CW end: I-20 Length 41.8 km | CCW end: SH 110 | |
Existed: 1986 (first segment opened 2006) – present | ||
Loop 49 (also called Toll 49) is a tollway that will, along with the existing Interstate 20, encircle the city of Tyler, Texas upon completion. Thus far, according to TxDOT, costs have exceeded $176 million. Projected total cost for the completed, divided four-lane highway is still unknown. Routing of the loop bypasses the north and west sides of Tyler and is not routed through the city center, interconnecting suburban areas and areas of potential development with I-20 West of Tyler and easier access to the DFW area. Total Smith County Road and Bridge Fund contributions to the project along with total Smith County general fund contributions by the end of fiscal 2013 are public information available on request .
Contents
Map of TX-49 Loop, Tyler, TX, USA
History
The number was originally used for Spur 49 from SH 22 in Corsicana to the Corsicana State Orphans' home. In 1966, this route was removed from the state highway system. Plans to construct an outer loop around the city of Tyler, Texas began in the mid-1980s. The original plans called for a freeway to be built; however, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) determined that funds to build the freeway were not available, and that the road would not be built until 2033 using traditional funding methods. In response, the NET RMA chose to build the highway as a tollway with an electronic toll system.
Construction began in August 2003 on the first 5-mile (8.0 km) segment (called Segment 1) extending east from SH 155 (Frankston Hwy) in Noonday to US 69 (Broadway Ave) in south Tyler. The road is a two-lane undivided highway, which will ultimately be expanded to a four-lane divided highway. The grand opening of Loop 49 took place on August 17, 2006. Tolling began on November 27, 2006. Construction then continued east, with Segment 2, which extends 2.0 miles (3.2 km) from US 69 to FM 756 (Paluxy Dr), opening to traffic January 7, 2008. Due to a 2008 budget crisis at TxDOT, construction on additional sections of the tollway was delayed more than two years. In 2010, construction began on Segment 5, which extends 2.6 miles (4.2 km) from FM 756 to SH 110 in Whitehouse. This section of the tollway, which was funded by Proposition 14 highway bonds, approved by Texas voters in 2003, opened to traffic June 28, 2012 after nearly 29 months of construction, bringing the total length of the loop to 9.6 miles (15.4 km).
Construction on the western side of Loop 49 began with Segment 3A, which extends 5.9 miles (9.5 km) from SH 155 (Frankston Hwy) to SH 31 (Chandler Hwy). This segment was constructed using federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, after the Texas Transportation Commission approved its status as a stimulus project on March 5, 2009. TxDOT awarded a $37.9 million construction contract three months later on June 10, and construction began in August. Segment 3A opened to traffic November 9, 2012, after approximately 39 months of construction. In an effort to speed completion of the west side of Loop 49 and connect it to Interstate 20, the NET RMA approved a plan in August 2009 to develop Segment 3B, the longest section of the toll road at 9.7 miles (15.6 km), using a nontraditional "design/build" process. On October 28, 2010, the Texas Transportation Commission approved up to $90 million for the construction of Segment 3B through State Infrastructure Bank loans and a toll equity loan. Construction on Segment 3B began on January 21, 2011, and the segment opened to traffic on March 28, 2013, completing the 26-mile (42 km) loop from I-20 to SH 110.
On February 28, 2013, the Texas Transportation Commission voted to transfer ownership and maintenance of Loop 49 from TxDOT to the NET RMA.
Future
Several future segments of Loop 49 are in preliminary planning stages, with no completion timeline currently scheduled. Segment 4, also known as the Lindale Relief Route, will stretch 6.7 miles (10.8 km) from Interstate 20 to US 69, bypassing the city of Lindale. The environmental coordination stage of planning, with various state and federal approvals is now complete and Construction on Segment 4 has started in 2016 and should be completed in 2018. Segment 6 and Segment 6A are planned to complete the eastern portion of Loop 49, connecting SH 110 in Whitehouse to Interstate 20 near the Smith-Gregg County line, with a spur connecting back to US 271 at its intersection with SH 155 northeast of Tyler. These segments will contain approximately 26 miles (42 km) of roadway and are in the conceptual planning phase, with no scheduled construction dates.
East Texas Hourglass
Loop 49 is the first part of the East Texas Hourglass, a major network of tollways and freeways designed to ease congestion and provide faster connections between the cities of Tyler, Longview, and Marshall in East Texas. All East Texas Hourglass roads will be controlled-access roads, adhering to Interstate highway standards. The East Texas Hourglass is the first major project of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA), which was established in 2004.
Exit list
The entire route is in Smith County.