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230 Miles of Interstate 69 built so far
Guest Column
More than 230 miles of the Interstate 69 route in Texas are already at freeway standard, and about 100 more miles are near that standard.
U.S. Highways 59, 77 and 281 are being incrementally transformed into Interstate 69. Construction projects are under way or soon will be near Falfurrias, Ben Bolt, George West, Lyford, Robstown and Sinton in South Texas.
Two projects near Shepherd are extending the Eastex Freeway deeper into East Texas. In the past few years, upgrade projects have been completed on U.S. 59 near Jefferson, Lufkin, Splendora, Sugar Land, Beasley, Kendleton and Victoria. (2008 to present)
In some locations, rights of way needed for the interstate were acquired decades ago. And for years, the Texas Department of Transportation has been designing and constructing upgrade projects to meet interstate design standards.
The existing highways that will comprise I-69 connect Texans and Texas businesses in Texarkana, Marshall, Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Houston, Wharton, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Kingsville, Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo and dozens of smaller communities. The colorful interstate highway shields are not up yet, but large sections of highway are now safer to drive on because they are at interstate highway standard with fully controlled access.
With each overpass and every additional mile of I-69 upgrades, new doors open for economic development, new jobs and more efficient freight movements. Reduced travel times mean new opportunities for families, giving them improved access to better jobs, university campuses, regional medical centers, shopping and greater recreational choices.
The new state long-range transportation plan stresses the need for improved linkage between Texas cities to serve freight traffic and to connect cities and rural areas. I-69 is one of three interregional routes specifically mentioned in the plan adopted by the Texas Transportation Commission last November.
The U.S. 59, 77 and 281 upgrade program has had strong local support for decades. Five regional segment committees made up of dozens of local officials and community representatives have been at work the past two years developing a set of recommendations for what should be built along the I-69 route, and which improvements should come first in each region.
The committees will seek public input, and their combined work will be assembled in a master plan to help guide the incremental development of Interstate 69.
The Alliance for I-69 Texas is a coalition made up of cities, counties, port authorities and community leaders building grass-roots support for the entire I-69 upgrade in Texas. Since it was formed in 1994, the Alliance has provided sustained leadership.
That work continued in the recent session of the Texas Legislature. Because Texas faces an ongoing highway funding crisis, fresh alternatives to traditional project development are essential.
The Alliance supported successful legislation that expands the authority of cities and counties to set up Transportation Reinvestment Zones to build transportation projects. Additional or incremental tax revenue that is generated in the zone because the road project is built is captured and used to pay for the project. It does not involve any new taxes — only new tax revenue.
Other approved legislation confirms the state’s willingness to allow public-private partnerships to build some major highway projects with specific legislative approval. The Alliance strongly supports having this financing tool available.
Texans could soon see Interstate 69 signs on a 75-mile portion of U.S. 59 in the Houston region, and a 10-mile piece of U.S. 77 near Corpus Christi, both of which connect to existing interstate highways.
Every member of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate from Texas has signed on to co-sponsor a bill that will authorize Texas to post Interstate 69 signs on portions of U.S. 77, 59 and 281 that meet interstate standards but do not yet connect to an existing interstate.
This would include about 80 miles of freeway in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. And the bill would add the 30 miles of existing U.S. 83 freeway between Harlingen and McAllen to the congressionally designated I-69 route.
The Texas population will continue to grow, and with it will come more manufacturers, more product distribution centers, more freight moving through U.S. seaports and more drivers heading for their destination.
The Alliance is committed to continue working at the local, state and federal levels to help identify priority projects and secure funding that will keep us moving steadily toward the day when the entire I-69 Texas route is built to interstate standard. Each of the communities it touches and the Texas economy as a whole will only realize the full benefit of Interstate 69 when it is completed as a seamless expressway from Texarkana through Houston to the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.
U.S. Highways 59, 77 and 281 are being incrementally transformed into Interstate 69. Construction projects are under way or soon will be near Falfurrias, Ben Bolt, George West, Lyford, Robstown and Sinton in South Texas.
Two projects near Shepherd are extending the Eastex Freeway deeper into East Texas. In the past few years, upgrade projects have been completed on U.S. 59 near Jefferson, Lufkin, Splendora, Sugar Land, Beasley, Kendleton and Victoria. (2008 to present)
In some locations, rights of way needed for the interstate were acquired decades ago. And for years, the Texas Department of Transportation has been designing and constructing upgrade projects to meet interstate design standards.
With each overpass and every additional mile of I-69 upgrades, new doors open for economic development, new jobs and more efficient freight movements. Reduced travel times mean new opportunities for families, giving them improved access to better jobs, university campuses, regional medical centers, shopping and greater recreational choices.
The new state long-range transportation plan stresses the need for improved linkage between Texas cities to serve freight traffic and to connect cities and rural areas. I-69 is one of three interregional routes specifically mentioned in the plan adopted by the Texas Transportation Commission last November.
The U.S. 59, 77 and 281 upgrade program has had strong local support for decades. Five regional segment committees made up of dozens of local officials and community representatives have been at work the past two years developing a set of recommendations for what should be built along the I-69 route, and which improvements should come first in each region.
The committees will seek public input, and their combined work will be assembled in a master plan to help guide the incremental development of Interstate 69.
The Alliance for I-69 Texas is a coalition made up of cities, counties, port authorities and community leaders building grass-roots support for the entire I-69 upgrade in Texas. Since it was formed in 1994, the Alliance has provided sustained leadership.
That work continued in the recent session of the Texas Legislature. Because Texas faces an ongoing highway funding crisis, fresh alternatives to traditional project development are essential.
The Alliance supported successful legislation that expands the authority of cities and counties to set up Transportation Reinvestment Zones to build transportation projects. Additional or incremental tax revenue that is generated in the zone because the road project is built is captured and used to pay for the project. It does not involve any new taxes — only new tax revenue.
Other approved legislation confirms the state’s willingness to allow public-private partnerships to build some major highway projects with specific legislative approval. The Alliance strongly supports having this financing tool available.
Texans could soon see Interstate 69 signs on a 75-mile portion of U.S. 59 in the Houston region, and a 10-mile piece of U.S. 77 near Corpus Christi, both of which connect to existing interstate highways.
Every member of the U.S. House and U.S. Senate from Texas has signed on to co-sponsor a bill that will authorize Texas to post Interstate 69 signs on portions of U.S. 77, 59 and 281 that meet interstate standards but do not yet connect to an existing interstate.
This would include about 80 miles of freeway in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. And the bill would add the 30 miles of existing U.S. 83 freeway between Harlingen and McAllen to the congressionally designated I-69 route.
The Texas population will continue to grow, and with it will come more manufacturers, more product distribution centers, more freight moving through U.S. seaports and more drivers heading for their destination.
The Alliance is committed to continue working at the local, state and federal levels to help identify priority projects and secure funding that will keep us moving steadily toward the day when the entire I-69 Texas route is built to interstate standard. Each of the communities it touches and the Texas economy as a whole will only realize the full benefit of Interstate 69 when it is completed as a seamless expressway from Texarkana through Houston to the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Laredo.
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