US-96 to become an Interstate?

[CoreySamson]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

[edwaleni]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

US-96 has another distinction as being a US route that does not follow time held naming standards.

It is entirely inside Texas and is nowhere close to its sister roads which are well to the west.

The interstate desire probably drove TxDOT to make it a federal route so they could justify a corridor later.

[bwana39]

US96 may actually make the interstate push. It should at least become  four lane divided highways with loops around most towns and overpasses at significant intersections.

As to the numbering abnomaly, US 96 had been labeled and has followed this route since 1939. What happened in 1939?
Prior to that US 96 had gone from Rosenburg (west of Houston) to Laredo.  US 59 Went from Texarkana to Beaumont.

Texas decided that there needed to be a Federal route from east Texas to the fast growing metropolis of Houston. The solution was to reroute US 59 from Teneha to Houston along the previous SH35 and to also continue it along US 96 to Laredo. This left the previous US 59 route without a US Highway route. The now unneeded US 96 was reassigned out of Grid to a north / south alignment.  Texas still in the throes of the depression, likely moved the same shields from one road to the other.

[AcE_Wolf_287]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

idk but I-47??? I-369 would be part of it or I-369 is Extended along US 96

[Bobby5280]

US-96 as an Interstate from Beaumont to Tenaha? IMHO, such an upgrade would be a big waste of money. It would be good enough to make it a regular 4 lane road with at-grade intersections, where traffic levels warrant such an upgrade. US-96 connects to no major destinations. That's a major knock against an Interstate upgrade. Even worse, an Interstate conversion of US-96 wouldn't serve as a time-saving bypass for any major destinations either.

Texas already has a LOT on its plate in terms of Interstate highway projects to build. An upgrade of US-96 to Interstate standards would be even more porky than some of the wants in the I-14 effort. The on-going I-69 effort is the biggest long term upgrade effort in the state. The Ports to Plains Corridor is another. Then there's all the growing upgrade needs along various corridors in the state due to rampant growth in the DFW, Houston and Austin-San Antonio regions. West Texas has seen heavy truck traffic levels increase dramatically with the boom in oil drilling activity (although that's getting very disrupted as of late).

[sprjus4]

US-96 as an Interstate from Beaumont to Tenaha? IMHO, such an upgrade would be a big waste of money. It would be good enough to make it a regular 4 lane road with at-grade intersections, where traffic levels warrant such an upgrade. US-96 connects to no major destinations. That's a major knock against an Interstate upgrade. Even worse, an Interstate conversion of US-96 wouldn't serve as a time-saving bypass for any major destinations either.

Beaumont and Texarkana are cities of over 100,000 and would be directly linked via such a highway.

Nonetheless, a more realistic proposal, since I-14 will more than likely never end up east of Texas, would be to re-route the eastern end of I-14 from I-69 at Livingston to I-10 at Beaumont.

This, in addition to providing long-distance I-10 traffic to the I-14 corridor to bypass Houston and San Antonio, would allow I-369 / I-69 traffic from Texarkana and other northern locations to connect to I-14 at Livingston bound to Beaumont. This would require about 60 miles of new interstate highway as opposed to at least 140 miles if a routing to Tenaha, one that would run parallel with I-69 separated by 40 miles for its entire length, and be wasteful IMO.

[abqtraveler]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

idk but I-47??? I-369 would be part of it or I-369 is Extended along US 96

If you're going to designate US-96 as I-47, I would extend the I-47 designation over I-369 to a new interchange with I-49 north of Texarkana.

[AcE_Wolf_287]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

idk but I-47??? I-369 would be part of it or I-369 is Extended along US 96

If you're going to designate US-96 as I-47, I would extend the I-47 designation over I-369 to a new interchange with I-49 north of Texarkana.

yea, i wish they did that with I-69 but...

[US 89]

I think this thread has been infected with calrogvirus...

[Bobby5280]

If I-69 is going to get built in East Texas there really isn't much need to have a parallel US-96 Interstate corridor running much of that North-South length nearby.

I'm not opposed to a corridor like US-287 being improved to Interstate standards going North out of Beaumont to perhaps connect into the future I-14 corridor at Woodville or Livingston. But such a route would not work as an I-10 relief route around Houston. The US-90 and TX-105 corridors are far better positioned to create a Northern bypass around Houston. The US-90 alternative could connect into the Grand Parkway and then US-290 on the West side of the Houston metro. The TX-105 corridor would create a bypass farther North connecting to Cleveland, Conroe, Navasota and Brenham. Either one of those solutions would point the traffic into the Austin area.

[CoreySamson]

US-96 as an Interstate from Beaumont to Tenaha? IMHO, such an upgrade would be a big waste of money. It would be good enough to make it a regular 4 lane road with at-grade intersections, where traffic levels warrant such an upgrade. US-96 connects to no major destinations. That's a major knock against an Interstate upgrade. Even worse, an Interstate conversion of US-96 wouldn't serve as a time-saving bypass for any major destinations either.

Texas already has a LOT on its plate in terms of Interstate highway projects to build. An upgrade of US-96 to Interstate standards would be even more porky than some of the wants in the I-14 effort. The on-going I-69 effort is the biggest long term upgrade effort in the state. The Ports to Plains Corridor is another. Then there's all the growing upgrade needs along various corridors in the state due to rampant growth in the DFW, Houston and Austin-San Antonio regions. West Texas has seen heavy truck traffic levels increase dramatically with the boom in oil drilling activity (although that's getting very disrupted as of late).

That is exactly what I was thinking. There probably isn't very much traffic trying to get from Beaumont to Texarkana. Any traffic coming from the west would use 69, and any from the east would use 49.

Although here's an interesting idea: as soon as TxDot finishes 69, what if they move 59s southern terminus back to Beaumont like how it was in the 30s and do away with the US 96 designation entirely?

[sprjus4]

Although here's an interesting idea: as soon as TxDot finishes 69, what if they move 59s southern terminus back to Beaumont like how it was in the 30s and do away with the US 96 designation entirely?

Seeing as I-69W will likely never see the light of day between Victoria and Freer, or even Laredo, I'd say the odds are slim.

[US71]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

idk but I-47??? I-369 would be part of it or I-369 is Extended along US 96

If you're going to designate US-96 as I-47, I would extend the I-47 designation over I-369 to a new interchange with I-49 north of Texarkana.

Why does everything have to be an Interstate?

[Hwy 61 Revisited]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

idk but I-47??? I-369 would be part of it or I-369 is Extended along US 96

If you're going to designate US-96 as I-47, I would extend the I-47 designation over I-369 to a new interchange with I-49 north of Texarkana.

Why does everything have to be an Interstate?

I think FritzOwl has his own sort of Coronavirus...

[sparker]

I was reading about US highways on Wikipedia recently and looked over US-96's Wikipedia page when I noticed something interesting. Under the future tab, it said this:

The US 96 Corridor is being considered as an Interstate Highway running from Interstate 69 and Interstate 369 interchange in Tenaha to the US 96 and I-10 split in Beaumont, Texas.
This is a crucial corridor for moving troops and supplies from the military bases along Interstate 14 such as Fort Hood, Fort Polk, and Fort Bliss.
Currently as of 2019 a construction project on US 96 in Beaumont is expanding the highway to 6 lanes (3 in each direction) to prepare the highway for Interstate Standards.

I haven't heard about any plans to expand 96 into an interstate, and there is nothing that the article sources confirming that it is being considered.

What are y'alls opinion on this? Has anyone else heard anything about 96 being expanded, or does anyone think this is the product of an overzealous I-14 proponent (cuz I sure do)?

idk but I-47??? I-369 would be part of it or I-369 is Extended along US 96

If you're going to designate US-96 as I-47, I would extend the I-47 designation over I-369 to a new interchange with I-49 north of Texarkana.

Why does everything have to be an Interstate?

Not everything -- just a shitload of routes in NC & TX!  Their DOT's, in conjunction with their congressional delegations, have certainly been busy bees as of late.

[DJStephens]

Texas should have more 3DI routes.  The silly Loop designations near larger cities are laughable.   

[bwana39]

Texas should have more 3DI routes.  The silly Loop designations near larger cities are laughable.

You seem to value the Interstate Brand and devalue the TX-XX Brand.

The Hill Country Fare stuff at HEB is generally better than the national brands.

As I have pointed out before. Texas does NOT have tolls on any numbered highway main lanes PARTICULARLY IS and Interstate Highways.  All of these loops are Tolled. The numbered (free) mainlanes are the at grade service (frontage, feeder, etc ) lanes adjacent to them. Likewise, the HOV toll lanes are just coupled with the free Mainlanes. Texas has no tolled numbered mainlanes. (Admittedly some have names containing numbers like TOLL49, but in all but a very few cases, the tolled lanes have free lanes immediately adjacent to them. ) I THINK  TOLL 49 in Tyler is the only NUMBERED one that doesn't have adjacent free lanes.

[US 89]

As I have pointed out before. Texas does NOT have tolls on any numbered highway main lanes PARTICULARLY IS and Interstate Highways.  All of these loops are Tolled. The numbered (free) mainlanes are the at grade service (frontage, feeder, etc ) lanes adjacent to them. Likewise, the HOV toll lanes are just coupled with the free Mainlanes. Texas has no tolled numbered mainlanes. (Admittedly some have names containing numbers like TOLL49, but in all but a very few cases, the tolled lanes have free lanes immediately adjacent to them. ) I THINK  TOLL 49 in Tyler is the only NUMBERED one that doesn't have adjacent free lanes.

SH 99?

[Anthony_JK]

US 69/96/287 is already a full-on Interstate grade freeway from its interchange with I-10 in central Beaumont to the 69/96 split near Lumberton; there are projects to upgrade the existing I-10/US 69 interchange through widening the mainline ramps to 2 lanes and improving frontage road access; as well as widening the current US 69 freeway to 6 lanes with continuous frontage roads to the 69/96 split.

There has recently been talk about incorporating a section of US 96 or US 69 into the I-14 Colossus as a spur connector, or even redirecting I-14 onto US 69 to end at I-10 in Beaumont to avoid Louisiana and Mississippi. Right now, though, it's just talk.

Personally, I don't see the need, since 4-laning US 69 (and renaming it once I-69 is completed to avoid the duplication rule) would more than suffice for me.

[bwana39]

Personally, I don't see the need, since 4-laning US 69 (and renaming it once I-69 is completed to avoid the duplication rule) would more than suffice for me.

TXDOT is totally unworried about the duplication of numbers. Their plan as of now seems to be ignore the 69/69 confluence / concurrence.

My take is they should either renumber the current US69 as US271 South from Tyler or US175 South from Jacksonville and truncate US69 there. 

[sparker]

Personally, I don't see the need, since 4-laning US 69 (and renaming it once I-69 is completed to avoid the duplication rule) would more than suffice for me.

TXDOT is totally unworried about the duplication of numbers. Their plan as of now seems to be ignore the 69/69 confluence / concurrence.

My take is they should either renumber the current US69 as US271 South from Tyler or US175 South from Jacksonville and truncate US69 there. 

I'd just swap 69 & 75 south of the routes' split south of the Red River.  US 69 goes to Dallas and terminates; US 75 gets back to the Gulf (or an inlet thereof).  Ironically, it'll once again intersect US 175 -- but at the other end!  And TxDOT won't give a shit about TX 75 along I-45; just another duplicate as far as they're concerned.

[bwana39]

The 69 / 75 reversal actually would have been my choice all along without expense being a major criteria. That said, I would pick 175 or 271 to reduce the number of signs needing changed.  US-75 in Texas is probably going away in the next five or so years anyway.

As to SH75, Texas does not worry about SH duplicating a US Highway or Interstate unless they intersect. FM's duplication is not worried about at all.

[-- US 175 --]

The 69 / 75 reversal actually would have been my choice all along without expense being a major criteria. That said, I would pick 175 or 271 to reduce the number of signs needing changed.  US-75 in Texas is probably going away in the next five or so years anyway.

As to SH75, Texas does not worry about SH duplicating a US Highway or Interstate unless they intersect.

The 1 glaring exception to that being out in Matador, with US 62-US 70 crossing TX 70, and apparently TxDOT has not been crying in their beer over that instance now, or ever.

[-- US 175 --]

Personally, I don't see the need, since 4-laning US 69 (and renaming it once I-69 is completed to avoid the duplication rule) would more than suffice for me.

TXDOT is totally unworried about the duplication of numbers. Their plan as of now seems to be ignore the 69/69 confluence / concurrence.

My take is they should either renumber the current US69 as US271 South from Tyler or US175 South from Jacksonville and truncate US69 there.

I wouldn't mind using this as a way of lengthening US 175 (for obvious reasons  ), but I've heard nothing yet of any kind of future plan like this.  It would be somewhat logical, both from a TxDOT Trunk Route angle (when TxDOT was initially formulating TX Trunk Routes, the combo of US 69 Beaumont-Jacksonville and US 175 to Dallas was in the first set of 11 planned in the state), and from those who drive trucks for a living (the Beaumont-Dallas path using the 2 routes has long been a well-used trucker alternative to avoid Houston; a rep from the Tyler TxDOT office has told me in the past that at least 20% of US 175's traffic has been from truckers).

[US71]

The 69 / 75 reversal actually would have been my choice all along without expense being a major criteria. That said, I would pick 175 or 271 to reduce the number of signs needing changed.  US-75 in Texas is probably going away in the next five or so years anyway.

As to SH75, Texas does not worry about SH duplicating a US Highway or Interstate unless they intersect. FM's duplication is not worried about at all.

Would US 75 become TX 75? If you're going to that, kill US 75 at Atoka / US 69