Interstate 69C


Interstate 69C is a north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway will begin at I-2/U.S. Highway 83 in Pharr and head northward before terminating at I-69W/US 59 in George West near I-37. For its entire length, I-69C is concurrent with US 281., only an segment has been completed from the route's southern terminus in Pharr.

Route description

I-69C begins at a three-way stack interchange with I-2/US 83 and US 281 in the northern part of Pharr. I-69C only has direct connections from its southbound lanes to westbound and eastbound I-2/US 83 and flyover ramps coming from either direction of I-2/US 83 to I-69C northbound. Traffic approaching the interchange from the south on US 281 or wanting to head south on US 281 from the interchange can only access either Interstate via its frontage roads, and vice versa. The Texas Department of Transportation contracted work to increase capacity for the I-2/I-69C interchange in August of 2019. This construction widened the four direct connectors between I-2/US 83 and I-69C from one lane to two lanes each.
Immediately north of I-2, US 281 splits into a one-way couplet and becomes the frontage roads for I-69C. North of State Highway 495, an entrance ramp carries US 281 North onto the Interstate's mainline. The southbound exit ramp to Sioux Road and SH 495 carries US 281 South onto the frontage road.
Continuing north from this interchange, I-69C enters Edinburg. The Interstate intersects the south terminus of Business US 281-W, which continues north through central Edinburg on US 281's original alignment. I-69C/US 281 curves to the northeast from this point for about before it turns due north again. I-69C reaches Bus. US 281-W on the north side of the city, then passes the small community of Faysville before terminating at its overpass over FM 490. The freeway downgrades to an expressway beyond here and continues on as US 281.

History

The Federal Highway Administration approved the designation for the Lower Rio Grande Valley Segment on May 24, 2013, and the Texas Transportation Commission followed suit on May 30, 2013. This action finalized the designations of not only I-69C but also of the sections of I-69E from Brownsville north to north of Raymondville and also I-2 which is a freeway connecting with I-69C and I-69E in Pharr and Harlingen. These approvals added over to the Interstate Highway System in the Rio Grande Valley. The signage was installed in mid-2013.
, the cluster consisting of the recently designated portions of I-69C, I-69E, and I-2 in the Rio Grande Valley is not connected to the national Interstate network. This situation is slated to be remedied by scheduled projects to complete I-69E along US 77 between Raymondville and Robstown and the southern end of the previously signed portion of the I-69 corridor connecting with I-37 west of Corpus Christi. The Environmental Protection Agency approval for the upgrade of the US 77 alignment to Interstate standards, including bypasses of the towns along the routing, was obtained through a Finding of No Significant Impact statement issued on July 13, 2012; funding for the various upgrade projects became available after 2015. During August 2014, exit numbering began on the south most segment of I-69C in Edinburg.
, the only segment of US 281 to be constructed to Interstate standards not currently connected to I-69C is the segment through Falfurrias. Construction to upgrade a bypass that had been built around Alice began in 2023 with completion set for mid-2028. Another bypass for Premont began construction in 2019. The southbound lanes of the bypass opened to traffic on October 25, 2023. The project was completed in 2024. In August 2023, $100.8 million in funding was allocated to upgrade US 281 to a freeway between Falfurrias and Premont, although construction will not begin until 2029. Construction to upgrade the segment of US 281 between FM 490 and SH 186 to Interstate standards began in 2025. Other projects between Alice and Linn-San Manuel are in varying stages of planning and funding with plans north of Alice not announced yet.