Interstate 2 (I-2) is a partially completed
Interstate Highway
The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, or the Eisenhower Interstate System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Hi ...
running through the
Lower Rio Grande Valley
Lower Rio Grande Valley (), often referred to as the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas, is a region located in the southernmost part of Texas, along the northern bank of the Rio Grande. It is also known locally as the Valley or the 956 (the ...
of
South Texas
South Texas is a geographic and cultural region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of—and includes—San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of th ...
. 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
Federal Highway 2 (, Fed. 2) is a toll-free part of the Mexican federal highway corridors () that runs along the U.S. border. The highway is in two separate improved segments, starting in the west at Tijuana, Baja California, on the Pacific ...
(Fed. 2), another major east–west route that traces the
Mexico–US border along the Mexican side of the
Rio Grande
The Rio Grande ( or ) in the United States or the Río Bravo (del Norte) in Mexico (), also known as Tó Ba'áadi in Navajo language, Navajo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the Southwestern United States a ...
. 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
Interstate 69 (I-69) is an Interstate Highway in the United States currently consisting of eight unconnected segments. The longest segment runs from Evansville, Indiana, northeast to the Canada–United States border, Canadian border in Po ...
. 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.
Route description
I-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
Mission (from Latin 'the act of sending out'), Missions or The Mission may refer to:
Geography Australia
*Mission River (Queensland)
Canada
*Mission, British Columbia, a district municipality
* Mission, Calgary, Alberta, a neighbourhood
* ...
and
McAllen
McAllen is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in Hidalgo County. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley, on the Mexican border. The city limits extend south to the Rio Grande, across ...
to the south, running near
McAllen Miller International Airport
McAllen International Airport is an international airport serving McAllen, Texas, McAllen, Mission, Texas, Mission and the surrounding Lower Rio Grande Valley, Rio Grande Valley region of Texas in the United States. It is located within the Cit ...
. 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
On April 1, 2013, the
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a Texas state government agency responsible for construction and maintenance of the state's immense Texas state highway system, state highway system and the support of the state's maritime trans ...
(TxDOT) applied to use the I-2 designation on US 83 from
Palmview to Harlingen. Approved by the
at their May meeting, this freeway was already constructed as an
Interstate-grade limited-access facility. It connects with I-69E at Harlingen;
and likewise with I-69C in the city of Pharr.
The
Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program a ...
approved the designation on May 24, 2013,
[ and TxDOT followed suit on May 30, 2013. 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
The Texarkana metropolitan statistical area (MSA), as defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget, is a two-county region anchored by the Twin cities (geographical proximity), twin cities of Texarkana, Texas (population 37,33 ...
, which will be part of the proposed connector between the main I-69 trunk in Tenaha and Texarkana.Environmental Protection Agency
Environmental Protection Agency may refer to the following government organizations:
* Environmental Protection Agency (Queensland), Australia
* Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana)
* Environmental Protection Agency (Ireland)
* Environmenta ...
approval for the expansion of the US 77 alignment to Interstate standards, including bypasses of the towns along the routing, was obtained through a Finding of No Significant Impact statement issued on July 13, 2012;
Due to increasing congestion, a 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. 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. The final cost for construction is estimated at $197 million.
Future
The extension of I-2 west of La Joya to Laredo is currently in its study phase. It would follow the US 83
U.S. Route 83 (US 83) is a major north–south United States Numbered Highway that extends in the central United States. Only four other north–south routes are longer: US 1, US 41, US 59, and US 87, while U ...
corridor before shifting to the Loop 20
Loop 20, also known as the Bob Bullock Loop and Cuatro Vientos Road, is a highway loop that runs to the north and east of the city of Laredo, Texas. Loop 20 extends from the World Trade International Bridge at its northern point to Mangana-H ...
corridor in Laredo and terminating at US 59
U.S. Route 59 (US 59) is a north–south U.S. highway (though it was signed east–west in parts of Texas). A latecomer to the U.S. Highway System, US 59 is now a border-to-border route, part of the NAFTA Corridor Highway System. It par ...
(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. Part of the study looked into another relief route in Starr County.
Exit list
The exit numbers are set up to reflect the likely future western terminus of I-2, which would be in Laredo.
See also
*
*
Notes
References
External links
Interstate-guide.com: Interstate 2
City of Mission makes Bryan Road-Interstate 2 Connector is its No. 1 legislative priority
{{interstates
02
02
Transportation in Hidalgo County, Texas
Transportation in Cameron County, Texas
2013 establishments in Texas
U.S. Route 83