October 5, 2026 · Local economy · Series, part 6

The roads behind the county's big projects: Highway 4's widening is funded. The route to a second SPI causeway isn't yet.

Cameron County's economic development map pairs its four big projects with a set of road corridors. We checked each one against the state's adopted 2027 Unified Transportation Program and the county mobility authority's latest project report. One is fully funded by the state. The three-road chain toward a second causeway to South Padre Island is still mostly unfunded.

Funded: Highway 4. The widening of State Highway 4, the only road to Starbase, carries $192.4 million in the state plan, fully funded from three state funding categories. It covers about 14 miles from FM 1419 (Oklahoma Avenue) to LBJ Boulevard, two lanes to four. The plan's bidding window is fiscal 2027 to 2030; the City of Brownsville says fiscal 2027.

The chain to a second causeway. "The second causeway will only function if we have the I-69 Connector and the Outer Parkway," Pete Sepulveda Jr., executive director of the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority, told the South Texas Manufacturers Association, the Rio Grande Guardian reported Sept. 28. Where each piece stands:

• I-69 Connector: a new freeway of about 25 miles from I-69C/US 281 to I-69E/US 77, across Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. The state plan puts it at $224 million, with $105 million funded and the rest listed as "TBD," and a bidding window of 2031 to 2036. TxDOT is still preparing its environmental impact statement.
• Outer Parkway: a proposed four-lane highway of about 21.5 miles from I-69E near the north county line to FM 1847. The mobility authority estimates $426.3 million. It is not in the state plan, and the authority says design and funding "remain pending." Cameron County has given the authority $3 million for the Outer Parkway, and the authority says local funds are paying for the environmental phase. Public comments closed Sept. 14, and a final layout is projected for this fall. The authority's notice says the route could displace homes and other buildings.
• The second causeway (State Highway 104): TxDOT is writing a supplemental environmental study, with a public hearing targeted for late 2026 and a final decision in 2027. The state plan funds $28 million for two island-side Park Road 100 pieces, with a 2031 to 2036 bidding window, and nothing yet for the bridge. The mobility authority carries the whole project at $800 million.

Next closest: the East Loop. The 10.1-mile truck route from Veterans International Bridge to the port is in the state plan at $169 million with a 2027 to 2030 bidding window, but $138.8 million of that is listed as local money. The mobility authority says $27 million is available.

A clarification on two of our earlier items: the $16 million Port Connector Road that the county pairs with Texas LNG is already built. The mobility authority lists it as completed, and it opened in March 2022. We've added that note to our Texas LNG and county overview items.

Sources: TxDOT 2027 Unified Transportation Program, adopted (Pharr District listing) · CCRMA project status report, July 2026 · CCRMA, Outer Parkway · CCRMA annual financial report, FY 2025 · TxDOT, I-69 Connector · TxDOT, SPI Second Access fact sheet (Nov. 2025) · City of Brownsville, Aug. 26 · TxDOT, SH 4 widening · CCRMA, Port Connector Road · Brownsville Herald, March 5, 2022 · Rio Grande Guardian, Sept. 28

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