Interstate 69E

Interstate 69E marker

Interstate 69E
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Existed: December 5, 2011 (as I-69) – present
East Rio Grande Valley segment
Length: 53.3 mi[1] (85.8 km)
South end: Brownsville
Major
junctions:
I-2 / US 83 in Harlingen
North end:
Bus. US 77 near Raymondville
Corpus Christi Area segment
Length: 7.8 mi (12.6 km)
South end: SH 44 in Robstown
North end: I-37 in Corpus Christi
Highway system

Interstate 69E (I-69E) is a south–north freeway running through South Texas. Once complete the freeway will begin in Brownsville and head northward before terminating near Victoria as both I-69W and I-69E intersect into Interstate 69 towards Houston. For its entire length, I-69E shares its alignment with US 77.

History

The interchange between I-37 and I-69E/US 77

A stated goal of Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) I-69 initiative is that "existing suitable freeway sections of the proposed system be designated as I-69 as soon as possible."[2] 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.

Texas Department of Transportation submitted an application to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to designate 75 miles of US 59 in the Houston area and 8 miles 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 FHWA for a six-mile segment of US 77 between I-37 and SH 44 near Corpus Christi, and was approved by the AASHTO in October 2011.[3] Officials held a ceremony on December 5, 2011 to unveil I-69 signs on the Robstown-Corpus Christi section.[4]

The Federal Highway Administration approved the designation for the East Rio Grande Valley Segment on May 24, 2013,[5] and the Texas Transportation Commission followed suit on May 30, 2013.[6] This action finalized the designations of not only I-69E, but also of the sections of I-69C from Pharr north to the end of the US 281 freeway facility near Edinburg, and also Interstate 2 (I-2), which is a 46.8-mile (75.3 km) freeway that runs from Palmview to Harlingen and connects with I-69C and I-69E.[5] These approvals added over 100 miles (160 km) to the Interstate Highway System in the Rio Grande Valley.[7] The signage was installed in summer 2013.[8]

As of June 2013, the cluster consisting of the recently designated portions of I-69E, I-69C, and I-2 in the Rio Grande Valley is not connected to the national Interstate network. This situation is slated to be remedied by scheduled projects to complete I-69E along US 77 between Raymondville and Robstown, and to complete the southern end of the previously signed portion of the I-69 corridor connecting with I-37 west of Corpus Christi. Environmental Protection Agency approval for the upgrade of the US 77 alignment to Interstate standards, including bypasses of the towns along the 91-mile (146 km) routing, was obtained through a Finding of No Significant Impact statement issued on July 13, 2012;[9] funding for the various projects to effect the upgrades is slated to become available after 2015.[10]

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExit[11]DestinationsNotes
CameronBrownsville US 77 south / US 83 south – Veterans International Bridge0.1 miles (0.16 km) north of University Boulevard intersection
Polk Streetsouthbound exit only
1.32.11A SH 4 (International Boulevard) – International Airport, Gateway International Bridge
2.33.71B12th Street / 14th StreetSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
2.64.21C6th StreetSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
2.74.32 SH 48 (Boca Chica Boulevard) – Airport
3.35.33Price Road / Old Alice Road
4.36.94
Bus. US 77 south / FM 802 (Ruben M. Torres Sr. Boulevard)
Access to Brownsville Baptist Medical Center
6.09.75Pablo Kisel Boulevard / Morrison Road
6.911.16 FM 3248 (Alton Gloor Boulevard)Access to Valley Regional Medical Center
7.912.77Stillman Road / Old Alice Road
8.914.38Merryman Road
9.815.89 FM 1732 Olmito
10.617.110A SH 550 to FM 511 Port of Brownsville
10B SH 550 Toll Port of Brownsvillesouthbound exit and northbound entrance
11.819.011 FM 803 Rancho Viejo
13.221.212Carmen Avenue
14.222.913Roberta Road
15.324.614 SH 100 / FM 1421 South Padre Island
16.426.416Frontage Road
 17.327.817
Bus. US 77 north / FM 732 San Benito
Northbound exit and southbound entrance
San Benito18.629.918 FM 510 / FM 732 San Benito
19.631.519AMcCulloch Streetno direct southbound exit (signed at exit 19B)
20.232.519B SH 345 / FM 2520 (Sam Houston Boulevard) / Ratliff Street
21.734.921 Spur 486 (Williams Road) / Ratliff Street
22.736.522 FM 509 (Paso Real Highway)
Harlingen23.537.823A Loop 499 east (Ed Carey Drive) / FM 801 west AirportAccess to Valley Baptist Medical Center
24.739.823BNew Hampshire Streetno direct northbound exit (signed at exit 23A)
24.839.924 FM 1479 (Rangerville Road) / F Street
25.941.725M StreetNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
26.442.526ALincoln AvenueNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
26.943.326B I-2 west / US 83 west McAllenNorth end of US 83 overlap; I-2 exit 176
27.043.526C
Bus. US 83 west (Harrison Avenue) / Tyler Avenue (Spur 206 east)
28.145.227
Spur 54 (Fairpark Boulevard) / Bus. US 83 west
no direct northbound exit (signed at exit 26C)
28.245.428 FM 2994 (Wilson Road)
Harlingen-Combes line28.445.729A
Bus. US 77 / Loop 499 (Primera Road)
29B
Bus. US 77 north
only a separate exit northbound
Combes29.647.630 SH 107 / FM 508 Santa Rosa, Rio Hondo
 30.248.632
Bus. US 77 south
 31.049.934Orphanage Road / V Road
 33.153.336
Bus. US 77 north Sebastian
WillacySebastian35.256.638 Spur 413 west / FM 2629 east
37.460.239 FM 1018
 42A FM 498 (Parker Road)no direct southbound exit (signed at exit 42B)
Lyford43.269.542B Spur 112 (Broadway Street)
 44 Spur 56
 46.174.245 FM 490
Raymondville47.476.347 FM 3168
48.578.148 SH 186 Raymondville, Port Mansfield
 50.080.549 FM 1762no direct northbound exit (signed at exit 51)
 53.385.851
Bus. US 77 south / Conley Road Raymondville
Gap in route
NuecesRobstown FM 892
144.0231.7 SH 44 east Robstown, Corpus Christi
145.0233.4 SH 44 west Alice
146.1235.1County Road 44Northbound exit and southbound entrance
 147.6237.5
Bus. US 77 south to SH 44 west / County Road 48 Robstown, Alice
Corpus Christi148.3238.7County Road 52no direct northbound exit (signed at FM 624)
150.0241.4 FM 624 (Northwest Boulevard) / Leopard Street
150.2241.7 I-37 / US 77 north – San Antonio, Victoria, Corpus ChristiI-37 exit 14
Sharpsburg Roadnorthbound exit only
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. Transportation Planning and Programming Division. "Interstate Highway No. 69-E". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
  2. "What's Next for I-69 Texas?". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved August 2011.
  3. "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 July 17, 2013.
  4. Clark, Steve (October 30, 2011). "First I-69 signs going up on U.S. 77 in December". Brownsville Herald. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Staff (May 30, 2013). "Interstate 69 Comes to Texarkana and the Valley" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  6. Nino, Mark (May 31, 2013). "Texas Transportation Commission Approves Interstate 69 System". Brownsville, TX: KVEO-TV. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  7. Taylor, Steve (May 30, 2013). "Over 100 Miles of Valley Highways To Be Designated Interstate". Rio Grande Guardian (McAllen, TX). Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  8. Janes, Jared (July 15, 2013). "Valley's I-69 signage the latest stop along superhighway dream". The Monitor. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  9. Staff (July 13, 2012). "Agency Gives US 77 Upgrades Final Environmental Clearance" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  10. Clark, Steve (August 8, 2011). "Interstate Link to Valley Moves Closer to Reality, Official Says". Brownsville Herald. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
  11. Texas Department of Transportation, plans of proposed highway maintenance contract (1.58 GB ZIP file), December 2014

External links

Route map: Bing