TxDOT Explains Transportation Projects, Funding Allocations

TxDOT explains Transportation Projects, Funding Allocations

Texans are finally about to see the results of their passage of Proposition 1 on the statewide ballot last November. “Now the work begins,” said Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Executive Director Joe Weber.

Voters approved the proposition that will steer some of the oil and gas tax revenues that historically have gone to the state’s rainy day fund into the State Highway Fund. Those funds were earmarked for transportation construction, maintenance and rehabilitation projects. And, to make the issue more palatable to toll-weary Texans, the language of the proposition prohibited any of the funding being used on toll roads.

The funds are intended to address congestion issues, connectivity, maintenance and repair of roads in the energy sector areas of the state. Those roads have been damaged by increased truck traffic related to oil and gas exploration.

It was determined by the State Comptroller that the net result of that action for FY 2015 budgeting would be $1.74 billion in new dollars for the highway fund. TxDOT officials recently held a public meeting seeking input on more than 200 road projects under consideration statewide. “We’ve been coordinating with locally elected officials and local planning organizations to identify project priorities,” said Weber. Part of the project funding will include Proposition One funds.

Two of the six projects in Travis County relate to Interstate 35. One is a $57.3 million project south of the city where shoulders, auxiliary lanes, ramp improvement and pavement will be added between Stassney Lane and William Cannon. The other project is a bridge replacement crossing south of Slaughter Lane that has a $6.5 million price tag.

In Hidalgo County, a $56.27 million project on US 83 is one of four in the county. The work includes constructing a new four-lane divided rural highway facility. (A searchable list has been made available by TxDOT that offers a description of all projects, their physical locations and costs.)

The recent public meeting was an opportunity for the public to learn how proposed projects were selected by TxDOT and local metropolitan planning organizations for the 2015 Unified Transportation Program. The program is a blueprint for projects that are expected to be undertaken over the next decade. These projects will be funded over the next 12 months.

The proposed list of projects will be presented to the Texas Transportation Commission for its approval in February.

Here are some examples of other projects that are part of the transportation program plans:

• Harris County’s five projects total more than $115 million, the most expensive of which is a $45.4 million project that would widen six main lanes with discontinuous two-lane frontage on US 290 from FM 2920 to Badtke Road.

• In Bexar County, the largest of the four projects is a $75.5 million project on Interstate 410 to expand the roadway from six to eight lanes on a section of roadway from SH151 to Ingram Road. An Interstate 10 project also is listed, a $25.6 million project to construct grade separation at Old Fredericksburg.

• More than $20 million in projects are from Dallas County. Two are interstate highway projects – a $13.4 million project to construct three-lane frontage roads from Beltline to MacArthur on Interstate 30 and a $3.1 million project on Interstate 35 East to repair concrete pavement and overlay mainlines.

• Two projects totaling more than $37 million are noted in El Paso County – a $15.5 million Interstate 10 project for rehab and operational improvements between Westway and Loop 375 and a $22 million SL 375 project to add one lane in each direction from Montana Avenue to Bob Hope Drive.

• LaSalle County has one project for $2.19 million to reconstruct existing highway on Interstate 35 south of FM 133.

This story was originally published in Strategic Partnerships, Inc. and is reprinted here through a news partnership.