Tom Warne Report, 22 February 2013
The Federal Highway Administration has approved a 28-mile extension of a Texas highway to be designated I-69 in the Houston area for a total of 70 miles for the designated interstate. Officials are hoping to bring the total to 200 miles by the end of the year.
“Texas’ ports are perfectly positioned to make Texas a global gateway that will keep our economy booming for years to come and the connectivity I-69 provides is critical in making that a reality,” said I-69 segment Committee member and Panama Canal Stakeholder Working Group Chairman Ed Emmett in a Texas Department of Transportation press release.
The I-69 thoroughfare has been so far pieced together by TxDOT using as much existing roadway as possible, including U.S. highways 59, 77, 84 and 281 as well as State Highway 44. I-69 has been designated a “corridor of the future” by federal officials, making it a priority for environmental reviews and other project requirements. The state has designated $600 million in funding for the project, which was previously to be built as the Trans-Texas Corridor with toll roads, railroads and utilities. The plan to piece together the interstate using existing roadways was chosen over Gov. Rick Perry and TxDOT’s Trans-Texas Corridor plan.
So far, no tolls have been planned for I-69. But even with plans to add 130 miles to I-69 this year, the state has a long way to go before the interstate will reach Mexico, as U.S. and Canadian officials hope. Many sections are still missing between Michigan and the Mexican border, although Indiana has made progress on its share of I-69 south of Indianapolis. Officials have promised to complete those portions without using tolls.
Texas is looking ahead to the future as the Panama Canal expansion nears completion. Those who wait till it’s opened will be behind the momentum that will be created when that occurs. TW