I-69 still years away, officials say

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.

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Kyle Arnold covers business, the economy and general assignments for The Monitor. You can reach him at (956) 683-4410.