Interstate 69

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Template:Routeboxint Interstate 69 (abbreviated I-69) is an interstate highway in the Midwestern United States. It currently runs from Indianapolis, Indiana at Interstate 465 to the U.S. side of the Blue Water Bridge in Port Huron, Michigan, at the Canadian border, where it continues as Highway 402 in Ontario.

As of early 2006, an extension southward from Indianapolis to the Mexican border in Texas is currently in various stages of planning and construction.

Length

Miles km state
157 252 Indiana
203 327 Michigan
360 579 Total

Major cities

Bolded cities are officially-designated control cities for signs.

Intersections with other interstates

Spur routes

Notes

  • Temporary Interstate 69 or TEMP I-69 between Charlotte, Michigan and Flint, Michigan was an expressway with at-grade intersections that was originally designated as M-78. This segment of highway is now a fully controlled-access freeway designated as I-69.
  • In Flint, I-69 is also known as the Chevrolet-Buick Freeway, as a tribute to the Flint automotive industry.
  • The 12 mile stretch of I-69 between Charlotte, Michigan and I-96 was opened in October, 1992. It completed Michigan's original state-wide interstate highway system.
  • The original southern termination point of I-69 was to have been at the I-65/I-70 interchange (known locally as the "spaghetti bowl") near 13th and College Avenue in Indianapolis, Indiana. In fact, the grading and overpasses for this connection's ramps can still be seen at that location. Later, the State of Indiana changed its mind and sought to designate the freeway connecting the spaghetti bowl to the I-69/I-465 interchange (approximately 11 miles or 18 km) as Interstate 169. Due to a political fight over the inner-city portions of I-70 and I-65, it was decided to scrap I-169. In its place, the state widened I-70 from eight to 10 lanes and reworked its eastside interchange with I-465 to handle the additional traffic loads from the northeastern suburbs.

Extension to the south

Template:Future road

In 1998, Congress approved an extension of I-69 to the south and west from Indianapolis to the U.S.-Mexico border in Texas. Should the construction be completed and the highway be numbered in whole as Interstate 69, it will become only the second Interstate to connect both the Mexican and Canadian borders (current Interstate 5 is the first).

Proposed route

The proposed routing of the I-69 extension traverses seven states, and has been divided into 32 Sections of Independent Utility, numbered (mostly) from north to south. [1] The "mainline" route includes 26 SIUs, of which 24 represent new construction south of Indianapolis.

Indiana

From Indianapolis, Interstate 69 is planned to follow the route of State Road 37 south via Martinsville to Bloomington, Indiana, where a "new terrain" routing to the southwest will serve the Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Division, Washington, and Oakland City, Indiana. The route will then intersect Interstate 64 and encompass existing Interstate 164 through the Evansville, Indiana area, crossing the Ohio River a few miles upstream of the existing U.S. Route 41 bridges.

To fund construction of this extension, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels introduced a proposal known as "Major Moves" in early 2006. Though controversial, this proposal did pass, albeit with one significant modification. When the Major Moves bill was introduced in late 2005, it originally provided for the entire 142-mile I-69 extension to Evansville to be constructed as the Southern Indiana Toll Road. This proposal drew the ire of Martinsville officials, since the planned route would be the only connection to Indianapolis. As a compromise, the Southern Indiana Toll Road would incorporate 117 miles of the I-69 extension from Evansville to Martinsville. North of Martinsville, the remaining 25 miles of I-69 to Indianapolis will be built as a toll-free expressway.

The distance between Interstate 465 and the north end of Interstate 164 will be about 142 miles (228 km).[2] Compared to the current distance of 168 miles (270 km) between those points (mostly via Interstate 70 and U.S. Highway 41),[3] the new road will save about 26 miles (42 km) and bypass the at-grade intersections on the four-lane divided US 41.

Kentucky

Interstate 69 is expected to bypass the city of Henderson to the east, then follow the existing Edward T. Breathitt Pennyrile Parkway south to Nortonville, where the route will turn west along the Wendell H. Ford Western Kentucky Parkway to its terminus near Eddyville, Kentucky. I-69 will then coincide with Interstate 24 westward to Calvert City, where it will turn to the southwest and follow the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway to the Tennessee state line at Fulton.

In January 2006 the State of Kentucky reached a decision to route I-69 over existing parkways and a segment of I-24 from Henderson to Fulton. On May 15, 2006, Gov. Ernie Fletcher announced that crews have started erecting Future I-69 Corridor signs along the route encompassing segments of the Breathitt (Pennyrile) Parkway, the Western Kentucky Parkway, the Julian M. Carroll Purchase Parkway, and I-24. In addition to physical upgrades of the mainline, interchanges, and bridges of the parkway segments over which I-69 will be routed, the conversion will also require resetting mileposts and renumbering exits to reflect I-69 mileage in Kentucky. As a side issue, officials in [[Owensboro, Kentucky|Owensboro] have petitioned the AASHTO for a 3-digit I-X69 designation to be applied to the Audubon Parkway.[1]

Tennessee

From Fulton, I-69 is planned to continue to the southwest, replacing and bypassing existing U.S. Route 51, serving Union City (and potentially intersecting proposed I-169), Dyersburg (where it will intersect Interstate 155), Ripley, Covington, and Millington.

South of Millington, I-69 will intersect the Interstate 269 Memphis Outer Beltway, then continue southwest, roughly parallel to U.S. 51, and connect with Interstate 40 at the existing Tennessee State Route 300 interchange in the Frayser neighborhood. Interstate 69 will then merge with I-40 for about 3 miles to the I-40/I-240 Midtown Interchange, where I-69 will continue south along the Midtown portion of I-240 (mileposts 25-31) to the I-240/I-55 interchange in Whitehaven. From that interchange, I-69 will continue south, merged with I-55 for approximately 12 miles, crossing the Mississippi state line.

Mississippi

In Hernando, Mississippi, I-69 will again meet up with I-269 (and possibly Interstate 22) and turn west for approximately 16 miles to the area around the Tunica County casinos, where the route will turn to the south to run parallel and a few miles east of U.S. Route 61. I-69 will bypass the Town of Tunica to the east, then veer to the west and merge with U.S. 61 route to Clarksdale, also merging with U.S. Route 49 near Rich.

In Clarksdale, I-69 will merge with U.S. Route 278 and continue south, serving Shelby, following the existing U.S. 61 route. I-69 and U.S. 278 will diverge from U.S. 61 near Merigold, bypassing Cleveland to the west, and continue south to near Shaw. From Shaw, I-69 and U.S. 278 will proceed west to Benoit, where it will intersect Mississippi 1 (and possibly the proposed Greenville Connector Route), then cross the Charles W. Dean Bridge (sometimes referred to as the Great River Bridge) over the Mississippi River into Arkansas.

Arkansas

In Arkansas, I-69 and U.S. 278 will continue west to McGehee, where U.S. 278 will leave I-69 and rejoin its existing routing. I-69 will continue on a separate alignment to Monticello, where it will meet the Interstate 530 extension, then bypass Wilmar and Warren to the south, and turn to the southwest, crossing the Ouachita River and running between El Dorado and Smackover to meet U.S. Route 82 west of El Dorado.

From U.S. 82, I-69 will continue to the southwest, crossing the Louisiana state line near Haynesville, Louisiana.

Louisiana

In Louisiana, I-69 will pass between Shongaloo and Haynesville, then turn southwest, intersecting Interstate 20 near Haughton and then go south of Shreveport. I-69 will then turn more westerly, intersect Interstate 49 near Stonewall, go north of Mansfield and head for the Texas state line.

Texas

In Texas, I-69 will intersect with the U.S. Route 59 corridor near Carthage and roughly follow U.S. 59 to the south, serving Nacogdoches, Lufkin, Livingston, Shepard, and Cleveland.

In the Houston area, a number of possible routings of mainline Interstate 69 are possible. The designation could follow U.S. 59, Interstate 610, Beltway 8 and the Sam Houston Tollway, the Grand Parkway, or a new route. In the Houston area, I-69 will intersect Interstate 10 and Interstate 45.

From Houston, I-69 is again expected to follow the U.S. 59 corridor southwest to Victoria, Texas. From there, the congressionally-designated corridor splits into three alternatives:

The routing of I-69 in Texas is being studied as part of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) concept as the "I-69/TTC" component. Portions of the route may coincide with the "TTC-35" corridor component as well.

In any case, Texas is proceeding in the same fashion as Indiana, conducting environmental studies for it's portion of I-69 in a two-tier process and seeking a public-private partnership to construct much of the route through Texas as a privately-operated toll road.

Auxiliary routes

In addition to the I-169 and I-269 spurs and loops, a number of other projects are designated as SIUs of the Interstate 69 corridor:[4]


Opposition and controversy

Opponents of neoliberalism believe that I-69, by expediting free trade between Canada, the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America, will further contribute to the exploitation of workers in the global south. They see struggle against I-69 as a new front in the alter-globalization movement.

More specifically, the extension of Interstate 69 has seen organized opposition in a number of states along the route, most notably Indiana, Tennessee, and Texas.

Indiana

Particularly controversial has been the routing in Indiana. Environmentalists, elected officials and residents of the Bloomington area, and businesses and elected officials in Terre Haute lobbied for a route along existing U.S. 41 and Interstate 70 via Terre Haute. In addition, residents and local officials in southwestern Indianapolis and Martinsville have raised complaints about potential quality-of-life impacts and loss of access to the existing Indiana 37 highway, which would be upgraded to freeway standards as part of the extension.

The state department of transportation, current and past governors, and businesses and elected officials in Evansville, Indiana have favored a direct route via Bloomington that would be built over new terrain. Supporters argued that this direct route reduces the travel time to Indianapolis as well as improves access to Bloomington for residents of southwestern Indiana, something a route via Terre Haute would not achieve. State DOT officials have also pointed out that substantial upgrades to the Indiana 37 corridor will be necessary, with or without Interstate 69.

After extensive review of the alternative routes as well as detailed environmental studies, the state selected the new terrain route via Bloomington. However, there is still considerable debate over the routing through southwest Indianapolis, with residents and local elected representatives preferring that the route be moved west to intersect Interstate 70 near the Indianapolis International Airport.

Another area of controversy arose in late 2005 when governor Mitch Daniels proposed levying tolls on the highway to finance its construction, either as a state project or a public-private partnership, in order to accelerate the project. As the route would overlay existing (and free) Indiana 37 between Bloomington and Indianapolis, and there currently is no free alternative route between Bloomington and Martinsville, this proposal has raised hackles among local residents and businesses.

In March 2006 Governor Mitch Daniels signed a bill known as Major Moves that leased the Indiana East-West Toll Road, but also included a compromise on constructing I-69 in southwest Indiana. As part of the deal, the legislation permitted Governor Daniels to enter a similar public-private partnership for construction of 117 miles of I-69 as the Southern Indiana Toll Road from Martinsville to the I-64/I-164 interchange, while the remaining 25 miles from Martinsville to the I-465/Indiana 37 interchange in Indianapolis would remain toll-free. On June 20, 2006 the Indiana Supreme Court rejected a legal challenge brought on by I-69 opponents, upholding Major Moves legislation in a 4-0 decision.

Tennessee

The routing of I-69 between Millington and Dyersburg, Tennessee has been criticized by the state Sierra Club chapter for not making use of the existing right-of-way for U.S. 51 and for potentially impacting the Hatchie River, a state-designated scenic river.

Texas

The project has been opposed in Texas by both environmentalists and property-rights activists, albeit for somewhat different reasons. See the article on the Trans-Texas Corridor for more details.

Some opponents see I-69 and the Trans-Texas Corridor as a U.S. component of Plan Puebla Panama, an economic development plan proposed by Mexican President Vicente Fox and related to NAFTA and CAFTA. While this plan has seen little public discussion in the United States, it may color views of the project in Mexico and other countries.

Status

  • SIU 1--Port Huron, MI to I-465 northeast of Indianapolis: Open at Interstate Standards
  • SIU 2--I-465 northeast of Indianapolis to I-465/Indiana 37 interchange south of Indianapolis: Open at Interstate Standards (signed as I-465)
  • SIU 3--I-465/Indiana 37 interchange south of Indianapolis to I-64/I-164 interchange east of Evansville: Tier 2 Environmental Impact Study (EIS) in progress; Indiana Department of Transportation is preparing to solicit bids for private firms to design, build, and operate 117 miles (188 km) from Martinsville to I-64/I-164 interchange near Evansville (see Southern Indiana Toll Road).
  • SIU 4--I-64/I-164 interchange near Evansville to Pennyrile Parkway near Henderson, KY: Draft EIS in progress (existing I-164 that will be integrated into I-69 open at Interstate standards)
  • SIU 5--Henderson to Eddyville. Kentucky: Open to traffic (Pennyrile and Western Kentucky Parkways; Kentucky started erecting I-69 signs along the route in May 2006); spot improvements required to bring expressways to Interstate standards
  • SIU 6--Eddyville to Fulton, KY: Open to traffic (segment multiplexed with I-24 at Interstate standards; Purchase Parkway section requires some local mainline and interchange improvements; Kentucky started erecting I-69 signs along I-24 and the Purchase Parkway in May 2006)
  • SIU 7--Fulton, KY to Dyersburg, TN: Right-of-way acquisition in progress for Troy-Union City bypass; open at Interstate standards south of Troy and north of Union City (signed as Interstate 155 and US-51, respectively)
  • SIU 8--Dyersburg-Millington, TN: Draft EIS in progress
  • SIU 9--Hernando, MS-Millington, TN: Final EIS complete. Split routing using existing I-55 and I-240 through Memphis, then new route northwest to Millington (I-69). Widening of I-55 from the future I-22/I-69/I-269 interchange near Hernando, Mississippi, to the Tennessee state line is ongoing, in anticipation of I-69 being routed along it; ROW acquisition for eastern bypass (I-22/I-269) from I-55/I-69 interchange in Hernando to TN 385 near Collierville; use existing TN-385 to Millington
  • SIU 10--I-55 at Hernando to MS 304 east of Tunica: Under construction; final paving, installation of lighting and signage; scheduled to open November 2006 (may initially be signed as Route 304 until additional segments are opened)
  • SIU 11--Tunica-Benoit, MS: Draft EIS ongoing (routing will include already-open Clarksdale Bypass)
  • SIU 12--Benoit, MS-McGehee, AR: Record of Decision; final design in progress
  • SIU 13--McGehee-El Dorado, AR: Final EIS in progress

References

  1. ^ http://www.nationali69.com/servlet/com.hntb.i69.WebCtrl?cmd=websiusget
  2. ^ Tier 1 Final Environmental Impact Statement, Summary
  3. ^ MapQuest Driving Directions (I-465 to Farmersburg) (Farmersburg to I-164)
  4. ^ http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep10/nhs/hipricorridors/hpcor.html#l18
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