Laredo: bids opened for SH 84 frontage roads (potential future freeway)

[MaxConcrete]

Bid opening page. Map is on page 1 of the plans

This is an all-new highway on the north side of Laredo, generally east-to-west on the north side of Laredo from I-35 to the intersection of Mines Road and La Tiendas Road. It is on a wide right-of-way, generally 400 feet wide, and this $122 million project will build the frontage roads. Eventually we can expect the main lanes to be built, but that could be far in the future.

This project moved through the environmental process to contract award very quickly. The environmental assessment was approved in August 2023.

This area of Laredo has an abundance of warehouses, and I expect more warehouses to be built along SH 84.

County:   WEBB   Let Date:   05/02/24
Type:   CONSTRUCT NEW ROAD   Seq No:   3002
Time:   789 WORKING DAYS   Project ID:   STP 2B24(041)MM
Highway:   SH 84   Contract #:   05243002
Length:   0.000   CCSJ:   3483-02-002
Limits:   
From:   FM 1472   Check:   $100,000
To:   IH 35 WEST FRONTAGE ROAD   Misc Cost:   
Estimate   $144,625,047.06   % Over/Under   Company
Bidder 1   $122,229,769.00   -15.49%   WEBBER, LLC
Bidder 2   $126,867,899.95   -12.28%   JAMES CONSTRUCTION GROUP, LLC

[TheBox]

I think you meant Highway 83/US-83 (aka future Interstate 2)

[Bobby5280]

$100 million plus? For a pair of frontage road streets that run 6 or 7 miles? Jeez.

That project might help move traffic more efficiently between the growing Travel Centers of America complex on I-35 and the Columbia-Camino border crossing. But it won't solve the giant crush of truck traffic present on Mines Road. The zone from I-69W up to Millenium Park is really bad. They're going to have to look at building an elevated freeway through there and doing other at-grade freeway upgrades the rest of the way up to the Columbia-Camino crossing.

I doubt this new pair of frontage roads would be related to I-2. Or I-27. I-2 would ultimately end in Laredo at an interchange with I-69W. An eventual I-27 extension down to Laredo would more likely follow US-277 from Eagle Pass to Carrizo Springs and then to I-35. Although the route length would be shorter, it seems less likely I-27 would follow FM-1021 and Mines Road down to Laredo.

[MaxConcrete]

I think you meant Highway 83/US-83 (aka future Interstate 2)

See the environmental assessment.

There is no indication this project has any relation to US 83 or I-2.

3.1 Need
The project is needed to reduce traffic congestion on existing state and local roadways due to the
increased commercial drayage (short haul shipping) traffic between the international ports of entry
locate west FM 1472 and the developing warehouse district located along IH 35 north of Laredo.

3.3 Purpose
The purpose of the proposed project is to accommodate anticipated future growth in the region by
adding necessary additional capacity. Travel times between FM 1472 and IH-35 would be
significantly reduced with the construction of the new roadway. The new roadway would also reduce
traffic on Killam Industrial Blvd., I-69W, FM 1472, and FM 3338 by offering an alternative route
between FM 1472 and IH-35.

[Chris]

$100 million plus? For a pair of frontage road streets that run 6 or 7 miles? Jeez.

It does include several sets of bridges, according to the EA. But not an interchange with I-35, it just dead-ends at the I-35 frontage road.

[The Ghostbuster]

Could this roadway eventually be extended west of FM 1472 and into Mexico?