Effort to include U.S. 75/69 Freeway into Interstate system

[FreewayDan]

TEX-21 (Transportation Excellence for the 21st Century) is the task force behind it:
http://www.kxii.com/home/headlines/TEX-21-Wants-us-7569-named-an-interstate--246250041.html

If this happens, I could see I-45 being extended into Oklahoma.

[Road Hog]

Will never happen until Oklahoma gets off its duff and makes US 69 interstate grade at least to I-40.

[bugo]

It won't be built any time soon, and it certainly won't be built as a free road.

[Bobby5280]

The powers that be in Oklahoma can keep on dragging their feet about upgrading the US-69 corridor between the Red River and Big Cabin to Interstate standards. And then they can watch Texas and Arkansas bypass that situation with different Interstate level corridors.

Right now, US-69 from the Dallas area is the main gateway route for trucking traffic coming from Mexico and the ports of Houston heading to long haul destinations in the Northeast, be it Chicago, New York, New England, etc. Taking I-35 through Oklahoma City is out of the way.

It's still going to be a long time before I-69 is finished in Texas, but once it is traffic coming from Mexico and the Port of Houston will take that route and bypass DFW (not to mention Oklahoma) completely. That traffic will have a far increased incentive to avoid Oklahoma if US-69 isn't up to Interstate standards. I-69 would be a far better alternative due to no stop lights, speed traps, etc. Even if the Great River Bridge and Mississippi portion of I-69 is never built, long haul truck traffic can pick up I-30 in Texarkana and then proceed to Northeastern US destinations from there. A completed I-69 in Texas and I-369 to Texarkana might put a lot more trucks onto the US-67 corridor and make a better case for extending I-30 or I-57 along that route.

Dallas Fort Worth is growing like crazy and on its own will put a lot of traffic into Oklahoma along US-69 even if a lot of other traffic from Houston and Mexico disappears. The amount of truck traffic along US-69 is pretty insane currently. I'm sure it's putting incredible levels of wear and tear on US-69. Maintenance isn't cheap. I'm sure the small cities and towns along the US-69 corridor don't exactly have lots of money to spend on roads and streets getting beat to shit by long haul trucks. The state of Oklahoma isn't overflowing with cash for that either. At some point those towns and the state will be forced to think about that corridor differently.

As to whether the route ends up as a toll road or not (if ever built), I think an Interstate along this corridor (I-45 would make the most sense) would be a mix of the two. US-69/75 between the Red River and McAlester could be upgraded to a free access Interstate highway in sections. Atoka is the only town along that section of the corridor where a new terrain bypass would be needed. And perhaps that piece of highway would be an opportunity to throw up a toll gate. From Muskogee up to Big Cabin the corridor would probably end up being a turnpike for the amount of new terrain route required to bypass Muskogee, Wagoner & Pryor Creek.

[NE2]

Right now, US-69 from the Dallas area is the main gateway route for trucking traffic coming from Mexico and the ports of Houston heading to long haul destinations in the Northeast, be it Chicago, New York, New England, etc. Taking I-35 through Oklahoma City is out of the way.

From Houston, taking I-45 to Dallas is out of the way if you're going anywhere east of I-35. Hence Houston to Texarkana is a justifiable piece of I-69.

(As for US 67 in Arkansas, unless you're going to St. Louis, that would save only about 10 miles over I-40 to I-55.)

[Bobby5280]

Yes, Dallas is out of the way for traffic coming from Houston and headed to the Northeast US. Right now I-45 and US-69/75 is the best alternative until I-69 and I-369 are finished. Once the I-69 corridor is finished in Texas traffic counts along US-69/75 in Oklahoma could be taking a serious hit. All those towns along US-69/75 fighting Interstate upgrades and local bypasses will end up getting affected worse by a completed I-69. Other corridors like I-49 will pull more traffic away from Oklahoma.

[bugo]

Right now, US-69 from the Dallas area is the main gateway route for trucking traffic coming from Mexico and the ports of Houston heading to long haul destinations in the Northeast, be it Chicago, New York, New England, etc. Taking I-35 through Oklahoma City is out of the way.

From Houston, taking I-45 to Dallas is out of the way if you're going anywhere east of I-35. Hence Houston to Texarkana is a justifiable piece of I-69.

(As for US 67 in Arkansas, unless you're going to St. Louis, that would save only about 10 miles over I-40 to I-55.)

Nothing wrong with redundancy.