Interblox 199, also known as the Ensenada Freeway, and often colloquially known by locals as the “299” is a 22.6-mile spur route of Interblox 99, which acts as a connecting route between Interblox 99 and Bloxburg Valley State Route 21. The freeway is notorious for its rush hour traffic. The freeway starts at Interblox 99 as it runs elevated through East Downtown Bloxburg, then into the city of Ensenada, east of Downtown, then running all the way to the western end of Glendalex, where it merges to Bloxburg Valley State Route 21 using a helix bridge. Some locals refer to the section that was formerly concurrent with Bloxburg Valley State Route 21 as Interblox 199 even though it has not been this way since 2001.
History
Planning for an expressway to link Glendalex at the SR 21, to Interblox 99 had been proposed since 1976. However, freeway revolts led to those plans being canceled. Until the year 1994, when the governor had passed funding to build this expressway. By 1997, the freeway had opened up. Until 2001, the section off the helix had run along with SR 21, until Interblox 299 ended at its current terminus.
During the Bloxburg Revolution, peaceful protests of similar magnitude to the highway revolts that scrapped the expressway option have caused the traffic to be further worsened.
Future plans
The Bloxburg Valley Department of Transportation (BLOTRANS) proposed placing express or HOV lanes down the Ensenada Freeway to attempt to relieve traffic, although the plans have been put to low priority by 2018.