Interstate 2

Interstate 2, often called I-2, is a highway that runs through the Lower Rio Grande Valley in South Texas. It starts at the meeting point of US Highway 83 and Business US 83, just east of the town of La Joya, and goes east until it ends at I-69E, US 77, and US 83 in Harlingen. In 2024, a new part of the highway was finished, extending it west from Peñitas around La Joya. For almost its whole length, I-2 shares the same path as US 83.

I-2 also runs close to Mexican Federal Highway 2, which is an important road on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande, tracing the border between Mexico and the United States. This highway was only recently given its Interstate status in 2013, making it one of the newest additions to the Interstate Highway System.

There have been plans to possibly extend I-2 further west to end in Laredo. This would connect it to I-69W. The building of I-2 is part of a bigger plan to expand the Interstate System in southern Texas, which also includes three branches of I-69. Right now, I-2 meets I-69E and I-69C, and if it reaches Laredo, it would also meet I-69W. However, this group of highways does not link up with the rest of the Interstate System.

Route description

Interstate 2 (I-2) starts at a crossing with Bus. US 83 in Peñitas and then runs along US 83 east of La Joya. It becomes a six-lane freeway and moves eastward through the Lower Rio Grande Valley.

The road curves around Mission and McAllen, passing close to McAllen Miller International Airport. It then turns around Pharr and meets I-69C and US 281. Finally, I-2 ends where it connects with I-69E, US 77, and US 83 in Harlingen.

History

In April 2013, the Texas Department of Transportation asked to name a road as Interstate 2. This road runs from Palmview to Harlingen and is 47 miles long. It was already built to high standards and connects to other big roads in Harlingen and Pharr. The plan was approved in May 2013, and signs were put up by mid-2013.

Because traffic was getting busy, work began on a new nine-mile road near La Joya. The first parts opened in July 2023, and the last part was finished in early 2024. This new road helps cars move more easily.

Future

The plan to extend Interstate 2 west from La Joya to Laredo is still being studied. If built, the highway would follow the path of US 83 and then use the Loop 20 corridor in Laredo, ending at US 59, which might become I-69W someday. The study started in April 2022 and finished in August 2023. It included gathering information, analyzing data, and asking for public ideas. One part of the study also looked at creating another road to help with traffic in Starr County.

Exit list

The exit numbers for Interstate 2 are planned for when the road might be extended further west to a place called Laredo.

County	Location	mi	km	Exit	Destinations
Hidalgo	Sullivan City			122	FM 886 (El Faro Road)
	La Joya			124	Bus. US 83
				125	US 83 (Frontage Road)
				126	FM 2221 (Jara Chinas Road)
				127A	Liberty Boulevard, Tom Gill Road
				127B	US 83 (Frontage Road)
	Peñitas	0.00	0.00	128A	US 83 Spur west to Bus. US 83 – Peñitas, La Joya
		0.20	0.32	128B	US 83 (Frontage Road)
		0.40	0.64	128C	SH 365 Toll (Section A West/Section C)
	​	1.09	1.75	130	Showers Road
	Palmview	2.59	4.17	131	FM 492 (Goodwin Road) / Abram Road
		4.45	7.16	133	SH 364 (La Homa Road) / Bentsen Palm Drive
	Mission	5.76	9.27	134	Bus. US 83 / Inspiration Road
		6.37	10.25	135	Los Ebanos Road
		7.51	12.09	136	SH 107 north / FM 1016 south (Conway Avenue)
		8.53	13.73	137	FM 396 (Bryan Road, Anzalduas Highway)
		10.01	16.11	138	FM 494 (Shary Road)
	McAllen	11.56	18.60	140	FM 2220 (Ware Road)
		12.59	20.26	141A	Spur 115 (23rd Street) – Airport
		13.00	20.92	141B	Main Street, Bicentennial Boulevard – Airport
		13.54	21.79	142	SH 336 (10th Street) / 2nd Street
		14.64	23.56	143A	2nd Street
		14.99	24.12	143B	McColl Road, Jackson Avenue
	McAllen–Pharr line	15.66	25.20	144	Bus. US 83 / FM 2061 to FM 3362 (Jackson Road)
	Pharr	17.22	27.71	146A	US 281 south – Pharr
				146B	I-69C north / US 281 north – Edinburg
	Pharr–San Juan line	18.24	29.35	147A	Veterans Boulevard
	San Juan	18.72	30.13	147B	FM 1426 to FM 2557 – San Juan
		20.40	32.83	149	Cesar Chavez Road
	Alamo	21.15	34.04	150A	FM 907 (Alamo Road)
		21.90	35.24	150B	Tower Road
	Donna	22.35	35.97	151	SH 68 north
		23.41	37.67	152	FM 1423 (Val Verde Road)
		24.66	39.69	153	Hutto Road
		25.52	41.07	154	Spur 433 (Main Street)
		26.23	42.21	155A	FM 493 (Salinas Boulevard)
	​	27.03	43.50	155B	Victoria Road, Midway Road
	Weslaco	28.42	45.74	157	Westgate Drive, Mile 6 West Road
		29.42	47.35	158	FM 88 (Texas Boulevard)
		30.45	49.00	159	Airport Drive, Pike Boulevard
		31.64	50.92	160	FM 1015 (International Boulevard)
	Mercedes	32.79	52.77	161	Spur 31 (Mile 2 West Road)
		34.19	55.02	163A	Vermont Avenue
		34.64	55.75	163B	FM 491 (Texas Avenue)
		35.87	57.73	164	Mile 1 East Road
		36.00	57.94	164B	SH 365 Toll (Section F/Section E)
		36.88	59.35	165	FM 1425 (Mile 2 East Road)
Hidalgo–Cameron county line	Mercedes–La Feria line	37.87	60.95	166	Mile 3 East Road
Cameron	La Feria	39.09	62.91	167	FM 2556 (Cantu Road)
		39.52	63.60	168	Rabb Road
		40.29	64.84	169	FM 506 – La Feria, Santa Rosa
	​	40.97	65.93	170	FM 733 (Kansas City Road) White Ranch Road
	Harlingen	42.93	69.09	171	FM 800 (Bass Boulevard)
		43.90	70.65	172	Altas Palmas Road
		44.75	72.02	173	FM 3195 (Stuart Place Road)
		46.50	74.83	174	Bus. US 83 / Lewis Lane
		47.04	75.70	175	Downtown – Tyler Avenue Dixieland Road Bass Pro Drive
		47.31	76.14	176	I-69E north / US 77 north – Raymondville, Corpus Christi
					I-69E south / US 77 south / US 83 south – Brownsville
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus       Incomplete access       Unopened