Currently, the route exists as a undivided two-lane highway stretching from US 69 near Lindale to SH 110 near Whitehouse. According to TxDOT, costs have exceeded $176 million, and the projected total cost for the completion of the route as a divided four-lane highway is still unknown. This proposed extension of Loop 49, the East Texas Hourglass (ETHG), planned as a divided four-lane highway between SH 110 and US 59 near Marshall, includes two additional spur highways and will run through Smith, Gregg, and Harrison Counties. It is designed to ease congestion and provide faster connections between the cities of Tyler, Longview, and Marshall. The highway will adhere to Interstate highway standards. Loop 49 and the East Texas Hourglass are the first major projects of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority (NET RMA).