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[ethanhopkin14]

I am starting a new thread dedicated to any news about the short I-49 corridor in Texas.  I have heard nothing about Texas's plans for this corridor so wanted to know if anyone else has any info. 

[The Ghostbuster]

I assume Interstate 49's exit numbers will not change when it crosses into, and then departs the small segment in Texas. By the way, why will Interstate 49 pass into Texas, instead of staying in Arkansas for the entire length? Does it have to do with the terrain north of Texarkana, or is there some other reason?

[sparker]

I assume Interstate 49's exit numbers will not change when it crosses into, and then departs the small segment in Texas. By the way, why will Interstate 49 pass into Texas, instead of staying in Arkansas for the entire length? Does it have to do with the terrain north of Texarkana, or is there some other reason?

Two reasons I can think of off the top are : (1) there was to be a direct tie-in with I-369 a few miles west of I-49's current north (temporary) terminus at US 71; I-49 was to turn north at this junction and cross the Red River back into AR at (2) a point where the floodplain was relatively narrow and the scope of the bridge(s) would be smaller and less costly.   Now that the eventual alignment of I-369 remains in question (despite the short quasi-signed segment along the US 59 freeway), the first point is itself questionable; it may be that I-49 simply turns north toward the favorable river crossing point without a system interchange within TX.   All that is, for the present, TBD!

[Bobby5280]

There is zero chance of present I-369 in Texarakana being extended directly North of its terminus at I-20. There's way way too much stuff in the way.

On the South end of existing I-369, TX DOT is studying the feasibility of building an elevated segment of I-369 above existing US-59. The segment starts at the Lake Drive exit of I-369 and goes down 1.5 miles to County Road 1325/Rock School Road. That would be a tight squeeze for an elevated freeway. And then from there farther South TX DOT would have to acquire and clear a lot of commercial and residential property hugging close to US-59. The I-upgrade picture for US-59 doesn't start looking relatively easy until the highway runs parallel to Wright Patman Lake Dam. All kinds of additional hurdles exist farther South.

Back to the North half of Texarkana: it does look like TX DOT and residents (or businesses more likely) want I-369 coming into Texarkana via US-59. TX DOT eliminated other routes farther West from consideration last fall, such as one that would have run through the TexAmericas Center (the former Red River Army Depot property). I think any extension of I-369 going North of I-30 will have to be built about 5 or so miles West of the existing I-30/I-369 interchange. Obviously that requires I-369 to have a not so neat multiplex with I-30. At that distance out West a Northern extension of I-369 would be able to bypass quite a lot of higher end residential properties, golf courses, schools and other stuff. I-369 would be able to loop around all that stuff. The road would still be expensive to build however. In order to hook into I-49 it would have to be built over some flood areas. On the bright side the Interstate system connection would at least throw a bone of sorts to the TexAmericas Center.

[ethanhopkin14]

As a side note, I haven't seen anyone talk in any of the threads involving Texarkana about the Arkansas State Highway 151 / Texas State Highway Loop 151 freeway remainder when all of these interstates are completed.  I say give that it's own interstate number.  The Arkansas section from the state line east to I-49 was already approved by AASHTO as I-130, so let the whole thing be I-269 or I-249.

[Stephane Dumas]

There is zero chance of present I-369 in Texarakana being extended directly North of its terminus at I-20. There's way way too much stuff in the way.

Since when I-20 is rerouted to Texarkana?   You mean I-30.

[Anthony_JK]

There is still the possibility of an outer loop route connecting I-369 near Wright Patman Lake with I-30 near the TAC and I-49 north of Texarkana where it would shift north to cross the Red River. I personally would extend it east to connect with I-49 south of Texarkana so that it would make a perfect I-x49 loop.

Also, I'd actually favor moving I-369 from the US 59 portion of the Inner Loop (US 59/TX 151/AR 151) to the eastern portion of the loop to end at I-49; let the US 59 portion become I-130 or keep it at US 59. That would be more accommodating to those wanting to reroute the core of the full I-69 extension traffic to I-30 and I-40 or US 82.

[The Ghostbuster]

I doubt that will happen, but your proposal Anthony_JK makes sense to me.

[sparker]

I doubt that will happen, but your proposal Anthony_JK makes sense to me.

I'll certainly second that motion; the next step would be to upgrade Loop 151 across the state line to full Interstate standards -- right now, there are substandard shoulders (obviously that route segment wasn't considered by either DOT as a future Interstate).  And since the current partially-signed "I-369" along US 59 would connect two Interstates, it would be a good candidate for a I-230. 

[ethanhopkin14]

I doubt that will happen, but your proposal Anthony_JK makes sense to me.

I'll certainly second that motion; the next step would be to upgrade Loop 151 across the state line to full Interstate standards -- right now, there are substandard shoulders (obviously that route segment wasn't considered by either DOT as a future Interstate).  And since the current partially-signed "I-369" along US 59 would connect two Interstates, it would be a good candidate for a I-230.

It would have to be I-269 or I-249.  It doesn’t have a connection to I-30.

[sparker]

I doubt that will happen, but your proposal Anthony_JK makes sense to me.

I'll certainly second that motion; the next step would be to upgrade Loop 151 across the state line to full Interstate standards -- right now, there are substandard shoulders (obviously that route segment wasn't considered by either DOT as a future Interstate).  And since the current partially-signed "I-369" along US 59 would connect two Interstates, it would be a good candidate for a I-230.

It would have to be I-269 or I-249.  It doesn’t have a connection to I-30.

That's not what I was talking about; the notion was to realign I-369 east over Loop 151 to I-49 south of Texarkana, and then re-number, if necessary, the portion of US 59 north from Loop 151 to I-30; an even x30 would be the most appropriate designation for that route.  This gives I-369 a direct tie-in with I-49, and provides a more efficient way for traffic from south TX to access EB I-30 by going around Texarkana along the 151/49 path rather than straight up to I-30, which goes through the center of town. 

[Bobby5280]

I doubt if that's going to happen. It's pretty clear TX DOT and residents of Texarkana want the I-369 approach from the South connecting to Loop 151, where I-369 currently ends. It looks like the current section of I-369 that is currently signed will remain part of I-369 regardless of how segments of I-369 farther South connect to it.
http://www.texarkanagazette.com/news/texarkana/story/2018/oct/31/i-369-route-study-completed/750229/
http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot/get-involved/atl/us-59-queen-city/101118-route-study-report.pdf

3 routing options are being studied further for the point between the Lake Drive interchange at Loop 151/I-369 and the intersection of US-59 and County Road 1325/Rock School Road:
1.: upgrading US-59 as an elevated freeway,
2.: an East, new terrain option curving around that part of US-59,
3.: a West, new terrain option doing the same thing.

In any of those scenarios the 5 mile long Southern section of Loop 151 between the current end of I-369 and the I-49 interchange will remain. If that would be re-named as an Interstate highway it would not be able to be called I-369. It would have to be called something else, such as I-249 or any other I-x49 even digit number. The original I-130 designation for that road wouldn't work anymore, not with I-369 being the connection for Loop 151 into I-30 to the West and I-49 to the East.

I think it would be good if Texarkana had a Northern loop highway, starting from the current end of I-49 at US-59 at the State Line. Due to all the higher priced property North of I-30 the North half of a Texarkana loop would have to connect into I-30 farther West of the city. If the Northern loop is designated as a continuation of I-369 then a multiplex of I-369 and I-30 would be a given. The only other possibility would be a 2 digit I-49 or I-30 route. I kind of like the idea of an I-x49 route since one of the purposes of the Northern loop is connecting TexAmericas Center traffic into the I-49 corridor.

[Anthony_JK]

[...]

I think it would be good if Texarkana had a Northern loop highway, starting from the current end of I-49 at US-59 at the State Line. Due to all the higher priced property North of I-30 the North half of a Texarkana loop would have to connect into I-30 farther West of the city. If the Northern loop is designated as a continuation of I-369 then a multiplex of I-369 and I-30 would be a given. The only other possibility would be a 2 digit I-49 or I-30 route. I kind of like the idea of an I-x49 route since one of the purposes of the Northern loop is connecting TexAmericas Center traffic into the I-49 corridor.

That's pretty much my idea as well (an outer I-449 Northern Loop from the originally planned end of I-49 at the state line to I-30 near the TAC, then further south and east crossing US 59 near Wright Patman Lake, then extending east to end at I-49 south of Texarkana).

From what I am hearing, most folks in Texarkana do favor the alignment using all of existing US 59 tying into the current US 59 (I-369)/Loop 151 interchange, perhaps with a continuous elevated section for the final 1-2 miles of the US 59 upgrade. It doesn't really matter to me if the existing I-369 routing is retained or moved to Loop 151 (with the former route becoming an I-x30 connector).

[ethanhopkin14]

[...]

I think it would be good if Texarkana had a Northern loop highway, starting from the current end of I-49 at US-59 at the State Line. Due to all the higher priced property North of I-30 the North half of a Texarkana loop would have to connect into I-30 farther West of the city. If the Northern loop is designated as a continuation of I-369 then a multiplex of I-369 and I-30 would be a given. The only other possibility would be a 2 digit I-49 or I-30 route. I kind of like the idea of an I-x49 route since one of the purposes of the Northern loop is connecting TexAmericas Center traffic into the I-49 corridor.

That's pretty much my idea as well (an outer I-449 Northern Loop from the originally planned end of I-49 at the state line to I-30 near the TAC, then further south and east crossing US 59 near Wright Patman Lake, then extending east to end at I-49 south of Texarkana).

From what I am hearing, most folks in Texarkana do favor the alignment using all of existing US 59 tying into the current US 59 (I-369)/Loop 151 interchange, perhaps with a continuous elevated section for the final 1-2 miles of the US 59 upgrade. It doesn't really matter to me if the existing I-369 routing is retained or moved to Loop 151 (with the former route becoming an I-x30 connector).

That I-449 scenario would be quite funny due to Texas being so 3di unfriendly; having a 3di to an interstate that just clips the state and the 3di will probably have more mileage than the parent in Texas. 

[Henry]

I still think that I-369 is premature, since it will be a vey long time before it actually connects to its parent some 100 miles to the south. In all fairness, I would support an I-x49 loop route as well, but move it far out to avoid the development that the current I-369 encounters at its north end.

[ethanhopkin14]

[...]

I think it would be good if Texarkana had a Northern loop highway, starting from the current end of I-49 at US-59 at the State Line. Due to all the higher priced property North of I-30 the North half of a Texarkana loop would have to connect into I-30 farther West of the city. If the Northern loop is designated as a continuation of I-369 then a multiplex of I-369 and I-30 would be a given. The only other possibility would be a 2 digit I-49 or I-30 route. I kind of like the idea of an I-x49 route since one of the purposes of the Northern loop is connecting TexAmericas Center traffic into the I-49 corridor.

That's pretty much my idea as well (an outer I-449 Northern Loop from the originally planned end of I-49 at the state line to I-30 near the TAC, then further south and east crossing US 59 near Wright Patman Lake, then extending east to end at I-49 south of Texarkana).

From what I am hearing, most folks in Texarkana do favor the alignment using all of existing US 59 tying into the current US 59 (I-369)/Loop 151 interchange, perhaps with a continuous elevated section for the final 1-2 miles of the US 59 upgrade. It doesn't really matter to me if the existing I-369 routing is retained or moved to Loop 151 (with the former route becoming an I-x30 connector).

I think by Congressional order, I-369 must connect to I-30 in Texarkana so the Loop-151/ AR-151 would have to be I-X49 or I-X69 if it were granted interstate status. 

[sparker]

[...]

I think it would be good if Texarkana had a Northern loop highway, starting from the current end of I-49 at US-59 at the State Line. Due to all the higher priced property North of I-30 the North half of a Texarkana loop would have to connect into I-30 farther West of the city. If the Northern loop is designated as a continuation of I-369 then a multiplex of I-369 and I-30 would be a given. The only other possibility would be a 2 digit I-49 or I-30 route. I kind of like the idea of an I-x49 route since one of the purposes of the Northern loop is connecting TexAmericas Center traffic into the I-49 corridor.

That's pretty much my idea as well (an outer I-449 Northern Loop from the originally planned end of I-49 at the state line to I-30 near the TAC, then further south and east crossing US 59 near Wright Patman Lake, then extending east to end at I-49 south of Texarkana).

From what I am hearing, most folks in Texarkana do favor the alignment using all of existing US 59 tying into the current US 59 (I-369)/Loop 151 interchange, perhaps with a continuous elevated section for the final 1-2 miles of the US 59 upgrade. It doesn't really matter to me if the existing I-369 routing is retained or moved to Loop 151 (with the former route becoming an I-x30 connector).

I think by Congressional order, I-369 must connect to I-30 in Texarkana so the Loop-151/ AR-151 would have to be I-X49 or I-X69 if it were granted interstate status. 

Actually, the legislated definition of HPC #20, one of two that makes up the I-69 corridor complex, is pretty loose; it specifies endpoints of Laredo and Texarkana and a route generally following US 59 in between.  Any details, such as whether it needs to remain in TX (the name Texarkana applies to cities in both TX and AR), are -- just like with any previous Interstate route including the original chargeables -- worked out by the relevant DOT.  There's no technical reason why I-369 couldn't be shunted over to I-49 in AR via Loop 151 -- if TXDOT would go along with that change.  Right now the corridor is only in its initial phase; if indeed there are efforts to dislodge I-369 from its present signed US 59 freeway alignment south of I-30, they probably won't occur until much more of the corridor is built toward Marshall and the main I-69 trunk at Tenaha.