Interstate 2 (I-2[a]) is a partially completed Interstate Highway running through the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas. It begins at the intersection of US Highway 83 (US 83) and Business US 83 (Bus. US 83) in Peñitas and heads eastward before terminating at I-69E/US 77/US 83 in Harlingen. A westward extension around La Joya has been completed, and is designated as I-2 East. For almost its entire length, I-2 runs concurrently with US 83. I-2 also parallels Mexican Federal Highway 2 (Fed. 2), another major east–west route that traces the Mexico–US border along the Mexican side of the Rio Grande. When completed, the western terminus will be the city of Laredo. The route is one of the more recently designated Interstate Highways; it was signed as an Interstate in 2013. Its construction is part of an expansion of the Interstate System into southern Texas that includes the three branches of I-69. It currently intersects I-69E and I-69C and will, when completed to Laredo, terminate I-69W as well. This complex of Interstate Highways does not yet connect to the rest of the system.
 Interstate 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 I-2 highlighted in red | ||||
| Route information | ||||
| Maintained by TxDOT | ||||
| Length | 46.80 mi[1][2][3] (75.32 km) | |||
| Existed | 2013[4]–present | |||
| NHS | Entire route | |||
| Major junctions | ||||
| West end |   US 83 / Bus. US 83 in Peñitas | |||
US 83 in Peñitas SH 364 in Palmview SH 107 in Mission SH 336 in McAllen  I-69C / US 281 in Pharr | ||||
| East end |   I-69E / US 77 / US 83 in Harlingen | |||
| Location | ||||
| Country | United States | |||
| State | Texas | |||
| Counties | Hidalgo, Cameron | |||
| Highway system | ||||
| ||||
Route description
editI-2 begins at an at-grade intersection with Bus. US 83 in Peñitas before becoming concurrent with US 83 at the east end of the La Joya Relief Route. The Interstate heads eastward as a four-lane freeway through the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The route curves southeastward around Mission and McAllen to the south, running near McAllen Miller International Airport. The route curves northeastward around Pharr, where it intersects with I-69C/US 281 north of the city center. Continuing eastward, the route passes by many small cities, roughly paralleling Bus. US 83. The route ends at an interchange with I-69E/US 77/US 83 in Harlingen.
History
editOn April 1, 2013, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) applied to use the I-2 designation on US 83 from Palmview to Harlingen. Approved by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials at their May meeting, this 47-mile-long (76 km) freeway was already constructed as an Interstate-grade limited-access facility. It connects with I-69E at Harlingen;[6] and likewise with I-69C in the city of Pharr.[7] The Federal Highway Administration approved the designation on May 24, 2013,[8] and TxDOT followed suit on May 30, 2013.[9] This action finalized the designations of not only I-2 but also of the sections of I-69E from Brownsville to Raymondville, I-69C from Pharr north to the end of the US 281 freeway facility near Edinburg, and also I-369 along a short segment of US 59 freeway west of Texarkana, which will be part of the proposed 115-mile (185 km) connector between the main I-69 trunk in Tenaha and Texarkana.[8] These approvals added over 100 miles (160 km) to the Interstate Highway System in the Rio Grande Valley.[10] The signage was installed in mid-2013.[11]
As of January 2024[update], the cluster consisting of the recently designated portions of I-2, I-69C, and I-69E in the Rio Grande Valley is not connected to the national Interstate network. This situation is slated to be remedied by scheduled projects to complete I-69E along US 77 between Raymondville and Robstown and to complete the southern end of the previously signed portion of the I-69 corridor connecting with I-37 west of Corpus Christi. Environmental Protection Agency approval for the expansion of the US 77 alignment to Interstate standards, including bypasses of the towns along the 91-mile (146 km) routing, was obtained through a Finding of No Significant Impact statement issued on July 13, 2012;[12]
Due to increasing congestion, a nine-mile (14 km) segment of future I-2 bypassing La Joya were constructed in three phases. The first two phases were set for completion in May 2023, although this did not occur until July 2023. Two of the phases of the segment from west of Palmview to east of Sullivan City were estimated cost $183 million according to TxDOT.[13][14] A portion of the La Joya relief route officially opened on August 28, 2023. It opens the eastbound and westbound US 83 main lanes and frontage roads from the US 83 west connector in Peñitas —located east of Showers Road — to Jara Chinas Road as well as the westbound US 83 frontage road between FM 2221 and the US 83 East connector in Sullivan City. The final phase that built the main lanes west of FM 2221 were completed in early 2024.[15] The final cost for construction is estimated at $197 million.[16]
Future
editThe extension of I-2 west of La Joya to Laredo is currently in its study phase. It would follow the US 83 corridor before shifting to the Loop 20 corridor in Laredo and terminating at US 59 (Future I-69W). The study, which included collecting and analyzing date and requesting public feedback, began in April 2022 and was completed in August 2023.[17] Part of the study looked into another relief route in Starr County.[18]
Exit list
editThe exit numbers are set up to reflect the likely future western terminus of I-2, which would be in Laredo.
| County | Location | mi | km | Exit[19] | Destinations | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hidalgo | Peñitas | 0.00 | 0.00 | At-grade intersection; temporary western terminus | ||
| | 128 | Partially opened August 28, 2023; west end of US 83 concurrency; not yet signed as I-2[16] | ||||
| | 1.09 | 1.75 | 130 | Showers Road | No exit number eastbound. | |
| Palmview | 2.59 | 4.17 | 131 | |||
| 4.45 | 7.16 | 133 | ||||
| Mission | 5.76 | 9.27 | 134 | |||
| 6.37 | 10.25 | 135 | Los Ebanos Road | |||
| 7.51 | 12.09 | 136 | ||||
| 8.53 | 13.73 | 137 | ||||
| 10.01 | 16.11 | 138 | ||||
| McAllen | 11.56 | 18.60 | 140 | |||
| 12.59 | 20.26 | 141 | ||||
| 13.54 | 21.79 | 142 | ||||
| 14.64 | 23.56 | 143A | McColl Road / 2nd Street | No direct westbound exit (signed at exit 143B). | ||
| 14.99 | 24.12 | 143B | Jackson Avenue / Sam Houston Avenue | |||
| McAllen–Pharr line | 15.66 | 25.20 | 144 | |||
| Pharr | 16.42 | 26.43 | 145 | Sugar Road / Polk Avenue | ||
| 17.22 | 27.71 | 146 | Southern terminus of I-69C; signed as exits 146A (south) and 146B (north); I-69C exits 1A-B southbound; tri-stack interchange. | |||
| 146C | Frontage Road | Eastbound exit only. | ||||
| Pharr–San Juan line | 18.24 | 29.35 | 147A | Veterans Boulevard | Formerly I Road. | |
| San Juan | 18.72 | 30.13 | 147B | |||
| 20.40 | 32.83 | 149 | Direct access to FM 2557 eastbound only; eastbound exit permanently closed on June 9, 2023[20] | |||
| Alamo | 21.15 | 34.04 | 150A | |||
| 21.90 | 35.24 | 150B | Tower Road | |||
| Donna | 23.41 | 37.67 | 152 | |||
| 24.66 | 39.69 | 153 | Hutto Road | |||
| 25.52 | 41.07 | 154 | ||||
| 26.23 | 42.21 | 155A | ||||
| | 27.03 | 43.50 | 155B | Victoria Road / Midway Road | ||
| Weslaco | 28.42 | 45.74 | 157 | Westgate Drive / Mile 6 West Road | ||
| 29.42 | 47.35 | 158 | ||||
| 30.45 | 49.00 | 159 | Serves Mid Valley Airport. | |||
| 31.64 | 50.92 | 160 | ||||
| Mercedes | 32.79 | 52.77 | 161 | |||
| 34.19 | 55.02 | 163A | Vermont Avenue | |||
| 34.64 | 55.75 | 163B | ||||
| 35.87 | 57.73 | 164 | Mile 1 East Road | |||
| 36.88 | 59.35 | 165 | ||||
| Hidalgo–Cameron county line | 37.87 | 60.95 | 166 | Mile 3 East Road | ||
| Cameron | La Feria | 39.09 | 62.91 | 167 | No direct westbound exit (signed at exit 166). | |
| 39.52 | 63.60 | 168 | Rabb Road | No direct eastbound exit (signed at exit 167). | ||
| 40.29 | 64.84 | 169 | ||||
| | 40.97 | 65.93 | 170 | |||
| Harlingen | 42.93 | 69.09 | 171 | |||
| 43.90 | 70.65 | 172 | Altas Palmas Road | |||
| 44.75 | 72.02 | 173 | ||||
| 46.50 | 74.83 | 174 | Bus. US 83 not signed westbound. | |||
| 47.04 | 75.70 | 175 | Tyler Avenue (Spur 206 east) / Dixieland Road / Bass Pro Drive - Downtown Harlingen | Eastbound exit and westbound entrance; access via Bus. US 83; I-69E exit 26C. | ||
| 47.31 | 76.14 | 176 | Eastbound left exit and westbound entrance; I-69E exit 26B; serves Valley International Airport. | |||
| Eastern terminus; east end of US 83 concurrency; I-69E exit 26B. | ||||||
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
| ||||||
See also
editNotes
editReferences
edit- ^ Starks, Edward (January 27, 2022). "Table 1: Main Routes of the Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways". FHWA Route Log and Finder List. Federal Highway Administration. Retrieved December 24, 2022.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Interstate Highway No. 2". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved September 3, 2013.
- ^ Staff (May 31, 2013). "Interstate 69" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 1, 2016. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
- ^ Essex, Allen (May 30, 2013). "State Adds I-69 to Interstate System". Brownsville Herald. Archived from the original on March 10, 2017. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
- ^ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "Highway Designations Glossary". Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
- ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (May 4, 2013). "Special Committee on US Route Numbering Report to SCOH on May 3, 2013 Meeting" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 10, 2018. Retrieved May 16, 2013.
- ^ Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering (November 16, 2012). "SCOH Report from Special Committee on U.S. Route Numbering Annual Meeting" (PDF) (Report). Washington, DC: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 3, 2019. Retrieved December 23, 2012.
- ^ a b Staff (May 30, 2013). "Interstate 69 Comes to Texarkana and the Valley" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
- ^ Nino, Mark (May 31, 2013). "Texas Transportation Commission Approves Interstate 69 System". Brownsville, TX: KVEO-TV. Archived from the original on October 19, 2013. Retrieved June 27, 2017.
- ^ Taylor, Steve (May 30, 2013). "Over 100 Miles of Valley Highways To Be Designated Interstate". Rio Grande Guardian. McAllen, TX. Archived from the original on May 4, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Janes, Jared (July 15, 2013). "Valley's I-69 signage the latest stop along superhighway dream". The Monitor. Retrieved July 17, 2013.
- ^ Staff (July 13, 2012). "Agency Gives US 77 Upgrades Final Environmental Clearance" (Press release). Alliance for I-69 Texas. Retrieved June 7, 2013.
- ^ Hendricks, Dave (February 28, 2021). "With new highway about halfway complete, Peñitas poised for growth". Progress Times. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ Staff (November 15, 2012). "La Joya Bypass Presentation" (PDF). Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
- ^ "TxDOT opens portion of U.S. 83 Relief Route in western Hidalgo County". KRGV. July 29, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ a b "Celebrating Opening of the U.S. 83 Relief Route". Texas Border Business. July 31, 2023. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ "US 83 Regional Corridor Study (from I-2 to US 59/State Loop 20 Junction)". www.txdot.gov. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ Taylor, Steve; Gomez, Blanca (August 17, 2023). "Alvarez: TxDOT wants to build a relief route to US 83 in Starr County". Rio Grande Guardian. Retrieved August 17, 2023.
- ^ Texas Department of Transportation, plans of proposed highway maintenance contract[permanent dead link] (1.58 GB ZIP file), December 2014
- ^ Gonzalez, Gabriela (June 2, 2023). "Cesar Chavez Road, I-2 exit ramp to permanently close". ValleyCentral.com. KVEO-TV. Retrieved June 2, 2023.