• Ribbon Cut to Open Loop 20 Overpass Project

February 25, 2014

Representatives of the City of Laredo, Webb County, the Texas Department of Transportation and Interstate 69 advocates conducted a ceremonial drive through ribbon cutting to mark the partial opening to traffic of the McPherson Road Overpass Project on US 59/Loop 20 -- known locally as the Bob Bullock Loop..

The project is the first of a series of overpass projects and main lane improvements that will be necessary to convert the loop around the northeast side of Laredo to interstate highway standard so it can be added to the national system as Interstate 69. City and county officials have voiced strong support for upgrading the loop highway to be part of I-69 which will run east on the US 59 route to Freer on the way to Houston and East Texas.

Construction on the mile-long $14.5 million project began in February of last year and is being done by SER Construction. Work on final components of the project is still underway.

US 59/Loop 20 is a major Laredo arterial and is currently designated as a major truck route providing connectivity from the city's busy World Trade Bridge IV to points to the east including Interstate 35 and rail and freight handling facilities on the north and east sides of the city. It also served Laredo International Airport and the campus of Texas A&M International University.

The McPherson-Bullock Loop intersection is extremely busy with heavy traffic from both trucks and passenger vehicles. The Doctors Hospital of Laredo is located on the southwest corner and a major shopping destination with an HEB store is located on the southeast corner. Trucks use the intersection to access dozens of large international freight handling operations located north of the intersection.

 

On-ramp to new Loop 20 overpass

The McPherson Road overpass carries through an architectural and color scheme being repeated at various points in Laredo.