Interstate 69E Texas
Overview
Interstate 69E overlays all of U.S. 77 from University Boulevard / East Avenue in Brownsville to the Raymondville bypass. A second section of IH 69E is designated from a point south of FM 2826 and Robbstown north to IH 37 at Calallen in Corpus Christi.
The Texas Transportation Commission approved a request to add an additional 3.3 miles of IH 69E concurrent with U.S. 77, from a point 0.4 miles south of FM 892 in the city of Robstown to 0.6 miles south of FM 2826 in Nueces County on June 30, 2021. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved this segment as an addition to the Interstate Highway System on May 25, 2021
Grade separation under construction for the future main lanes of IH 69E along U.S. 77 in southern Kenedy County. This section of future IH 69E was completed in Fall 2021. 08/03/19
Two projects completed by Fall 2021 upgraded U.S. 77 north from Raymondville into southern Kenedy County to Interstate standards with the construction of grade separations and main lanes. The 6.5 mile long segment can be formally added to IH 69E once a post-construction technical review is completed and with final designation approved sometime in 2022.2 Northward through Kenedy County, five separate projects will extend IH 69E another 45 miles with additional overpasses and main lane construction along U.S. 77. Totaling $320 million, these projects were in design by January 2019, and partially funded for construction.3 Project letting dates vary from 2024 to 2032.
Within the TxDOT Corpus Christi District, new bypasses for U.S. 77 around Riviera and Driscoll will complete IH 69E north to IH 37. $104 million in funding was allocated for the Driscoll Relief Route in March 2017,3 and work got underway along the new alignment by February 2019. Estimated to cost $118 million, construction on the 10.4 mile long Driscoll bypass was anticipated to run through December 2022.4 The northbound lanes opened to traffic in November 2021. Overall work continued into Fall 2023.
U.S. 77 north at the wye interchange with U.S. 77 Business (BU-77) along the Driscoll Bypass. A greenout covers a shield for IH 69E. Photo by Jeff Royston (12/21/21).
An IH 69E confirming marker posted along the northbound lanes of the Driscoll Bypass opened in November 2021. Photo by Jeff Royston (12/21/21).
The four mile long Rivera bypass is a future project anticipated for the 2024-29 time frame.3 The 10-year 2022 Unified Transportation Program approved by the Texas Transportation Commission in September 2021 allocated $118 million for the US 77 Riviera Relief Route, and another $118 million for the US 77 upgrade at Ricardo.2
History
HistoryU.S. 77 through the Lower Rio Grande Valley was upgraded to an expressway by 1965 and to a limited access highway between Harlingen and La Paloma in 1972, and southward to Brownsville by 1985. The stretch between SH 4 and the border crossing south of University Boulevard was upgraded in 2004.
Interstate 69E north 6.2 miles from SH 44 at Robstown to IH 37 was dedicated as the first section of IH 69 in Texas on December 5, 2011. As suggested by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), it was redesignated as IH 69E and the Texas Transportation Committee on May 28, 2013. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) however disapproved of the designation on May 5, 2013 as it was not in compliance with AASHTO Policy HO21. However, the Robstown portion was approved by FHWA on July 31, 2013 and so AASHTO concurred on October 21, 2013. The branches of IH 69C and IH 69E will come together north of this segment.
An additional 1.6 miles of IH 69E was added from SH 44 to FM 892 at Robstown in Fall 2015 to coincide with upgrades of U.S. 77 to Interstate standards.1 This was pre-approved by the Texas Transportation Commission on November 20, 2014.
The designations of IH 69C and IH 69E were made possible by the 2012 legislation, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21). The previous law regarding interstates required that new Interstate highway segments must be connected to an existing system route. The legal revision, supported by several Texas members of Congress and the entire Texas Delegation,5 states that
routes can be designated as part of the Interstate system if the route or a segment of the route meets current Interstate design standards and connects to, or is planned to connect to, an existing Interstate within 25 years.
Route Information
North End – Corpus Christi, TX
South End – Brownsville, TX
Mileage – 64.40
Cities – Brownsville, Harlingen, Corpus Christi
- Junctions –
Source: December 31, 2021 Interstate Route Log and Finders List
The north end of IH 69E at IH 37 was reconstructed in the late 1980s to replace left side ramps with right side ones. The freeway upgrade leading south was completed by 2005.
SH 44 between Freer and Corpus Christi was designated as part of the I-69 Texas System in the FAST Act of 2015 federal highway bill.
The Veterans International Bridge at Los Tomates links the south end of U.S. 77/83 with Matamoros. The tolled four lane span opened to traffic following a ribbon cutting ceremony held on April 30, 1999. The $19.3 million bridge is part of a heavy truck corridor between U.S. 77/83, SH 4 and the Port of Brownsville. A twin span was added on the U.S. side of the border during construction from February 2011 and May 2012.6
North Segment
North SegmentNorth End 
– Corpus Christi, Texas
North at 
IH 69E/U.S. 77 head 1.5 miles north from CR 48 outside Robstown to the exchange with IH 37 at Calallen in Corpus Christi. 08/03/19
Curving northeast, IH 69E/U.S. 77 span FM 624 (Northwest Boulevard) ahead of IH 37. U.S. 77 joins IH 37 north into San Patricio County en route to Victoria. 08/03/19
Traffic partitions at the north end of IH 69E for IH 37 south to the Corpus Christi Bayfront and north to San Antonio. 08/03/19
South at
U.S. 77 joins IH 37 south ahead of the Nueces River and Nueces County line. The two overlap 2.5 miles southward to split at IH 69E in Corpus Christi. 08/03/19
IH 37/U.S. 77 parallel the Nueces River south into Calallen in Corpus Christi. A three-wye interchange (Exit 14) follows with IH 69E. 08/03/19
U.S. 77 branches southward to Robstown, Driscoll, Kingsville and the Rio Grande Valley, IH 37 continues east to Downtown Corpus Christi. 08/03/19
North at
IH 37 advances toward the three-wye interchange (Exit 14A) with IH 69E/U.S. 77 on a six lane stretch parallel to Leopard Street. 08/03/19
Exit 14A parts ways with IH 37 north at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing for both IH 69E/U.S. 77 south to Robstown and FM 624 (Northwest Boulevard) at the Calallen district of Corpus Christi. 08/03/19
South End – Robstown, Texas
South at 
The final southbound shield for the Robstown segment of IH 69E precedes the Lincoln Avenue (FM 892) underpass. Despite the renumbering to IH 69E in 2013, a replacement of this assembly by 2019 still displays IH 69. Photo by Jeff Royston (01/27/16).
An end shield for IH 69 previously stood at the merge with U.S. 77 Business and transition of U.S. 77 onto an at-grade expressway at County Road 36. Photo by Jeff Royston (01/27/16).
The freeway along U.S. 77 was extended southward another 2.7 miles from BU-77U to FM 2826 outside Robstown. 08/03/19
at
The first shields for IH 69E reference the northbound entrance ramp at the grade separated interchange joining FM 2826 with U.S. 77 south of Robstown. 08/03/19
U.S. 77 previously upgraded to IH 69E at the frontage road system beginning west of FM 892 (Lincoln Avenue). The freeway bypasses Robstown to the east. Photo by Jeff Royston (01/27/16).
South Segment
South SegmentSouth End at University Boulevard – Brownsville, Texas
South at University Blvd / East Ave
The final exit from IH 69E southbound is for SH 4 (International Boulevard / 18th Street) to Downtown Brownsville. 08/03/19
The last half mile of IH 69E winds along a viaduct above Lincoln Park and wetland areas north of the Rio Grande. 08/03/19
IH 69E concludes at the signalized intersection joining U.S. 77-83 with University Boulevard west to the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley and East Avenue. 08/03/19
A shield assembly references IH 69E as continuing with U.S. 77-83 across University Boulevard to the customs station for the Veterans Bridge to Matamoros, Mexico. 08/03/19
at University Blvd
University Boulevard intersects the south end of IH 69E and U.S. 77/83 ahead of the Veterans Bridge across the Rio Grande. 08/03/19
IH 69E begins alongside U.S. 77-83 north from University Boulevard and East Avenue in Brownsville. 08/03/19
North End – north of Raymondville, Texas
South at
4.95 miles south of the Kenedy County line, the previous separation of U.S. 77 from U.S. 77 Business (BU-77W), where IH 69E resumed around the east side of Raymondville. 08/03/19
North at
IH 69E/U.S. 77 previously converged with U.S. 77 Business (BU-77W) at a wye interchange north of Raymondville. $22.67 million in work through October 31, 2019 upgraded the ensuing 3.98 mile stretch to freeway standards. 08/03/19
Sources
- “Another 6.1 Miles Added to I-69 Texas System.” Alliance for I-69 Texas web site, November 30, 2015.
- Alliance for I-69 Texas Update, September 9, 2021.
- “Expansion of US 77-I69E making progress.” Valley Morning Star (Harlingen, TX), January 6, 2019.
- U.S. 77 Driscoll Bypass.
https://www.zachryconstructioncorp.com/Projects/Transportation/US-77-Driscoll-Bypass/Zachry Construction Corporation, project web site. - “Another 116 miles added to I-69 system in Texas.” Wharton Journal Spectator, June 5, 2013.
- Texas-Mexico – International Bridges and Border Crossings – Existing and Proposed – 2011,
ftp://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/iro/2011_international_bridges.pdfTexas Department of Transportation.
Page updated June 4, 2022.