TxDOT Announces Over $1.5 Billion in Transportation Projects Across the State

The Texas Department of Transportation this afternoon announced that state officials have given final approval to $1.9 billion of transportation projects across the state. The approval came from the Texas Transportation Commission, in its revision of the 2012 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) to TxDOT.

"This is a unique position for the state to be in with these funds becoming available," said Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ted Houghton. "We want to make the best use of them by partnering with local communities to insure this funding is applied where they feel it is most needed."

Major projects across the state include the Interstate 35 expansion through Central Texas will benefit with a $9 million award to fund new construction and design of Loop 574, a connector to I-35 in Waco. Work will also commence on portions of Interstate 69 (NAFTA Super-Highway) in the Lufkin and Nacogdoches areas with $12 million dedicated to conducting the necessary environmental review and right of way identification for developing portions of I-69 in that area.

The additional funding sources originate from Texas Mobility Fund bond proceeds, anticipated federal funding and savings on construction projects currently under way make up the $1.9 billion in allocations.

"The state will be greatly impacted by the work added because of this funding," added Bill Meadows, a Texas Transportation Commission member from Fort Worth. “Continual work with our partners around the state brings solutions like this that provide needed improvements to the transportation infrastructure.”

"The state’s transportation challenges remain great" said Phil Wilson, TxDOT executive director. "But statewide efforts like this help us address them every time we make forward progress such as this.”

Projects in the Lubbock area are: construction of the Marsha Sharp Freeway interchange at Milwaukee Avenue for $16,400,000 and the widening of State Highway 137 in Lamesa to the Martin County Line. That section of SH 137 would be widened from two lanes to four lanes undivided at a cost of $5,000,000.

In Odessa, Loop 338 will be upgraded to a freeway from US 385 to SH 191 at a cost of $6,855,000.

In the Abilene TxDOT District, US 83 and Loop 322 frontage roads will be upgraded from a two-way to one-way road with the reconstruction of ramps. The upgrade will take place from the Waldrop Interchange to Loop 322's intersection to SH 36 to Maple Street. This project will cost $8,121,000.

In the Amarillo TxDOT District, the major project to be undertaken is the reconstruction of the eastbound I-40 main lanes from the Potter County line to just west of Conway. This project will cost $6,117,000.

A link to all of the projects across the state can be found here (PDF)