Interstate 69W

Interstate 69W is a relatively short north–south Interstate Highway running through South Texas in the United States. The freeway begins northeast of the middle of the World Trade International Bridge in Laredo and ends just east of I-35. In the future, I-69W will head northeast for before terminating near Victoria as both I-69E and I-69W merge to form I-69. For its entire length, I-69W runs concurrently with U.S. Highway 59.

Route description

The Federal Highway Administration approved the designation of a section of freeway in Laredo as part of I-69W. The congressionally designated I-69W corridor begins at the Mexico–U.S. border on the World Trade International Bridge, which connects to Federal Highway 85D, at the border in Laredo. It is cosigned with both US 59 and Texas State Highway [Loop 20|Loop 20] and extends to I-35.
When extended, I-69W will follow US 59 serving Freer, George West, and Beeville before terminating with I-69E and both interstates meeting I-69 in Victoria. In George West, I-69W will eventually intersect I-69C then I-69W will intersect I-37 east of George West.

History

The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 included two High Priority Corridors that would later become parts of a proposed cross-country extension of I-69:

Corridor from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Memphis, Tennessee, via Evansville, Indiana.
US 59 Corridor from Laredo, Texas, through Houston, Texas, to the vicinity of Texarkana, Texas.

The National Highway System Designation Act of 1995 made further amendments to the description of Corridor 18, specifying that it would serve Mississippi and Arkansas, extending it south to the Mexico–U.S. border in the Lower [Rio Grande Valley], and adding a short connection at Brownsville. This act also specified that corridors 18 and 20 were "future parts of the Interstate System", to become actual Interstates when built to Interstate standards and connected to other Interstates.
The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, enacted in 1998, greatly expanded the extension to the Lower Rio Grande Valley was detailed as splitting into two routes just south of Victoria, one following US 77 and the other following US 59 and US 281 to the Rio Grande. This act also assigned the I-69 designation to corridors 18 and 20, with the branches on US 77, US 281, and US 59 to the Rio Grande being "Interstate 69 East", "Interstate 69 Central", and "Interstate 69 West", respectively. With TEA-21, the I-69 extension took shape and remains today as those segments.
I-69W was designated in June 2014. Prior to January 2020, traffic at Loop 20/US 59 at I-35 junction, traffic had to continue through frontage roads before overpasses were opened. Various improvements from I-35 to where US 59 split from Loop 20 is underway.

Future

In the future, I-69W will continue along US 59 east to George West, where it will intersect I-69C. It will then intersect I-37 east of George West and continue east to Victoria, where it will meet with I-69E and continue toward Houston as I-69. The completed I-69W will measure. There are also plans to turn State Highway 44 into an Interstate Highway between Freer, where it will intersect I-69W, and Corpus Christi for about in order to have a network of Interstate Highways connecting Laredo, the largest inland port on the Mexico–U.S. border, with Corpus Christi, a major seaport and manufacturing center. Construction to extend I-69W to Laredo International Airport began in early 2024 and will be completed by early 2030. Projects to extend the Interstate to the Duval–McMullen county line are currently in the planning stage but not completely funded. Much of existing US 59 will be upgraded. The US 59 bridge over the San Antonio River is planned to be replaced, it was funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Upgrades at the I-37 junction and upgrades of US 59 from I-37 to Beeville is planned.