I-69 (Future)
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Interstate 69 (I-69) is an
Interstate Highway The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. Th ...
in the United States currently consisting of 10 unconnected segments with an original continuous segment from Indianapolis, Indiana, northeast to the Canadian border in
Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...
, at . The remaining separated segments are variously completed and posted or not posted sections of an extension southwest to the Mexican border in Texas. Of this extension—nicknamed the NAFTA Superhighway because it would help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the
North American Free Trade Agreement The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...
(NAFTA)—five pieces near
Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...
;
Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...
; northwestern Mississippi; Memphis, Tennessee; and Evansville, Indiana, have been built or upgraded and signposted as I-69. A sixth segment of I-69 through Kentucky utilizing that state's existing parkway system and a section of
I-24 Interstate 24 (I-24) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57, south of Marion, Illinois, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at I-75. It travels through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, ...
was established by federal legislation in 2008, but only a portion is signposted. This brings the total length to about . The proposed extension evolved from the combination of Corridors 18 and 20 of the National Highway System as designated in the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), but the federally recognized corridor also includes connecting and existing infrastructure, including I-94 between Chicago, Illinois, and Port Huron, Michigan, and several spurs from I-69. Among these proposed spurs are an extension of
I-530 Interstate 530 (I-530) in Arkansas is a spur route of the Interstate highway system, traveling from Pine Bluff north-northwest to Little Rock at an interchange of I-30/ I-440/ U.S. Highway 65 (US 65)/ US 67/ US 167." rk ...
from Pine Bluff, Arkansas; an upgrade of U.S. Route 59 (US 59) from Texarkana, Texas; and a split in southern Texas to serve three border crossings at Laredo,
Pharr Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400, and in 2019, the estimated population was 79,112. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Pharr is p ...
, and Brownsville. In August 2007, I-69 was selected by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) as one of six Corridors of the Future, making it eligible for additional federal funding and streamlined planning and review. This funding has since been withheld, causing some states to suspend completion of the entire route until federal funding is restored.


Route description

I-69 currently exists as a number of distinct segments, mostly corresponding to defined sections of independent utility (SIUs): * The original (with later additions), fully completed route from Indianapolis, Indiana, to the Blue Water Bridge at
Port Huron, Michigan Port Huron is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of St. Clair County. The population was 30,184 at the 2010 census. The city is adjacent to Port Huron Township but is administered separately. Located along the St. Clair ...
(SIU 1); * Portions of the Indianapolis beltway (
I-465 Interstate 465 (I-465), also known as the USS ''Indianapolis'' Memorial Highway, is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately . It lies almost complet ...
), though not currently signed as such (SIU 2); * A section including both the former
I-164 Interstate 164 (I-164) was a spur highway of I-64, between that highway and U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) in Evansville, Indiana. I-164, also known as the Robert D. Orr Highway, had a total length of . Requested as an Interstate and approve ...
near Evansville, Indiana, north from a temporary end at US 41; signed as I-69 in 2014 (SIU 4) to I-64, and onward north to State Road 37 (SR 37) near Martinsville, Indiana, Sections 1–5 of (SIU 3); * The upgraded portions of the Kentucky Parkway System: Purchase, Western Kentucky, and Pennyrile parkways; in addition to a portion of
I-24 Interstate 24 (I-24) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57, south of Marion, Illinois, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at I-75. It travels through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, ...
(SIU 5) and (SIU 6); * A section from Tunica Resorts, Mississippi, to the I-40/I-69/ State Route 300 (SR 300) interchange in Memphis, Tennessee, part of (SIU 9) and (SIU 10); * The existing US 59 freeway from Rosenberg, Texas, to Cleveland, Texas, (SIU 19); * A segment of US 77 from south of State Highway 44 (SH 44) to I-37 near
Corpus Christi, Texas Corpus Christi (; Ecclesiastical Latin: "'' Body of Christ"'') is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas and the county seat and largest city of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patrici ...
, (SIU 22), designated as I-69 in August 2011 and redesignated as I-69E on May 30, 2013; * An section of US 281 from I-2 in Pharr, Texas, to
Edinburg, Texas Edinburg ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. Its population was 74,569 as of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, and in 2019, its estimated population was 101,170, making it the second-largest city ...
, designated as
I-69C Interstate 69C (I-69C) is a north–south freeway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway (with connections to Mexican Federal Highway 97) will begin at I-2/ U.S. Highway 83 (US 83) in Pharr and head northward ...
on May 30, 2013; * A section of US 77 (and part of US 83) from the Veterans International Bridge at
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...
, to north of Raymondville, Texas, designated as I-69E on May 30, 2013 (SIU 23); and *A section of both US 59 and State Highway Loop 20 (Loop 20) in Laredo, Texas, between the World Trade International Bridge and
I-35 Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
, designated as
I-69W Interstate 69W (I-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 World Trade International Bridge in Laredo and ends at I-35. In ...
on June 17, 2014. , - , TX , , , - , LA , , , , , - , AR , , , , , - , MS , , , - , TN , , , - , KY , , , - , IN , , , - , MI , , , - , Total , , The original portion of I-69 in Indiana (SIU 1 of the overall national plan) starts at an interchange with
I-465 Interstate 465 (I-465), also known as the USS ''Indianapolis'' Memorial Highway, is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately . It lies almost complet ...
, the beltway around
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
on the northeast side of that city. I-69 heads northeast to near Anderson, where it turns more easterly to provide indirect access to Muncie before turning more northerly toward Marion and
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
. In Fort Wayne, I-69 runs along the western edge of the city while I-69's first (and for many years only) signed auxiliary route, I-469, loops east of the city. After crossing the Indiana East–West Toll Road ( I-80/
I-90 Interstate 90 (I-90) is an east–west transcontinental freeway and the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It begins in Seattle, Washington, and travels through the Pacific Northwest, Mountain West, Great Plains, Midwest, and ...
) near Angola and Fremont, I-69 enters Michigan just south of Kinderhook. I-69 in Michigan runs north passing through Coldwater and Marshall. There, it crosses I-94 east of Battle Creek. Near Olivet, I-69 begins to turn in a northeasterly direction, passing through the Lansing–East Lansing metropolitan area. Here, I-69 is cosigned with I-96 as an overlap west of Lansing, the only such palindromic pairing in the Interstate Highway System. Where it splits from I-96, I-69 turns east, both in compass direction and in signed direction, and heads north of Lansing and through Flint (where it crosses I-75) to a junction with I-94 just outside Port Huron. At its eastern terminus, I-69 joins I-94 to the Blue Water Bridge across the St. Clair River, where traffic continues on Highway 402 in the Canadian province of Ontario to London, Ontario. The new section of I-69 in southern Indiana presently begins at the US 41 interchange south of Evansville at the former southern terminus of
I-164 Interstate 164 (I-164) was a spur highway of I-64, between that highway and U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) in Evansville, Indiana. I-164, also known as the Robert D. Orr Highway, had a total length of . Requested as an Interstate and approve ...
. From there, it runs first east, then north, meeting SR 662, SR 66, and SR 62. At exit 18, SR 57 joins I-69 on a
concurrency Concurrent means happening at the same time. Concurrency, concurrent, or concurrence may refer to: Law * Concurrence, in jurisprudence, the need to prove both ''actus reus'' and ''mens rea'' * Concurring opinion (also called a "concurrence"), a ...
. Shortly thereafter, it meets I-64 at a
cloverleaf interchange A cloverleaf interchange is a two-level interchange in which all turns are handled by slip roads. To go left (in right-hand traffic; reverse directions in left-driving regions), vehicles first continue as one road passes over or under the ...
. From there, it runs north to SR 68. Construction was completed on November 19, 2012, on a segment (SIU 3, Sections 1–3). This extension takes the route north-northeast from there to SR 64 near Oakland City, then north-northeast to US 50/ US 150 at Washington, and finally northeast to US 231 near Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division). Construction for the final new terrain segment (SIU 3, Section 4), which takes I-69 from NSWC Crane Division northeast to SR 37 on the southwest side of Bloomington, was completed in December 2015 and was extended north to Martinsville in late 2018 (Section 5). Section 6 (Martinsville to Indianapolis) of I-69's SIU 3 is currently being upgraded to full
Interstate Highway standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
all the way north-northeast to I-465 on the southwest side of Indianapolis. The new I-69 in Mississippi and Tennessee starts at an at-grade intersection with the former route of
Mississippi Highway 304 Mississippi Highway 304 (MS 304) is east-west State highway (US), state highway in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Mississippi, running for as a four-lane freeway from U.S. Route 61 in Mississippi, U.S. Route 61 (US 61) in Tu ...
(MS 304) in Banks, Tunica County, Mississippi. It continues roughly north-northeast, crossing into DeSoto County to a partial interchange with the current route of MS 304, then runs easterly to an interchange with I-55 in northern Hernando. It then continues north, overlapping I-55 to the Tennessee state line, and continues northward concurrently with I-55 to the south side of Memphis. It then follows I-240 northward through downtown before joining I-40. Presently, the northern end of this section of I-69 is at the I-40/I-69/SR 300 interchange on the north side of Memphis. This portion of the route was the first SIU of the proposed extension to be signed as part of the national I-69 route, and the first portion designed as part of the extension.


Planned and delayed extensions


Past progress

On June 6, 2008, President
George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
signed HR 1195, designating the
Purchase Parkway The Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway is a controlled-access highway in the US state of Kentucky running from Fulton to Mayfield, near Kentucky Dam, for a length of . It begins at the Tennessee state line concurrent with U.S. Route 51 (US ...
as Future I-69. Kentucky officials planned to place I-69 signs on the Pennyrile Parkway, Western Kentucky Parkway, and Purchase Parkway in 2008, but the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) had not yet given Kentucky approval to do so for the entire route. Kentucky was making spot improvements to its parkways to bring them up to
Interstate Highway standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
in anticipation of the I-69 designation. Meanwhile, Indiana examined building most of SIU 3 as a toll road but quickly reverted to making it toll-free in 2006 with an announcement to that effect by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels after widespread opposition from I-69 opponents and supporters alike. Indiana had been using funds from the $3.8-billion Indiana Toll Road lease deal along with public–private partnerships to construct SIU 3 between Indianapolis and Evansville. , SIU 1 (all of original I-69 north of Indianapolis, plus the I-469 loop around Fort Wayne) and SIU 2 were open, as was SIU 5 in Kentucky, part of SIU 9 in the Memphis, Tennessee, area, and the short SIU 10 in northwestern Mississippi. SIU 6 in Kentucky was built as a freeway but was not yet up to Interstate standards in all areas. At around the same time, Texas was actively pursuing completing its portion of I-69 by upgrading existing U.S. Routes and state highways along the I-69 corridor to Interstate standards. Several portions of the 15 SIUs in Texas were being worked on, with active construction in progress on US 59 from SH 99 to Kendleton (SIU 20), and on US 77 between Robstown and Kingsville (SIU 22). , four mainline SIUs outside of Texas were under construction; SIU 3 in Indiana (using $700 million (equivalent to $ in ) from the 2006 Major Moves deal), SIU 7 and SIU 9 in Tennessee; and a small part of SIU 13 in Arkansas ( Monticello Bypass). Portions of these SIUs have been open to traffic since 2007.


Progress delays

While federal legislation established a mandate to extend I-69 from Indiana to Texas, it did not provide funding for its construction. I-69 construction must compete against other projects for traditional funding. Despite approval of several segments, work has been completed on only a few scattered segments due in part to increasing costs for construction materials and machinery. As a result, several states have indicated that construction of I-69 may not be possible without the use of tolls as the primary means to finance building the highway. Tennessee, Arkansas, and Mississippi passed legislation authorizing toll roads within each state but have not applied tolling to their sections of I-69 due to the widespread unpopularity of toll roads in these states. A bridge over the
Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
, which was to have been built along I-69 to connect Indiana with Kentucky, stalled in 2004 because each state did not have enough funding for it. In 2016, both states reached an agreement to restart environmental studies and develop a funding strategy for the Ohio River crossing. Tennessee and Mississippi have suspended work on I-69 indefinitely due to a lack of funding to build the highway outside of the Memphis metropolitan area. Arkansas has halted work on its mainline portion of I-69, aside from the Monticello Bypass, although it has applied for a federal grant to complete design and construction for the section between Monticello and
McGehee McGehee is a city in Desha County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,219 at the 2010 census. History The history of the city of McGehee and the history of the railroad through McGehee are intricately interwoven. The history of the ...
.


Current progress and plans

Texas, Kentucky, and Indiana have been slowly advancing construction of I-69 within each state through traditional funding sources when available and innovative financing methods, such as public–private partnerships. In December 2018, the I-69 River Crossing project team for Kentucky and Indiana announced a preferred plan to build a new toll bridge across the Ohio River as part of I-69. In 2021, Tennessee announced it was reviving construction of segment 7 of I-69 in northwestern Tennessee to link it to I-55 on the west side of the Mississippi River. This will provide an interim direct freeway link to Memphis that will bypass the suspended segment 8 pending its eventual completion to take I-69 even more directly into Memphis. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) halted the Interstate work about four years earlier because they lacked federal funding for the project. The revived portion of I-69 will run from the Kentucky state line to
Dyersburg Dyersburg is a city and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in northwest Tennessee, northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 16,164 at the 2020 census, down 5.72% from the 2010 census ...
where it will connect with
I-155 Interstate 155 is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both of which are related to Interstate 55: *Interstate 155 (Illinois), a spur to Peoria *Interstate 155 (Missouri–Tennessee) Interstate 155 (I-155) is a ...
, a spur that crosses the Mississippi River and extends to I-55 in southeastern Missouri. From there, I-55 extends south running parallel to the Mississippi River on the Missouri–Arkansas side then crosses the river into Memphis.


Texas

In Texas, I-69 planning has become part of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) studies. This part of the TTC, called I-69/TTC, includes I-69 and all of its spurs authorized by Congress. It will extend from three border crossings, at Laredo,
Pharr Pharr is a city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 70,400, and in 2019, the estimated population was 79,112. Pharr is connected by bridge to the Mexican city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. Pharr is p ...
, and Brownsville, along US 59, US 281, and US 77 toward Victoria. After the three branches join, I-69 will continue along the general US 59 corridor through Houston to Tenaha, where it will turn easterly to Louisiana along US 84. In Greater Houston, I-69 will follow the US 59 freeway corridor through town. A branch ( I-369) continues north on US 59 from Tenaha to Texarkana, where it will eventually connect to I-30 and
I-49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in S ...
. Most of the proposed I-69 route in Texas already exists as four-lane highways, with a lengthy freeway section stretching north and south of Houston along US 59 and shorter freeway sections of US 77, US 83, and US 281 in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The I-69/TTC project has been split into 15 SIUs, which match the original ones but do not share numbers. SIUs 1 to 8 (original 16 to 23) cover the mainline along the "Interstate 69 East" branch to the Mexican border at Brownsville. The "Interstate 69 Central" branch to Pharr is SIUs 9, 11, and 12 (original 24 to 26). The "Interstate 369" and "Interstate 69 West" branches to Texarkana and the Mexican border at Laredo, respectively, are SIUs 13 and 14 (original 29 and 30), and two connections to Brownsville and Pharr are SIUs 10 and 15 (original 31 and 32). The I-69/TTC study also includes SIU L-CC, a connection between Freer and Corpus Christi that was not in the 2000 study. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) originally considered building the I-69/TTC over new terrain paralleling US 59, US 77, and US 281. Responding to widespread opposition from environmental groups and property rights activists, TxDOT announced in June 2008 that it will complete I-69 by upgrading the existing US 59, US 77, and US 281 roadways to Interstate standards through rural areas, with bypasses around urban centers along the route. Instead of building the Trans-Texas Corridor as originally planned, TxDOT now plans to finance upgrading the existing highways to I-69 through private sector investment. Under the proposed arrangement, I-69 would remain toll-free where it overlaps preexisting highways, while bypasses of cities may be tolled. The private firms awarded contracts for I-69 would also build and operate toll roads throughout the state; some of those revenues would then be applied to I-69 construction. A stated goal of TxDOT's I-69 initiative is that "existing suitable freeway sections of the proposed system be designated as I-69 as soon as possible". In response to TxDOT's request, a segment of US 77 between I-37 and SH 44 near Corpus Christi was approved for the "I-69" designation by the FHWA in August 2011 and was approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in October 2011; signage was posted at an official ceremony on December 5, 2011; it was resigned as I-69E on May 29, 2013. At the May 18, 2012, meeting of AASHTO, of US 59 from I-610 in Houston to Fostoria Road in Liberty County were also approved as ready for I-69 signage. On May 29, 2013, the Texas Transportation Commission gave approval to naming completed Interstate-standard segments of US 77 and US 281 as I-69. US 77 through
Cameron Cameron may refer to: People * Clan Cameron, a Scottish clan * Cameron (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) * Cameron (surname), a surname (including a list of people with the name) ;Mononym * Cam'ron (born 197 ...
and Willacy counties will be signed as I-69E, including of existing freeway starting at the
Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...
in Brownsville and running north past Raymondville. The of US 281 freeway in Pharr and Edinburg will be signed as I-69C. The section of US 59 inside the I-610 loop that runs through Downtown Houston was approved by the FHWA for designation as I-69 on March 9, 2015, and approved for signage as such by the Texas Transportation Commission on March 24, 2015.


Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi

The nearly portion of the I-69 extension from south of
Clarksdale, Mississippi Clarksdale is a city in and the county seat of Coahoma County, Mississippi, United States. It is located along the Sunflower River. Clarksdale is named after John Clark, a settler who founded the city in the mid-19th century when he establishe ...
, to the Louisiana–Texas state line is planned to be built as a new-terrain route that parallels existing U.S. Routes and state highways in some locations. As well as covering the part in Texas northeast of Nacogdoches, SIU 16 also extends into Louisiana, ending at US 171 near
Stonewall Stonewall or Stone wall may refer to: * Stone wall, a kind of masonry construction * Stonewalling, engaging in uncooperative or delaying tactics * Stonewall riots, a 1969 turning point for the modern LGBTQ rights movement in Greenwich Village, Ne ...
. SIU 15 continues around the south and east sides of the
Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...
area, crossing
I-49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in S ...
and ending at
I-20 Interstate 20 (I‑20) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I-20 runs beginning at an interchange with I-10 in Scroggins Draw, Texas, and ending at an interchange with I-95 in Florence, South Carolina. Between ...
near Haughton. SIU 14 extends northeast from I-20 to US 82 near
El Dorado, Arkansas El Dorado, founded by Matthew Rainey, is a city in, and the county seat of, Union County, on the southern border of Arkansas, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 18,884. El Dorado is headquarters of the Ark ...
, and SIU 13 continues northeast to US 65 near
McGehee McGehee is a city in Desha County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 4,219 at the 2010 census. History The history of the city of McGehee and the history of the railroad through McGehee are intricately interwoven. The history of the ...
, mainly paralleling US 278. Also included in Corridor 18, as SIU 28, is an extension of
I-530 Interstate 530 (I-530) in Arkansas is a spur route of the Interstate highway system, traveling from Pine Bluff north-northwest to Little Rock at an interchange of I-30/ I-440/ U.S. Highway 65 (US 65)/ US 67/ US 167." rk ...
from Pine Bluff south along the US 425 corridor to I-69 west of Monticello; a short piece at the south end opened in mid-2006 as Highway 530 (AR 530). A segment bypassing Monticello, Arkansas, was opened on October 11, 2018. The
Charles W. Dean Bridge The Charles W. Dean Bridge, known before 1999 as the Great River Bridge, is a planned cable-stayed bridge to carry Interstate 69 and U.S. Route 278 across the Mississippi River between Arkansas City, Arkansas and Benoit, Mississippi. The Arka ...
, SIU 12, is planned to cross the Mississippi River between McGehee, Arkansas, and Benoit, Mississippi, while SIU 11 will parallel US 61 to Tunica Resorts. SIU 10, the first completed portion of the I-69 extension, runs east from Tunica Resorts to I-55 near Hernando and opened in late 2006. With the record of decision signed in 2007, the FHWA authorized the Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) to add I-69 signs on I-55 from the I-55/I-69 interchange in Hernando to the Tennessee state line.


Tennessee, Kentucky, and southern Indiana

From a point south of Clarksdale, Mississippi, to Henderson, Kentucky, most of the I-69 alignment is planned to consist of upgrades to existing U.S. Highways, Interstates and substandard freeways, although some sections are expected be built as bypasses around cities and towns along the route. I-69 SIU 9 overlaps I-55 into Memphis, Tennessee, switching there to I-240 and then I-40 before leaving onto the short SR 300 connection and then paralleling US 51 to near Millington. On January 18, 2008, the FHWA authorized
TDOT The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is a multimodal agency with statewide responsibilities in roadways, aviation, public transit, waterways, and railroads. The mission of TDOT is to provide a safe and reliable transportation system ...
to erect I-69 signs on I-55, I-240, and I-40 from the Mississippi state line to the I-40/SR 300 interchange. The recently completed I-269 will bypass this part of I-69, beginning where I-69 joins I-55 in Mississippi and ending near Millington, and will include the northern part of SR 385 near Millington. SIU 8 is planned to continue beyond Millington, near US 51, to
I-155 Interstate 155 is the designation for two Interstate Highways in the United States, both of which are related to Interstate 55: *Interstate 155 (Illinois), a spur to Peoria *Interstate 155 (Missouri–Tennessee) Interstate 155 (I-155) is a ...
near
Dyersburg Dyersburg is a city and the county seat of Dyer County, Tennessee, United States. It is located in northwest Tennessee, northeast of Memphis on the Forked Deer River. The population was 16,164 at the 2020 census, down 5.72% from the 2010 census ...
. Despite these plans, it is unclear if the entire I-69 project in Tennessee will ever be completed. The state has suspended work indefinitely on the SIU 8 and the remaining unbuilt portion of SIU 9 between SR 300 and the northern end of I-269 near Millington due to a lack of federal funding. Work on SIU 7 was also suspended for a few years, but this project has now been revived by the state which has decided there's value in having a continuous chain of freeways running partly on other completed Interstates between Memphis and the Kentucky state line. SIU 7 follows the existing US 51 freeway with new bypasses to the state line at Fulton, Kentucky. Completion of this stretch of I-69 is expected to be achieved by 2023. After that, Tennessee–Missouri–Arkansas I-55 link to I-155 which crosses back across the Mississippi River to the newly completed I-69 will serve as the main freeway routes between Memphis and northwestern Tennessee, at least on an interim basis. In Kentucky, I-69 mostly follows existing freeways originally built as toll roads. SIU 6 follows the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway and
I-24 Interstate 24 (I-24) is an Interstate Highway in the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. It runs diagonally from I-57, south of Marion, Illinois, to Chattanooga, Tennessee, at I-75. It travels through Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, ...
from Fulton to Eddyville, while SIU 5 continues along the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway and the
Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway The Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway was the designation for the controlled-access highway from Henderson, Kentucky, Henderson to Hopkinsville, Kentucky. The parkway originally began at an interchange with the Audubon Parkway and US 41 near ...
from Eddyville to Henderson. While these parkways received the I-69 designation by federal legislation signed in 2008, upgrades have been necessary to bring the freeways to
Interstate standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
—but required less work compared to other states where entirely new highway must be built. A number of construction contracts have been let by the state of Kentucky to reconfigure several interchanges along the parkways. Many of these interchanges were originally designed with opposing loop ramps to accommodate toll barriers at the interchanges; these "tollbooth" style interchanges were (or will be) reconfigured to standard diamond interchanges as part of the parkways' conversion to I-69. On August 31, 2011, Kentucky Governor
Steve Beshear Steven Lynn Beshear (born September 21, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 61st governor of Kentucky from 2007 to 2015. He served in the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1974 to 1980, was the state's 44th atto ...
announced an agreement between the state and the FHWA which allowed the
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is Kentucky's state-funded agency charged with building and maintaining federal highways and Kentucky state highways, as well as regulating other transportation related issues. The Transportation Cabi ...
(KYTC) to erect I-69 signage along the new Interstate's overlap with I-24 and the stretch of the Western Kentucky Parkway between I-24 and the Pennyrile Parkway. Signage was placed in late 2011, with construction on necessary upgrades of the portion of the Western Kentucky Parkway expected to be bid in September. On October 25, 2011, I-69 was officially designated by Beshear along a stretch of I-24 and the Western Kentucky Parkway between Calvert City and Nortonville. Signage and milemarkers were replaced on the stretch of the Western Kentucky Parkway in mid-December 2012. An additional along the Pennyrile Parkway from the Western Kentucky Parkway to
Kentucky Route 425 Kentucky Route 425 (or Henderson Bypass) is the Southern Beltline around Henderson, Kentucky. It is a two-lane road that runs from U.S. Route 60 (US 60) and KY 136 east to Pennyrile Parkway (future I-69) and intersects with US 41A, KY 1299, and ...
(KY 425), south of Henderson, was designated and resigned on November 16, 2015. The Purchase Parkway between Mayfield and Calvert City was signed in July 2018. The Indiana and Kentucky governors agreed on June 30, 2016, to spend a combined $17 million (equivalent to $ in ) for an environmental and design study to determine how the two states will pay for a bridge spanning the
Ohio River The Ohio River is a long river in the United States. It is located at the boundary of the Midwestern and Southern United States, flowing southwesterly from western Pennsylvania to its mouth on the Mississippi River at the southern tip of Illino ...
and where it will run. This is the second study conducted by the two states. The first study was commissioned in 2001, and a preliminary report in 2004 put the cost of a bridge at $1.4 billion (equivalent to $ in ). Only a draft environmental report was issued at this time; no final environmental report or approval was issued due to a lack of money. Since 2004, Indiana and Kentucky (combined) have completed nearly of the Interstate. The bridge is the last remaining piece to connect the two states. The preferred alternative for SIU 4 was to leave the Pennyrile Parkway near its north end and cross the Ohio River to
I-164 Interstate 164 (I-164) was a spur highway of I-64, between that highway and U.S. Highway 41 (US 41) in Evansville, Indiana. I-164, also known as the Robert D. Orr Highway, had a total length of . Requested as an Interstate and approve ...
near Evansville, Indiana, and then use I-164 to I-64. At the October 18, 2013, AASHTO meeting, an Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) request to redesignate I-164 as part of I-69 was approved, pending concurrence from the FHWA. SIU 3, connecting I-69 to
I-465 Interstate 465 (I-465), also known as the USS ''Indianapolis'' Memorial Highway, is the beltway circling Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It is roughly rectangular in shape and has a perimeter of approximately . It lies almost complet ...
in southern
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
, will roughly parallel SR 57 and SR 45 and will use an upgraded version of the existing SR 37 from just south of Bloomington to a point just south of Indianapolis. A stretch from Evansville to
NSWC Crane Division Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division (NSWC Crane Division) is the principal tenant command located at Naval Support Activity Crane (NSA Crane). NSA Crane is a United States Navy installation located approximately southwest of Bloomingt ...
was completed on November 19, 2012, and the remaining portion to Bloomington opened to traffic on December 9, 2015. Construction on upgrading a section of SR 37 from Bloomington to just south of Martinsville to Interstate standards was completed in late 2018. Construction began on the final segment from Martinsville to Indianapolis in 2019, with completion anticipated by the end of 2024. SIU 2 will follow the southeastern quarter of I-465 around the city.


History


Original route

A route from
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
northeast via
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
to I-80/I-90 near Angola was added to the proposed "Interregional Highway System" by the early 1940s. Unlike most of the routes, it was not drawn along an existing
U.S. Route The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...
corridor, except north of Fort Wayne (where it used US 27); most of it ran roughly parallel to SR 9 and SR 37. The extension beyond Angola to I-94 near
Marshall, Michigan Marshall is a U.S. city in Michigan. It is the county seat of Calhoun County. The population was 7,088 at the 2010 census. Marshall is best known for its cross-section of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture. It has been referred to by t ...
, actually started out as part of what evolved into I-94. On early plans, the Chicago–Detroit route would have replaced US 112 (now US 12), splitting from I-80/I-90 at South Bend. By 1947, the route had been shifted north to present I-94, along what was then US 12, but the connection to South Bend remained, splitting at Kalamazoo. The I-69 designation was assigned to the Indianapolis–Angola route in 1957, while the short South Bend–Kalamazoo route became proposed I-67. The I-67 designation was shifted east to the US 27 corridor by early 1958, eventually being absorbed into the extension of I-69 to I-94 near Marshall which was built in 1967. The
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 The Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1968 (Public Law 90-495; 82 Stat. 815) is legislation enacted by the United States Congress and signed into law on August 24, 1968, which expanded the Interstate Highway System by ; provided funding for new interstat ...
authorized an additional of Interstates to be chosen by the FHWA; among Michigan's proposals was a extension of I-69 northeast and east via US 27 to Lansing, M-78 to Flint, and
M-21 M21 or M-21 may refer to: Transportation * M21 (New York City bus), a New York City Bus route in Manhattan * M-21 highway (Michigan), a road connecting Flint and Grand Rapids * M21 (East London), a Metropolitan Route in East London, South Africa ...
to Port Huron. However, the FHWA initially only approved the route to I-475 in Flint. The continuation to Port Huron was eventually approved in February 1987. Michigan's portion of the Interstate Highway System was completed in 1992, when the last piece of I-69 opened southwest of Lansing between I-96 and Charlotte.


Extended route

ISTEA The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA, pronounced ''Ice-Tea'') is a United States federal law that posed a major change to transportation planning and policy, as the first U.S. federal legislation on the subject in ...
included two
High Priority Corridor The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA, pronounced ''Ice-Tea'') is a United States federal law that posed a major change to transportation planning and policy, as the first U.S. federal legislation on the subject in ...
s that would later become parts of a proposed crosscountry extension of I-69: * (18) Corridor from Indianapolis, Indiana, to Memphis, Tennessee, via Evansville, Indiana. * (20) US 59 Corridor from the Mexican border in Laredo, Texas, through Houston, to the vicinity of Texarkana, Texas. Corridor 18 was extended southwest to Houston, where it connected to Corridor 20, by the Department of Transportation and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1993; the new definition read "Corridor from Indianapolis, Indiana, through Evansville, Indiana, Memphis, Tennessee,
Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...
/ Bossier, Louisiana, and to Houston, 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 Mexican border in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and adding a short connection at
Brownsville, Texas Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...
. This act also specified that Corridors 18 and 20 were "future parts of the Interstate System" to become actual Interstates when built to
Interstate Highway standards Standards for Interstate Highways in the United States are defined by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in the publication ''A Policy on Design Standards: Interstate System''. For a certain highway to ...
and connected to other Interstates. Although the act designated Corridor 9 as I-99, no number was assigned to Corridors 18 and 20 yet. The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21), enacted in 1998, greatly expanded the definition of Corridor 18 to include the existing I-69, as well as I-94 between Port Huron, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. A connection to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, was added, and 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. In 2000, Corridors 18 and 20 were split into 32 SIUs as part of the I-69 (Corridor 18) Special Environmental Study. In Texas, it was originally envisioned that private firms will build, operate, then transfer portions of the highway to the state after a specified period of time. Lawmakers in Kentucky once considered a bill that would authorize the re-tolling of three parkways slated to become part of I-69.


Opposition and controversy

The construction of the I-69 extension beyond Indianapolis has angered environmentalists. In particular, the southern portion of the route in Indiana would run through wetlands, existing farmland, and forested areas, and cut through geologically sensitive
karst Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
topography, which environmentalists argue threatens to pollute underground water systems and harm the rare species that live there.
Fiscal conservative Fiscal conservatism is a political and economic philosophy regarding fiscal policy and fiscal responsibility with an ideological basis in capitalism, individualism, limited government, and ''laissez-faire'' economics.M. O. Dickerson et al., ''An ...
s also oppose completion of I-69, arguing that federal legislation establishing the I-69 corridor amounts to an unfunded mandate imposed by the federal government upon the states through which the highway will travel, as the legislation requires states to pursue construction of their portions of I-69 but provides no funding mechanism to cover its estimated $25-billion cost, thereby leaving cash-strapped states to figure out how to finance its construction. Three states (Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee) have publicly stated they will not build their sections of I-69 until Congress appropriates funds to complete environmental studies, design, and construction in each state.


Junction list

;Texas : in Rosenberg. The highways travel concurrently to north-northeast of
Splendora Splendora was an American all-female alternative rock band from New York City. Formed in 1993 by Janet Wygal (lead vocals, guitar), Tricia Wygal (lead vocals, bass), Delissa Santos (drums), Cindy Brolsma (cello), and Jennifer Richardson (violin ...
. :
Sam Houston Tollway Sam, SAM or variants may refer to: Places * Sam, Benin * Sam, Boulkiemdé, Burkina Faso * Sam, Bourzanga, Burkina Faso * Sam, Kongoussi, Burkina Faso * Sam, Iran * Sam, Teton County, Idaho, United States, a populated place People and fictional ...
in Houston : in Houston : in Houston : in Houston : in Houston :
Sam Houston Parkway Beltway 8 (BW8), the Sam Houston Parkway, along with the Sam Houston Tollway, is an beltway around the city of Houston, Texas, United States, lying entirely within Harris County. Beltway 8, a state highway maintained by the Texas D ...
in Houston : Grand Parkway in New Caney : Gap in route ;Louisiana : Unbuilt ;Arkansas : Unbuilt; two lanes of Monticello Bypass completed and signed as US-278 Bypass. ;Mississippi : east-northeast of Robinsonville. The highways travel concurrently for approximately . : in Hernando. The highways travel concurrently to Memphis, Tennessee. ;Tennessee : in Memphis : in Memphis. I-69/I-240 travels concurrently through Memphis. : in Memphis : in Memphis : in Memphis. I-40/I-69 travels concurrently through Memphis. : / in Memphis : Gap in route ;Kentucky : in Mayfield : south of Calvert City. The highways travel concurrently to Eddyville. : in Calvert City : in Kuttawa : in Eddyville : north-northeast of Nortonville : in Madisonville : near
Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada *He ...
: Gap in route ;Indiana : in Evansville : west-northwest of Elberfeld : east of Washington : west-northwest of Scotland : near Bloomington : near Martinsville : Gap in route : in
Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...
: east-northeast of Alexandria. The highways travel concurrently to
Gas City Gas City is a city in Grant County, Indiana, along the Mississinewa River. The population was 5,965 at the 2010 census. History Gas City was first known as Harrisburg when settled on May 25, 1867, by Noah Harris. It became something of a boom tow ...
. : in Markle : east of Roanoke. I-69/US 33 travels concurrently to
Fort Wayne Fort Wayne is a city in and the county seat of Allen County, Indiana, United States. Located in northeastern Indiana, the city is west of the Ohio border and south of the Michigan border. The city's population was 263,886 as of the 2020 Censu ...
. : in Fort Wayne. The highways travel concurrently through Fort Wayne. : in Fort Wayne. I-69/US 30 travels concurrently through Fort Wayne. : in Fort Wayne : in Fort Wayne : west-northwest of
Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, a battle on 18 June 1815 in which Napoleon met his final defeat * Waterloo, Belgium, where the battle took place. Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Antarctica *King George Island (S ...
: west of Angola : west-northwest of Fremont ;Michigan : in Coldwater : northwest of Marshall : in Lansing. The highways travel concurrently to northwest of Waverly. : west of Lansing : north-northwest of East Lansing : southwest of Flint : in Flint : north of Marysville. The highways travel concurrently to the
Canada–United States border The border between Canada and the United States is the longest international border in the world. The terrestrial boundary (including boundaries in the Great Lakes, Atlantic, and Pacific coasts) is long. The land border has two sections: Can ...
in Port Huron. : / at the Canada–United States border in Port Huron


Auxiliary routes

* Interstate 69C (Texas) *
Interstate 69E Interstate 69E (I-69E) is a north–south freeway running through South Texas. Once complete, the freeway will begin in Brownsville and head northward before terminating near Victoria as both I-69W and I-69E merge into I-69 toward Housto ...
(Texas) *
Interstate 69W Interstate 69W (I-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 World Trade International Bridge in Laredo and ends at I-35. In ...
(Texas) * Interstate 69 Spur (Kentucky)—proposed * Interstate 169 (Kentucky) * Interstate 169 (Tennessee)—proposed * Interstate 169 (Texas) * Interstate 269 (Indiana)—proposed * Interstate 269 (Mississippi–Tennessee) * Interstate 369 (Texas) * Interstate 469 (Indiana) * Interstate 569 (Kentucky)—proposed


See also

*


References


Further reading

* *


External links


I69Info.com

Highway Position: Is an Indiana Congressman introducing legislation to change the name of Interstate 69?
(Snopes.com) * Official DOT websites: *
I-69 Indianapolis-Evansville Study
(Indiana Department of Transportation, SIU 3) *
Interstate 69 in Tennessee
(SIUs 7, 8, and 9) *
Shreveport bypass
(SIU 15) *
I-69 Driven By Texans
a Texas Department of Transportation site {{Authority control 69