I-69 corridor plan to be discussed in Houston

Two lines on a map

Jon Boyd, Aug 16, 10.

Discussions will take place in the coming weeks on the proposed Houston region section of the I-69 Corridor concept, previously part of the Trans Texas Corridor statewide plan, according to the agendas of the Houston-Galveston Area Council’s Technical Advisory Committee and Transportation Policy Council. The Trans Texas Corridor concept was dropped by the Texas Transportation Commission in 2009, but several segments, including I-69, were kept on the drawing boards, according to the Houston Chronicle. The Trans Texas Corridor website appears to have been removed, although it is still available via the Wayback Machine.

The Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) will discuss the proposed Interstate-69 at the next meeting on Wednesday, August 18th at Houston-Galveston Area Council’s offices. There are two ideas presently under discussion, according the the agenda. The first would designate US-59 through Houston as I-69. The second idea would diverge from US 59 near Shepherd, TX, and run south toward the Grand Parkway Segment G, H, and I corridors, and though the port area. The line picks up SH-146 at LaPorte, then appears to run toward the Grand Parkway Segment B corridor through Alvin, and on to Angleton via SH-35.

“Conceptional Draft I-69 Corridor through the Houston Region,” or information agenda item 9a reads:

Background
In 2009, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) formed what has become known as “segment committees” to provide local input for mobility improvements and projects. Additionally, the segment committees will advise TxDOT on planning, development and priority projects in their communities and offer feedback and information on environmental studies for projects that are proposed for construction. To date, segment committees have been formed for the I-35 and the US-59/I-69 Corridors.

The I-69 segment committees that are geographically located within the greater Houston region are Segment 2 which roughly stretches from just north of Lufkin south to I-10, and Segment 3, which roughly stretches from I-10 southward and stops just before I-37 in Corpus Christi (please see attached map). TxDOT’s detailed preliminary alignments for I-69 did not specify an alignment through the greater Houston region. The maps showed the proposed I-69 stopping to the north and south of Houston and labeled the area an “intermodal zone.”

Current Situation
In June 2010, TxDOT asked members of the Segments 2 and 3 committees to provide recommendations as to how the proposed I-69 corridor might proceed through the greater Houston region. Towards that end, H-GAC staff convened a meeting of local elected officials and transportation agency organizations to provide input that could be relayed to TxDOT. The result is the attached map that proposes an I-69 Business corridor that follows the existing alignment of US-59. The majority of this route is already built to freeway standards and would require very few changes. The second suggestion from the group was to create a second I-69 corridor that would go through the eastern part of the Houston region starting at the north from Shepherd and going south, southwest until it connects with the existing US-59 corridor around Edna.
One of the primary purposes of this proposed route would be to connect the ports in our region and provide a relief route that could give truck freight an alternate north-south route that keeps them out of the worst of Houston’s congested roadways inside Beltway 8. This would provide a time savings to truck freight and provide some congestion and air quality mitigation to commuters.

Most of this proposed route is not currently built to freeway standards. This is just a proposal at this point and there would still be lots of study work to be completed if TxDOT accepts the proposal.

Action Requested
For information only