I-69 in TX

[CoreySamson]

Just an Update: all new mainlanes are open on US 59 from Wharton/Hungerford to Kendleton. I-69 shields are spotted in Kendleton.

As of yesterday, I-69 shields and exit numbers are still missing in Beasley.

[Thegeet]

Just an Update: all new mainlanes are open on US 59 from Wharton/Hungerford to Kendleton. I-69 shields are spotted in Kendleton.

As of yesterday, I-69 shields and exit numbers are still missing in Beasley.

Oops I meant to say Hungerford, I-69 shields are spotted. Sorry for confusion.

[MaxConcrete]

These photos taken April 8 show work in progress at Riviera and northward to Kingsville.

On the bypass, work is furthest along on the east side of Riveria, around County Rd 2310. Work is just underway at the connection points to US 77 north and south of town.

This is the south end of Riviera bypass, which is just getting started.  Full size


East of Riviera at CR 771 Full size


East of Riviera at CR 2310  Full size


At the north end of the bypass, where work is just getting started  Full size


This view is northbound on the frontage road between Riviera and Kingsville. The main lanes are mostly done, with all stream crossing bridges completed. The main lanes have a narrow grassy median. Overpasses at intersections are all about the same status as this view. Full size


Full size

[Bobby5280]

It's nice to hear they're making good progress with the Riviera bypass. The latest overhead imagery in Google Earth (9/2025) shows the ROW of the bypass with everything cleared, but no construction started at the time.

[Great Lakes Roads]

This is why the I-69E designation hasn't been extended south of Robstown: a private driveway!

From the March 2026 edition via the CCRMA: https://ccrma.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/I-69-Alliance-Update-March-2026.pdf

[Bobby5280]

Another problem is just farther North of Kingsville, at the intersection of CR-30 by the Tex-Isle Processing facility and US Ecologis Yard. Despite frontage roads being present a pair of improvised dirt roads are connecting the Southbound main travel lanes with CR-30. The I-69E designation seems to end at that location. The new bypass around Driscoll is currently signed as US-77.

[Thegeet]

Another problem is just farther North of Kingsville, at the intersection of CR-30 by the Tex-Isle Processing facility and US Ecologis Yard. Despite frontage roads being present a pair of improvised dirt roads are connecting the Southbound main travel lanes with CR-30. The I-69E designation seems to end at that location. The new bypass around Driscoll is currently signed as US-77.

Couldn't they just slap a "Authorized vehicles only" sign or something?

[Bobby5280]

Couldn't they just slap a "Authorized vehicles only" sign or something?

People in their work trucks will just keep driving across the frontage road into the main lanes anyway. They might even laugh when doing so. What that location needs is a physical barrier.

[Rick Powell]

Couldn't they just slap a "Authorized vehicles only" sign or something?

People in their work trucks will just keep driving across the frontage road into the main lanes anyway. They might even laugh when doing so. What that location needs is a physical barrier.

Here's what it looks like in real life. Some cable guard for a few hundred feet each way would do the trick.

https://tinyurl.com/CR-30-at-US-77

[Thegeet]

How long will it take for these gaps to close to finalize Interstate designation?

EDIT: NVM. https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot/get-involved/crp/rtip/041626-county-map-kleberg.pdf
2028.

[Bobby5280]

If plans aren't already in place I can imagine pressure really increasing to eliminate those driveways and improvised dirt road exits/entrances once the Riviera bypass is completed.

The locals in Riviera, Ricardo, Kingsville, Bishop and Driscoll will be wanting those red and blue Interstate signs installed since the freeway will be appear to be finished thru their towns. They'll be asking questions why the designation change is being delayed. People at the Naval Air Station next to Kingsville might ask the same thing.

When the Riviera bypass is finished the remaining I-69E construction projects between Riviera and Raymondville will be easy. I-69E is finished several miles North of Raymondville. The US-77 ROW is pretty wide; the existing main lanes are separated by a median wide enough to hold a new freeway. Sarita already has a freeway exit. The ease of the remaining work might help get things accelerated to get I-69E across the finish line to completion.

[Thegeet]

At least I hope they can get the dirt road thing done quickly. On the other hand, the driveway can't be removed until 2028.

[kphoger]

I don't see how the improvised dirt path is worse than any other improvised dirt path on any other Interstate already out there.

[Bobby5280]

There shouldn't be any of those improvised dirt roads connecting to Interstate main lanes. Unlike a lot of the others on I-10 in West Texas this one on future I-69E isn't for private access to ranch land. People are using the dirt roads to get to an industrial facility next to the highway or just take a shortcut to County Road 30. That means there are more vehicles using those improvised dirt road connections. Those things need to be eliminated. Either build a dedicated exit for CR-30 or physically block off its not-standard access to the US-77 main lanes.

[NE2]

Couldn't they just slap a "Authorized vehicles only" sign or something?

People in their work trucks will just keep driving across the frontage road into the main lanes anyway. They might even laugh when doing so. What that location needs is a physical barrier.

Here's what it looks like in real life. Some cable guard for a few hundred feet each way would do the trick.

https://tinyurl.com/CR-30-at-US-77

You don't need to stack redirects...

[Thegeet]

There shouldn't be any of those improvised dirt roads connecting to Interstate main lanes. Unlike a lot of the others on I-10 in West Texas this one on future I-69E isn't for private access to ranch land. People are using the dirt roads to get to an industrial facility next to the highway or just take a shortcut to County Road 30. That means there are more vehicles using those improvised dirt road connections. Those things need to be eliminated. Either build a dedicated exit for CR-30 or physically block off its not-standard access to the US-77 main lanes.

Maybe I should bring with me some barriers or boulders to place over the dirt road, and maybe it'll make it quicker to extend I-69E! Haha.

[ElishaGOtis]

There shouldn't be any of those improvised dirt roads connecting to Interstate main lanes. Unlike a lot of the others on I-10 in West Texas this one on future I-69E isn't for private access to ranch land. People are using the dirt roads to get to an industrial facility next to the highway or just take a shortcut to County Road 30. That means there are more vehicles using those improvised dirt road connections. Those things need to be eliminated. Either build a dedicated exit for CR-30 or physically block off its not-standard access to the US-77 main lanes.

Maybe I should bring with me some barriers or boulders to place over the dirt road, and maybe it'll make it quicker to extend I-69E! Haha.

[Rick Powell]

The locals in Riviera, Ricardo, Kingsville, Bishop and Driscoll will be wanting those red and blue Interstate signs installed since the freeway will be appear to be finished thru their towns. They'll be asking questions why the designation change is being delayed. People at the Naval Air Station next to Kingsville might ask the same thing.

The application for interstate status is in place from south of Robstown to the south end of Kingsville. One has not apparently been submitted to AASHTO yet for south of Kingsville.
searchable database: https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default

[Thegeet]

The locals in Riviera, Ricardo, Kingsville, Bishop and Driscoll will be wanting those red and blue Interstate signs installed since the freeway will be appear to be finished thru their towns. They'll be asking questions why the designation change is being delayed. People at the Naval Air Station next to Kingsville might ask the same thing.

The application for interstate status is in place from south of Robstown to the south end of Kingsville. One has not apparently been submitted to AASHTO yet for south of Kingsville.
searchable database: https://grmservices.grmims.com/vsearch/portal/public/na4/aashto/default

South of Kingsville will be submitted I assume after construction is finished.


BTW, based on th document, they pointed to a sub-standard median in bishop or something.

[MikieTimT]

Couldn't they just slap a "Authorized vehicles only" sign or something?

People in their work trucks will just keep driving across the frontage road into the main lanes anyway. They might even laugh when doing so. What that location needs is a physical barrier.

Texit...

[Thegeet]

Couldn't they just slap a "Authorized vehicles only" sign or something?

People in their work trucks will just keep driving across the frontage road into the main lanes anyway. They might even laugh when doing so. What that location needs is a physical barrier.

Texit...

I mean, also, there's a dirt median crossover on the new US 77 bypass in Driscoll.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/US-77/@27.6584964,-97.7534714,3a,75y,159.04h,89.27t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1ssq7dNp4OOmQ5Vvv5hzZD6A!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D0.7348201379313224%26panoid%3Dsq7dNp4OOmQ5Vvv5hzZD6A%26yaw%3D159.04143011291995!7i16384!8i8192!4m6!3m5!1s0x864d29a00213e9af:0x2dc91bf39850fffe!8m2!3d27.5252361!4d-97.8410296!16zL20vMDI3anFs?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI2MDQyNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[Bobby5280]

A median crossover is not quite the same as an dirt road driveway entering/exiting the freeway main lanes. Plenty of Interstates and other freeways will have paved crossovers at certain locations for police or emergency vehicles to use.

[kphoger]

meh.  People make dirt paths on/off the Interstate all over the place.  Life goes on.

[wxfree]

meh.  People make dirt paths on/off the Interstate all over the place.  Life goes on.

Not only that, but sometimes the official attempts to prevent illegal freeway access are half-hearted.  Somewhere in Texas, I think on I-10 in a rural area, there's a long frontage road that ends at a private drive to the right, and there is no ramp.  There's also a long cable barrier to prevent access to the freeway.  At the end of the road, where it turns to a private drive, there's a gap between the end of the barrier and the fence just wide enough for vehicles to enter the freeway.  Vehicles coming out of the private drive just turn right at 45 degrees.  They blocked access from the whole road, except for the one place where it's actually needed.

[kphoger]

Somewhere in Texas, I think on I-10 in a rural area, there's a long frontage road that ends ...

Take your pick...

https://maps.app.goo.gl/32CgHz46vbxWGNp3A
https://maps.app.goo.gl/cbWdMNyPLfBYKmCr7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/TwEbvsMnKQfCSF8d7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GFsx5ZN3y8x3DrZb7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/G4nboJqsNAfdtVv27
https://maps.app.goo.gl/MK5dAV7mYewZSk3v5
https://maps.app.goo.gl/c8hCccKPycBjczUe7
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Ftz9VW4iycC5krsEA
https://maps.app.goo.gl/trKQvXmnGakXZ7uGA

Oh no, it can't be an Interstate now!