I-69 in TX

[edwaleni]

I'm sure other people may have noticed, but Google Earth has some updated imagery for Laredo, dated 3/16/25. It shows a lot more construction activity along the Bob Bullock Loop. The project runs from International Blvd down to the doorstep of the United ISD Food Production Center building. So far all that has been done is grading work, but it shows a clear foot print of the future freeway's ROW.

The gap between the end of that project down to the intersection with US-59 and Loop 20 is only about 1.75 miles. The public schools food production building will have to be relocated. Some of the park buildings at Lake Casa Blanca State Park will have to be cleared. Outside of those two issues there isn't much of anything else in the way of widening the road. The highway will probably have to do without frontage roads passing by the Casa Blanca Golf Course.

I'll bet they have a priority in the near term to get the freeway completed at least down to the entrance of the Laredo International Airport.

[Henry]

This is somewhat related, but is the current intersection with US 59 where I-69W will turn (north)east to go to Houston going to be the western terminus of I-2?

[Great Lakes Roads]

This is somewhat related, but is the current intersection with US 59 where I-69W will turn (north)east to go to Houston going to be the western terminus of I-2?

Yes.

[Bobby5280]

TX DOT will have to buy and demolish a lot of existing properties if they want to route I-69W Eastward on Saunders Street from the Loop 20/US-59 exit. A new QuikTrip store was recently opened on the SW corner of the intersection. It looks like other new properties (including homes) are getting built at the corner of Puerto Escondido and Saunders Street.

[MaxConcrete]

TX DOT will have to buy and demolish a lot of existing properties if they want to route I-69W Eastward on Saunders Street from the Loop 20/US-59 exit. A new QuikTrip store was recently opened on the SW corner of the intersection. It looks like other new properties (including homes) are getting built at the corner of Puerto Escondido and Saunders Street.

At a public meeting in October 2023 four alternatives were presented for the alignment of US 59 (I-69W) east of Laredo. Three of the four alternatives are north of the lake, avoiding Saunders Street.

See page 5 in the presentation. On page 6 the evaluation matrix shows that the Saunders Street option is the lowest rated, so it is very unlikely to be selected.

[Phudman]

New drone flyover of the Nacogdoches project

[edwaleni]

This is somewhat related, but is the current intersection with US 59 where I-69W will turn (north)east to go to Houston going to be the western terminus of I-2?

Yes.

Here is the study done on that coridoor.

https://www.txdot.gov/projects/projects-studies/statewide/us83-corridor.html

TxDOT is expecting another international bridge over the Rio Grande that will feed I-69W from the south via I-2.

[MaxConcrete]

New drone flyover of the Nacogdoches project

That project seems to be taking a ridiculously long time. So I looked it up, and it is far behind schedule.

From this report

When ground was broken in October 2019, the $86.9 million intersection reconfiguration was expected to take four years, with an original completion date in 2023. Weather delays and supply and labor shortages created by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed that date to 2025, and completion was again reset last year to 2026.

According to this TxDOT document, work began in August 2019. The bid had 523 working days which was extended to 587 days. They are now at 673 days and subject to a penalty of $2590 per day, which has totaled $222,740 as of the 5/8/2025.

[bwana39]

New drone flyover of the Nacogdoches project

That project seems to be taking a ridiculously long time. So I looked it up, and it is far behind schedule.

From this report

When ground was broken in October 2019, the $86.9 million intersection reconfiguration was expected to take four years, with an original completion date in 2023. Weather delays and supply and labor shortages created by the COVID-19 pandemic pushed that date to 2025, and completion was again reset last year to 2026.

According to this TxDOT document, work began in August 2019. The bid had 523 working days which was extended to 587 days. They are now at 673 days and subject to a penalty of $2590 per day, which has totaled $222,740 as of the 5/8/2025.

Do those penalties apply to the covid delays? In Texarkana where the I-30 widening project is just dragging with times before 2024 that there was zero work done anywhere for 4-6 month stretches. Local discussion says the contractor has the ability on these pre-covid lets to get seemingly endless delays as well as increases above the contract amount.

Even if they don't get endless delays, the delay penalties could be paid with the increased funding///

[sprjus4]

7 years for an interchange project? Yeesh.