Interstate 69W

Interstate 69W marker

Interstate 69W
Route information
Maintained by TxDOT
Existed: June 26, 2014 (2014-06-26)[1] – present
Laredo segment
Length: 1.4 mi[1] (2.3 km)
South end: Fed. 85D at Mexican border on World Trade International Bridge in Laredo
North end: I-35 / US 83 / US 59 / Loop 20 in Laredo
Unbuilt Section
Length: 179 mi (288 km)
South end: I-69W south / I-35 / US 83 / US 59 west / Loop 20 west in Laredo
Major
junctions:		 I-69C / US 281 in George West
I-37 near George West
North end: I-69 north / I-69E south / US 59 north / US 77 south in Victoria
Highway system

Interstate 69W (I-69W) is a north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas in the United States. Once complete the freeway will begin in the middle of the World Trade International Bridge in Laredo and head northward for 180 miles (290 km) before terminating near Victoria as both I-69E and I-69W merge to form I-69. For its entire length, I-69W runs concurrently with US Highway 59 (US 59).

Route description

The stack interchange between I-35/US 83 and I-69W/US 59/Loop 20

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the designation of a 1.4-mile (2.3 km) section of freeway in Laredo as part of I-69W. The congressionally designated I-69W corridor begins at the Mexican border at the World Trade International Bridge, which connects to Mexican Federal Highway 85D, at the border in Laredo. It is co-signed with both US 59 and Loop 20 and extends 1.4 miles (2.3 km) to I-35 (which connects to Mexican Federal Highway 85 south of the border).[1]

In the future, I-69W will continue along US 59 east to George West, where it will intersect I-69C, it will then intersect I-37 east of George West, and it will then continue east to Victoria. The completed I-69W will measure 180 miles (290 km). There are also plans to turn State Highway 44 (SH 44) into an Interstate Highway between Freer, where it will intersect I-69W, and Corpus Christi, about 73 miles (117 km) in order to have a network of Interstate Highways connecting Laredo, the largest inland port on the United States–Mexican border, with Corpus Christi, a major seaport and manufacturing center.[2]

History

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 included two High Priority Corridors that would later become parts of a proposed cross-country extension of I-69:

The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 made further amendments to the description of Corridor 18, specifying that it would serve Mississippi and Arkansas, extending it south to the Mexican border in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, and adding a short connection at Brownsville, Texas. This act also specified that Corridors 18 and 20 were "future parts of the Interstate System", to become actual Interstates when built to Interstate standards and connected to other Interstates.[4]

The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), enacted in 1998, greatly expanded the extension to the Lower Rio Grande Valley was detailed as splitting into two routes just south of Victoria, one following US 77 and the other following US 59 and US 281 to the Rio Grande. This act also assigned the I-69 designation to Corridors 18 and 20, with the branches on US 77, US 281, and US 59 to the Rio Grande being "Interstate 69 East", "Interstate 69 Central", and "Interstate 69 West", respectively.[5] With TEA-21, the I-69 extension took shape, and remains today as those segments.[6]

Exit list

The entire route is in Laredo, Webb County. All exits are unnumbered.

mikmDestinationsNotes
0.00.0World Trade Bridge over Rio Grande
south end of US 59 / Loop 20 overlap
0.61.0 FM 1472 (Mines Road) – Laredo Colombia Solidarity Bridge
1.42.3 I-35 (US 83) / US 59 east / Loop 20 east – Laredo, San Antonionorth end of US 59 / Loop 20 overlap; I-35 exit 8
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Koch, James W. & Weber, Joe (June 26, 2014). "Minute Order" (PDF). Texas Transportation Commission. Retrieved July 30, 2014.
  2. ↑ "Push on to Add SH 44 to I-69 Priority Corridor System" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. April 30, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
  3. ↑ "H.R.2950". Thomas. Library of Congress. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  4. ↑ "S.440". Thomas. Library of Congress. February 16, 1995. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  5. ↑ "H.R. 2400". Thomas. Library of Congress. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  6. ↑ Staff. "NHS High Priority Corridors Description". Federal Highway Administration. Archived from the original on February 7, 2008. Retrieved August 2007.

External links

Route map: Bing / Google

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