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State Approves I-69 Corridor Plan from Brownsville to Texarkana
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4 Comments ::  :: South Padre Island, Economy |
State Approves I-69 Corridor Plan from Brownsville to Texarkana
The NAFTA Super Highway eventually will link Canada and Mexico and Texas' portion of that highway will be an extensive, lengthy part of the overall picture.
 The Texas Transportation Commission voted unanimously to ACCEPT Zachry-American Infrastructure and ACS Infrastructure Development as their contractors for designing what will eventually replace U.S. 59 and 77.
The combined highways will become a southeastern leg of the controversial Trans-Texas Corridor. The state highway department had planned to build the upgraded highway on undeveloped land, but after loud outcry from property owners up and down the proposed route and a recent recommendation by a group of nine congressional representatives from southeast Texas, the state backed off that plan and decided to follow the existing 'footprint' of U.S. routes 59 & 77.
See http://www.keeptexasmoving.com/index.php/trans-texas_corridor
A team led by Zachry American and ACS Infrastructure (Zachry/ACS) was selected by the Texas Transportation Commission to produce a master development and financial plan for proposed improvements along I-69/TTC.
The planning work by the developer and TxDOT will focus on using existing highway facilities wherever possible for this statewide corridor.
Zachry/ACS’ proposal also includes working with local authorities to construct and operate $1.5 billion worth of toll projects in South Texas that would generate revenue to develop U.S. Highway 77 to interstate standards. Zachry/ACS proposes to develop seven projects and use the toll revenues to help finance the sections of U.S. 77 that would be upgraded to interstate standards without the need for additional tolls on that highway.
The contract will include the right of first negotiation for Zachry/ACS to perform work on certain projects. If TxDOT moves forward with the actual design, construction, financing, maintenance and operation of any specific projects identified in the master development plan, those projects will be governed by separate facility agreements that would require additional action by the Transportation Commission.
 See video by Drew Carey
See video by Lou Dobbs
The road is important to the state's economic development. The private companies' proposal shows the project can be built while minimizing the need to purchase additional land and only limited, innovative tolling.
The proposal calls for coordinating with local authorities in the Rio Grande Valley and the Corpus Christi area to develop South Texas toll roads. Those would help finance the initial segments of I-69 without requiring tolls to be collected along long stretches of highway extending north from Cameron County.
According to a report commissioned by TxDOT and conducted by Texas economist Ray Perryman, Ph.D., the Trans-Texas Corridor has the potential to:
* Contribute annual gains of $1.6 trillion in expenditures
* Increase the gross state product by $665.9 billion
* Boost personal income in Texas by $376 billion
* Generate 3.7 million permanent jobs
Rural areas of Texas will also benefit from the TTC as the value of agricultural land is expected to increase. |
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| Comments | |
By
Reef @
Wednesday, July 09, 2008 8:40 AM | |
The bad news for spi is I'm hearing this will push back the second causeway years, if not forever. All public funding will vanish in the next session or two. |
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By
stevead @
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 11:16 AM | |
I think that the roads are perfectly fine and usable as they are now. Why must TXDOT keep insisting that we have gold plated roads. The Texas Legislature and the federal government both divert the gas tax money and all other excise taxes (paid by you and me to maintain existing roads and build new ones) for more pork barrel projects, then they want to impose a TAX (toll) to pay for something we have already been TAXED and paid for! And just what the hell are "innovative tolls"??? I 'll tell you what....just more TAXES! We need another causeway bridge from South Padre Island to the mainland, for emergency needs and real economic growth, well before we need to fix a road that ain't broke. |
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By
stan @
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 7:01 PM | |
Hey...isn't Zacary the one building the problem tower (ocean tower SPI). My butt is already feeling sore from riding on the new road |
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By
Herb @
Monday, July 21, 2008 8:15 AM |
I've seen those signs along the highway "Future route of I-69" for somewhere near two decades now. Since then they have made a great deal of improvements to the highways leading north from SPI, including the important bypass around Alice. I also remember a decade ago that it took a lot longer to drive through Falfurius. That isn't exactly a "bypass" now, but it sure helps you get though town faster. I seriously doubt if any of those small towns between SPI and I-37 cause more than an extra 15 minutes of driving time - hardly worth spending huge amounts of money for a full-blown interstate. Don't get me wrong - I would like to see a major freeway between I-37 and the freeway, I just don't think it's worth the money and all the traffic diversions in the process.
I don't want ANYTHING to do with toll roads in the valley. If we had serious traffic problems, and toll roads could be built fast, then I would agree with the idea. But we don't have a big problem like that. Perhaps those money-hungry road contractors are behind any push for toll roads.
We used to have a serious "radar trap" in Los Fresnos, but I think they have a law now that little towns can't get more than a certain percentage of their annual revenue though traffic tickets, so I don't see those pesky cops very often. Really, traveling though a few small towns on the way to I-37 isn't such a big deal. Besides, you have to stop sometimes and get gas, rest, etc. Stopping in a little town every now and then can actually make your trip a bit safer. |
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