I-69 still years away, officials say

The Monitor ^ | October 9, 2007 | Kyle Arnold

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

McALLEN — State transportation officials are still months from making a final decision about the location of the much-heralded Interstate 69 superhighway from Canada to Mexico.

Still deep in the preliminary study phases of an environmental impact assessment, Texas Department of Transportation officials are making headway toward a decision on whether to use existing U.S. highways 77 to Harlingen, 281 to Edinburg or 57, which connects to Laredo, or build an entirely new road.

I-69, known as Trans-Texas Corridor 69 in the state of Texas, is a proposal for a 2,600-mile highway system running from Canada to Mexico.

About 1,000 miles of that would run through Texas, starting near Texarkana, running through Houston and ending in McAllen, Harlingen or Laredo. But momentum for the project has been inconsistent since it was first proposed in 1994.

The I-69 project would be completed primarily using existing roads, but many stretches of highway would need complete overhauls or new stretches may be needed. In 2005, the projected cost for the Texas portion of the highway was $7.5 billion, but that figure has since increased, said Randall Dillard, a TxDOT spokesman.

Federal funding for huge highway projects is scarce. And there are concerns at the state level over where the road will go and how it will be funded, state officials say.

Any potential road would need to have space for six car lanes, four truck lanes and up to four rail lines, according to Doug Booher, environmental manager for TxDOT’s turnpike division.

TxDOT has spent the last several months studying the environmental impact of locating a new stretch of highway somewhere between Brownsville and Laredo.

After that process is completed next year, the agency plans to make a recommendation for using existing highways or building a new one. However, project analysts warn that step will take place only after months of studies and public hearings.

[Grams A]

Gov Perry was lamenting about limited hurricane evac routes for unfortunate residents in northern Mexico. One long continuous tunnel to Canada with no exits would seem to alleviate that problem.

[E.G.C.]

BTTT

[wolfcreek]

“About 1,000 miles of that would run through Texas, starting near Texarkana, running through Houston and ending in McAllen, Harlingen or Laredo.”

Unless this is a very windy road. this guy needs to check his facts.

Texarkana to McAllen = 624 miles.

[Hardastarboard]

The good news is we’ll all be able to use it to sneak over the border into Mexico, where we’ll stay illegally and put up a stink if they try to deport us. Right?

[Arrowhead1952]

Here is a babs striesand article.

http://www.590klbj.com/News/Story.aspx?ID=76723

****The toll road plan approved by “CAMPO” Includes several conditions that were added in an attempt to satisfy opponents. Travis County Commissioner Sarah Eckhardt says one day, the tolls could disappear.

Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe voted to support that condition, although he warned that it would likely be decades before the toll roads are finally paid for. Critics of the toll roads say other cities have issued similar statements, but are still collecting tolls after more than 30 years since their toll roads were built. ****

[CT-Freeper]

Here in my part of Connecticut there's a state highway, Route 69, that goes from New Haven, CT to Burlington, CT.

Quite a few people I know like to talk about taking "a drive down 69."

[GreenLanternCorps]

Any potential road would need to have space for six car lanes, four truck lanes and up to four rail lines, according to Doug Booher, environmental manager for TxDOT’s turnpike division.

Pure vintage TXDOT Bravo Sierra!!! There is zero functional justification for placing passenger vehicles, trucks and rail in the same right-of-way. They each have different functions, roadbed needs -- and different destinations.

The only justification for doing so is to build TXDOT's empire.

Outside of Texas, Interstate 69 is simply projected to be a conventional Interstate. The two short portions in Mississippi were just upgrading an existing to Interstate standards. Most of the road would be an upgrade but certain areas might require a new alignment.

The TTC project in Texas will eventually collapse of it's own weight. I-69 will emerge as a conventional interstate eventually without the excess add ons such as a rail road in the same corridor.

[TXnMA]

"The TTC project in Texas will eventually collapse of it's own weight. I-69 will emerge as a conventional interstate eventually without the excess add ons such as a rail road in the same corridor."

I exect so, too -- but only after Texas purges itself of Rick Perry, Ric Williamson, and all of the other megalomaniac power-grabbers and empire builders at TXDOT.

Many Texans take a simplistic look at that multifunction corridor monstrosity, and don't stop to realize that it is TXDOT's blatant attempt to grab for itself the functions of several other major Texas government agencies.

[Founding Father]

...and in college football, the Trojans pounded the Beavers last week in Oregon