [34]
    "Minute Order 116485" (PDF). Texas Transportation Commission. May 25, 2023. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
  35. [35]
    Merrell, Danny (September 21, 2022). "Work to Begin on Six-Year Corrigan Relief Project on Highway 59". KICKS 105. Archived from the original on May 12, 2023. Retrieved May 12, 2023.
  36. [36]
    Jordan, Brian (December 6, 2022). "TxDOT breaks ground for $170 million relief route in Corrigan". KTRE. Lufkin, Texas. Archived from the original on December 15, 2022. Retrieved December 15, 2022.
  37. [37]
    "US 59 -Wharton". www.txdot.gov. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  38. [38]
    "USGS Map Name: Missouri City, TX". TopoQuest Map Viewer. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  39. [39]
    Google. "Sugar Land". Google Maps. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  40. [40]
    TxDOT (November 19, 2015). "Open House - US 59 in Montgomery and Liberty Counties" (Press release). TxDOT. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  41. [41]
    TxDOT (September 27, 2016). "Public Hearing - US 59 Upgrade Shepherd to Cleveland (Future I-69)" (Press release). TxDOT. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  42. [42]
    TxDOT (May 14, 2019). "Public Hearing - US 59 Upgrade Shepherd to Cleveland (Future I-69)" (Press release). TxDOT. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  43. [43]
    "US 59 upgrade Shepherd to Trinity River (future I-69)". www.txdot.gov. Retrieved May 17, 2023.
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