I-69 in TX

[Bobby5280]

I think the only way the Cleveland bypass would be re-built is if they expanded it from 2x2 lanes to 3x3. The 6-lane configuration currently ends at the South side of Cleveland. Newer interchanges a short distance to the North, such as the one at FM-2914, have US-59 limited to 2x2 lanes. It's a judgment call on whether US-59/I-69 is worth re-building in Cleveland, especially with so much work to do elsewhere on the corridor.

[Great Lakes Roads]

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/hearings-meetings/lufkin/2024/us59-livingston-upgrade-100324.html

Public meeting on the upgrade of US 59 to I-69 (aka interstate standards) around Livingston...

A 4-lane facility with a 52-foot median with a complete rebuild of the US 190 interchange into a SPUI (single-point urban interchange).

[sprjus4]

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/hearings-meetings/lufkin/2024/us59-livingston-upgrade-100324.html

Public meeting on the upgrade of US 59 to I-69 (aka interstate standards) around Livingston...

A 4-lane facility with a 52-foot median with a complete rebuild of the US 190 interchange into a SPUI (single-point urban interchange).

The project seems to be replacing all of the mainline bridges (with 6 lanes, 4 lanes striped) and reconfiguring the northern and southern interchanges. Otherwise, not much else seemingly changing configuration wise, besides a full rebuild of the roadway itself.

Nothing new will be added in terms of freeway mileage, the Livingston bypass is already up to full freeway standards.

[The Ghostbuster]

Where exactly would Interstate 14 connect with US 59/Future Interstate 69, assuming 14 is ever constructed that far east?

[thisdj78]

Where exactly would Interstate 14 connect with US 59/Future Interstate 69, assuming 14 is ever constructed that far east?

It's supposed to roughly follow the path of US190 in that area so it would cross I-69/US59 near Livingston

[MaxConcrete]

Here's a blast from the past, from a Houston Chronicle collection of photos from September 1994.

The photo caption is "Houston Mayor Bob Lanier, center, takes part in a ribbon-cutting for the new I-69, or NAFTA Highway, at the Four Seasons Hotel, Sept. 29, 1994."

Bob Lanier (deceased) was chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission in the 1980s and a big proponent of I-69. It's unclear if this was ceremony for a specific section, or just a publicity event. I can't think of any sections which opened at the time of the photo. Work was in progress to widen all of US 59 (future I-69) north of downtown, but those sections were many years behind schedule and I think most or all sections opened in the late 1990s.

This photo also reminds us that it takes a very long time to complete projects like I-69, since completion of all of I-69 in Texas will be well after 2050.



https://s.hdnux.com/photos/0/0/0/26150433/3/2000x0.jpghttps://s.hdnux.com/photos/0/0/0/26150433/3/2000x0.jpg

[MaxConcrete]

Work is proceeding well on the US 281 (I-69C) Alice bypass main lanes. Plenty of piers are in place for the long elevated section on the north side. I still don't know the rationale for the long elevated structure. Maybe fill dirt is very expensive these days?

To the south of Alice, the Premont bypass is 100% complete and there's no construction presence or any lingering work.

Photos of the Alice bypass main lanes taken October 13, 2024.


https://dfwfreeways.blob.core.windows.net/photos/20241012-13_081-2000.webp


https://dfwfreeways.blob.core.windows.net/photos/20241012-13_083-1600.webp

[roadman65]

Will I-69 cross Toledo Bend Lake to enter Louisiana? I'm taking east of Timpson, that the proposed freeway will follow US 84 East to about Logansport, La so it would have to reviewed under serious scrutiny to cross that particular lake.

[Bobby5280]

Will I-69 cross Toledo Bend Lake to enter Louisiana?

No. I-69 will (when built) cross the TX/LA border next to Logansport, several miles North of Toledo Bend Lake. I don't know if any studies have been done on possible bypass routes around Logansport. But it looks like a bypass just South of town would be the easiest fix.

I didn't see this post a few weeks ago:

Work is proceeding well on the US 281 (I-69C) Alice bypass main lanes. Plenty of piers are in place for the long elevated section on the north side. I still don't know the rationale for the long elevated structure. Maybe fill dirt is very expensive these days?

I think the long bridges are being built because the area along US-281 immediately South of Howell Road is likely flood prone, if it isn't actually in the flood plain. A few semi dry, unnamed streams run through that location, including a significant one just North of the US-281/TX-44 freeway exit.

In other places elsewhere in Texas the long bridges might still seem like overkill. Alice, TX is less than an hour's drive from the Gulf Coast. Hurricanes and other Gulf storms are a threat. I would imagine TX DOT might like I-69C to function has a hurricane evacuation route for people trying to get out of the Brownsville-McAllen-Pharr-Edinburgh cluster of cities farther South if a hurricane was going to strike there.

[roadman65]

US 84 does cross Toledo Bend at Logansport. The lake ends above that.  ^^^

[bwana39]

Will I-69 cross Toledo Bend Lake to enter Louisiana? I'm taking east of Timpson, that the proposed freeway will follow US 84 East to about Logansport, La so it would have to reviewed under serious scrutiny to cross that particular lake.

While TxDOT and LADOTD have not agreed on the transition point, the preference in Texas is to have I-69 intersect US-59 / I-369 near the Woods community in Panola County. That would leave the fewest miles between I-49 and the state line in Louisiana. It would also have Texas have all of the Sabine River Crossing.

Even the originally proposed route had the crossing north of Logansport. That one would have tracked south of Tenaha and Timpson and crossed back to the northeast (re)joining US-84 until just west of Joaquin. then tracking north.

It really depends on whether Louisiana is more concerned about how many lane miles they would have or the wishes of the power structure in DeSoto Parish (LA).

Either way, I suspect we are a decade or more away from this decision. , much less actual development and construction.

[bwana39]

US 84 does cross Toledo Bend at Logansport. The lake ends above that.  ^^^

That is VERY technically. The lake, if you will is around 150 yards wide at this point.  Realistically, the end of the real lake is probably 8-10 miles downstream.

[05danper42842]

New Aerial video of US59(I-69) / Loop 224 Flyover Project. Alot of new progress is shown along. You can clearly see how will it align. Why does one bridge looks wider than the other? Shouldn't it be both the same width to accommodate the same traffic capacity.

[sprjus4]

^ Probably an acceleration lane

[TheBox]

If and when I-69 is updated if not completed (at least up to Texarkana and Shreveport, LA) how do you think they should redo the control city signs in Houston?

Here's some hypothetical scenarios I made with Highway sign maker




I also made one for Corpus Christi

[TheBox]

I forgot about the whole I-45 NHHIP overhaul stuff which I'm confident will be done before I-69 in TX and LA ever get connected (even if the former is 20 years from now, which is hella long), so here

[BJ59]

I think that Corpus Christi and Victoria are the best control cities for I-69 south of Houston. As for north, I would have to go with Nacogdoches and Shreveport. Even though Texarkana is a control city in the DFW area, I think it is too far from Houston and too small to replace Nacogdoches or Shreveport. Texarkana is also reached through I-369, not I-69, so because its small, far away, and not on the main route of I-69, I don't think it would be a worthy candidate.

Marshall and Tenaha are also too small and far away in my opinion.

[CoreySamson]

The control cities of I-69 from Houston should be Victoria and Shreveport, with a secondary of Lufkin. Victoria is where I-69E and I-69W will split, and Shreveport is approximately the same distance away from Houston as San Antonio and Dallas are from Houston. But I would make Lufkin the primary for NB I-69 only, as it is the biggest city on I-69's route north of Houston within Texas.

[TheBox]

I think that Corpus Christi and Victoria are the best control cities for I-69 south of Houston. As for north, I would have to go with Nacogdoches and Shreveport. Even though Texarkana is a control city in the DFW area, I think it is too far from Houston and too small to replace Nacogdoches or Shreveport. Texarkana is also reached through I-369, not I-69, so because its small, far away, and not on the main route of I-69, I don't think it would be a worthy candidate.

Marshall and Tenaha are also too small and far away in my opinion.

The control cities of I-69 from Houston should be Victoria and Shreveport, with a secondary of Lufkin. Victoria is where I-69E and I-69W will split, and Shreveport is approximately the same distance away from Houston as San Antonio and Dallas are from Houston. But I would make Lufkin the primary for NB I-69 only, as it is the biggest city on I-69's route north of Houston within Texas.

[BJ59]

Yeah Lufkin and Shreveport makes sense. I still think Corpus should be on there like @TheBox showed because that's a pretty important city that people traveling on I-69 will be wanting to get to.

[achilles765]

Honestly I think the control cities in Houston should be from north to south:

Shreveport/Texarkana
Houston
Downtown
Victoria/Corpus Christi/Rio Grande Valley

[Echostatic]

I'd be happy with anything north of Houston as long as they drop Cleveland.

[TheBox]

Marshall and Tenaha are also too small and far away in my opinion.

If Toll 49 was not only ever extended to Marshall (where it would intersect with future I-369), but also expanded to be more safe, that would justify Marshall being here.

That would also link it with Longview and Tyler more directly that way

[Rothman]

This used to be an informative thread.

[TheBox]

This used to be an informative thread.

Speaking of, any updates on the bypasses of Corrigan and Diboll, as well as the Hungerford/Whartdon and northern Lufkin improvements?