Texas State Highway 550

State Highway 550 marker

State Highway 550
Route information
Length: 3.00 mi[1] (4.83 km)
Existed: 2008 – present
Major junctions
Northwest end: I-69E / I-169 begins / US 77 / US 83 at Olmito
  I-169 ends at Old Alice Road
SH 48 in Eastern Brownsville
Southeast end: Port of Brownsville
Highway system
← SH 495SH 824 →

State Highway 550 (SH 550) is a highway under construction that, when complete, will be a limited access toll route around the northern and eastern edges of Brownsville, Texas, partly replacing and expanding Farm to Market Road 511 (FM 511). It is to provide a new entry point for truck traffic to the Port of Brownsville. It also forms a loop that allows traffic to bypass the northern sections of the urbanized extent of the Brownsville city limits. This may allow the loop to also serve as a relief route for future traffic congestion and as a future business corridor. The first stage of construction was expected to be completed in 2010, with bidding for the final sections currently underway. The first phase of the route opened on March 10, 2011,[2] with tolling for the bridge over FM 1847 beginning on May 11, 2011. Phase two, which created a new limited access highway from FM 3248 to a new entrance to the Port of Brownsville, was opened on June 1, 2013. According to local officials, when the freeway is complete, it will be renumbered Interstate 169 (I-169) being an auxiliary route of Interstate 69E (I-69E).

Route description

SH 550 was constructed on the same routing as FM 511 from its connection with I-69E and US 77/US 83 southeastward to FM 3248. Separated travel lanes, intended to be the frontage roads, were the first stage of construction from I-69E and US 77/US 83 to FM 3248. Flyover bridges have been constructed at FM 1847 and at two rail crossings. The second stage of construction built a new divided limited-access highway, which splits from FM 511 at FM 3248 and travels southeast to a new entry point for the Port of Brownsville, and a new crossover bridge at Old Port Isabel Road. The third stage that will complete the mainlanes on the Stage one portion, and construct exit ramps directly to and from I-69E and US 77/US 83 at Olmito, begun in March and will end in approximately 60 days.[3] The route is a toll route, but the second and third stages of the route are being funded with $36 million of funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.[4] According to local authorities in Cameron County, upon full completion, the route will be signed as I-169 as a spur route of I-69E.[5]

Future

Local officials say SH 550 Toll when completed, will be signed as I-169. I-169 is currently being signed from I-69E to Old Alice Road.

Exit list

The entire route is in Brownsville, Cameron County. All exits are unnumbered.

mikmDestinationsNotes
0.000.00 I-69E / US 77 to I-2 / US 83
I-169 south		Western terminus; western end of I-169 overlap
0.751.21Old Alice Road
I-169 north		Temporary eastern terminus of I-169; eastern end of I-169 overlap
FM 1847Future interchange
Turnaround
Dr. Hugh Emerson Road
FM 511		Connected to FM 511 & Port Isabel Road exits; western end of FM 511 frontage roads; western terminus of FM 511
Port Isabel RoadCan be accessed via Dr. Hugh Emerson Road exits
FM 511 eastEastern end of FM 511 frontage roads; southbound exit and northbound entrance
Turnaround
Eastern end of freeway
SH 48Eastern terminus of SH 550
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

Previous routes

SH 550 was previously designated in 1947 as a highway running through the Dallas–Fort Worth region. This highway was transferred to I-20 (now I-30) at the inception of the Interstate Highway System in 1959.

References

  1. ↑ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 550". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation.
  2. ↑ Sepulveda, Pete, Jr. (March 9, 2011). "First Section of SH 550 Toll to Open March 10" (PDF) (Press release). Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 22, 2012.
  3. ↑ "State Adding Connector Routes from Expressway to SH 550". The Brownsville Herald.
  4. ↑ Texas Transportation Commission (January 28, 2010). "Minute Order 112119" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation.
  5. ↑ Clark, Steve (January 2, 2015). "Big Money Transportation Projects Make Gains in 2014". The Brownsville Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2015.
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