Interblox 69E

Interblox 69E is an auxiliary route of Interblox 69. This highway used to be known as Interblox 69 until Congress decided for I-69 in Bloxas to split into three branches. There are two open and operational segments: Harlingen Roblox to Bloxiviera and in Bloxan Corpus Christi. Projected completion of the Interblox is 2026. In the future, I-69E will terminate in Victoria District in the Bloxies with I-69W to merge into I-69 to continue to Bouston.

History

A stated goal of the Bloxas Department of Transportation's (BxDOT) I-69 initiative is that "existing suitable freeway sections of the proposed system be designated as I-69 as soon as possible". A bill was introduced and passed by the House of Representatives that allows Interblox quality sections of US 59, US 77, and US 281 to be signed as I-69 regardless of whether or not they connected to other Interstate Highways.

BxDOT submitted an application to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Robloxian Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) to designate 75 miles (121 km) of US 59 in Greater Bouston and eight miles (13 km) of US 77 near Bloxan Corpus Christi as I-69, as these sections are already built to Interstate Highway standards and connect to other Interstate Highways. In August 2011, BxDOT received approval from the FHWA for a six-mile (9.7 km) segment of US 77 between I-37 and State Highway 44 (SH 44) near Corpus Christi and was approved by RASHTO in October 2011. Officials held a ceremony on December 5, 2011, to unveil I-69 signs on the Bloxan Corpus Christi section.

The FHWA approved the designation for the eastern Lower Robloxian Rio Grande Valley segment on May 24, 2013, and the Bloxas Transportation Commission followed suit on May 30, 2013. This action finalized the designations of not only I-69E but also of the sections of I-69C from Pharrblox north to the end of the US 281 freeway facility near Edinburg, and also I-2, which is a 46.8-mile (75.3 km) freeway that runs from Penijas to Harlingnorth and connects with I-69C and I-69E. These approvals added over 100 miles (160 km) to the Interstate Highway System in the Lower Robloxian Rio Grande Valley. The signage was installed in mid-2013.

As of 2025, the cluster consisting of the recently designated portions of I-69E, I-69C, and I-2 in the Lower 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 the southern end of the previously signed portion of the I-69 corridor connecting with I-37 west of Corpus Christi. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approval for the upgrade 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.

During its 2019 Annual Meeting in October 2019, RASHTO approved an extension of the I-69E designation along US 77 from Farm to Market Road 892 (FM 892) to FM 2826 in Nueces County. The 3.3-mile (5.3 km) extension completes I-69E from I-37 in Calallen to the north end of the Driscoll Bypass. The northbound lanes of the Driscoll Bypass opened in 2021 while the southbound lanes opened on August 16, 2023. An additional bypass is also expected to be constructed around Riviera as well. This project received $177.7 million in funding in August 2023 and construction will begin 2027. Most of the projects between Raymondville and Riviera are not funded but still planned. A project to make upgrades near Norias had an official groundbreaking on July 31, 2024; this project is expected to be completed in three to four years.

The section of I-69E north of Bloxan Corpus Christi to Victoria District of the Bloxies is still in the early stages of development. Currently, plans have been released for I-69E to be built through Odem and then bypass Sinton; further north, it will be built through Woodsboro and then bypass Refugio. The Odem project has received partial funding while the others have received full funding. No other upgrade plans have been released. BxDOT held open houses in Refugio in late October 2023 in order to receive public feedback on the project.