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near Pendleton, Indiana ]] Interstate 69 (I-69) is an northeast to the Canadian Border in Port Huron, Michigan , and a mostly-proposed extension southwest to the Mexican Border in Texas . Of this extension, nicknamed the "NAFTA highway", since it would help trade with Canada and Mexico spurred by the North American Free Trade Agreement , only a short piece in northwestern Mississippi has been built and marked as I-69 (''see Interstate 69 In Mississippi ''). The southern terminus of the northern portion is at Interstate 465 , the Beltway around Indianapolis, on the northeast side of that city. I-69 heads northeast, past Anderson , Muncie , Marion , and Fort Wayne, Indiana ; the latter city is served by Interstate 469 , I-69's only auxiliary route. After crossing the Indiana Toll Road ( I-80 / I-90 ) near Angola , I-69 enters Michigan, crossing I-94 east of Battle Creek and joining with I-96 for an Overlap west of Lansing . Where it splits from I-96, I-69 turns east, both in compass direction and in signed direction, and heads north of Lansing and through Flint (where it crosses I-75 ) to a junction with I-94 in Port Huron. The last bit of I-69 overlaps I-94 to the Blue Water Bridge across the St. Clair River , where traffic continues on Highway 402 in the Canadian Province of Ontario . In addition to the main line of I-69, the overall project - known as Corridors 18 and 20 of the National Highway System - also includes Interstate 94 between Chicago and Port Huron, and several spurs from I-69. Among these proposed spurs are an extension of Interstate 530 from Pine Bluff, Arkansas , an upgrade of U.S. Route 59 from Texarkana, Texas , and a split in southern Texas to serve three border crossings at Laredo , McAllen , and Brownsville . ROUTE DESCRIPTION See Also: Interstate 69 in Indiana Interstate 69 in Michigan Proposed extension In 2000, Corridors 18 and 20 were split into 32 sections of independent utility (SIUs) as part of the I-69 (Corridor 18) Special Environmental Study.I-69 (Corridor 18) Special Environmental Study, February 7 , 2000 Some states use these SIU numbers to identify projects. I-94 between Chicago and Port Huron was SIU 27. , 2006 The lack of available funding for these approved segments means that it may be a decade or longer before their construction is completed, unless the segments are financed with Tolls . See Also: Interstate 69 in Texas In Texas , I-69 planning has become part of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) studies. This part of the TTC, called I-69/TTC, includes I-69 and all of its spurs authorized by Congress. It will extend from three border crossings, at Laredo , McAllen , and Brownsville , along US 59 , US 281 , and US 77 towards Victoria . After the three branches join, I-69 will continue along the general US 59 corridor past Houston to Carthage , where it will turn easterly to Louisiana. Around Houston, I-69 may use the Grand Parkway ( SH 99 ) around the west side. A planned branch continues north on US 59 to Texarkana . Most of the proposed I-69 route in Texas already exists as 4-lane highways, with several long freeway segments around Houston, Brownsville, and Laredo. The I-69/TTC project has been split into 15 SIUs, which match the original ones but do not share numbers. SIUs 1 to 8 (original 16 to 23) cover the main line along the "I-69 East" branch to Brownsville. The "I-69 Central" branch to McAllen is SIUs 9, 11, and 12 (original 24 to 26). The branches to Texarkana and Laredo are SIUs 13 and 14 (original 29 and 30), and two connections near Brownsville are SIUs 10 and 15 (original 31 and 32). The I-69/TTC study also includes SIU L-CC, a connection between Laredo and Corpus Christi that was not in the 2000 study. Texas Department Of Transportation , I-69/TTC (Northeast Texas to Mexico) , accessed August 2007 See Also: Interstate 69 in Louisiana Interstate 69 in Arkansas Interstate 69 in Mississippi As well as covering the part in Texas northeast of , 2006 See Also: Interstate 69 in Tennessee Interstate 69 in Kentucky Interstate 69 in Indiana I-69 SIU 9 will , 2004 SIU 3, connecting I-64 to I-465 in southern Indianapolis , will roughly parallel State Road 57 and State Road 37 past Bloomington . Indiana Department Of Transportation , Official I-69 Evansville to Indianapolis Study Homepage , accessed August 2007 Finally, SIU 2 will follow I-465 around the city. HISTORY A route from , August 2 , 1947 The Interstate 69 designation was assigned to the Indianapolis-Angola route in 1957, while the short South Bend-Kalamazoo route became Interstate 67., October 1 , 1970 The continuation to Port Huron was approved in late 1984. Michigan's 1241-mile (1997 km) portion of the Interstate system was completed in 1992, when the last piece of I-69 opened southwest of Lansing . Michigan Department Of Transportation , 1990s , accessed August 2007 The Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act Of 1991 included two High Priority Corridor s that would later become parts of a proposed extension of I-69: H.R.2950
Corridor 18 was extended southwest to made further amendments to the description of Corridor 18, specifying that it would serve Mississippi and Arkansas , extending it south to the Mexican Border in the Lower Rio Grande Valley , and adding a short connection at Brownsville, Texas . This act also specified that Corridors 18 and 20 were "future prats of the Interstate System ", to become actual Interstates when built to Interstate Standards and connected to other Interstates. Although the act designated Corridor 9 as Interstate 99 , no number was assigned to Corridors 18 and 20 yet. S.440 The , NHS High Priority Corridors Description , accessed August 2007 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 Anti-globalization movement.http://www.imaja.com/as/environment/cars/SuperhighwaysThreatenNA.html The construction of I-69 has also angered environmentalists. They claim that the controversial highway would eliminate large areas of forest, run through wetlands, existing farmland, and cut through geologically sensitive "karst" terrain, which environmentalists argue threatens to pollute underground water systems and harm the Rare Species that live there.http://www.elpc.org/transportation/interstate69/index.php 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 . REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS
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