Money Poured Into Roadway Projects

From stimulus funding to alternately funded projects and safety bond projects, contractors across the state should be busy with roads to repair from Wichita Falls to Palestine.

Federal Stimulus Money Funds More Than $1 Billion in Road Projects

More than $1 billion in transportation projects take priority as the Texas Department of Transportation officials recommended they be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, known widely as the economic stimulus package.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved allocating $1.2 billion in stimulus funds for 29 construction projects across the state. Most of the projects will be built with financial support from other agencies and resources. As a result of pooling other funds with ARRA money, stimulus-related construction will build more than $2.6 billion in new transportation projects for the state.

Traffic moves along a section of I-35 South in Tarrant County.

The commission also renewed its support for roadway and bridge maintenance and rehabilitation projects valued at more than $500 million. The projects recommended by TxDOT’s staff were selected from billions of dollars of projects identified by local and state leaders as eligible for economic stimulus spending. The ARRA requires projects to be “ready-to-go” in the immediate future.

This spending will generate something in the neighborhood of $1 billion in statewide economic activity generating thousands of temporary jobs,” Terry L. Clower, associate director of the Center for Economic Development and Research at the University of North Texas, told Texas Construction.

This includes the contractors doing the actual construction work, employees of materials suppliers, and even retail and restaurant jobs as these workers spend their earnings,” he adds. He says that while the impact is temporary, lasting only as long as the stimulus money is available, the spending “will provide important job opportunities while we wait on an economic recovery.”

In the longer term, he adds, the transportation projects “will improve roadway safety and have the potential to enhance regional transportation efficiencies that typically make an area better able to attract businesses and investment.”

The Federal Highway Administration instructed state transportation officials to give priority to projects that can be completed quickly, projects that are in economically distressed areas, and projects that maximize job creation and economic benefit.

TxDOT staff and local officials agreed on six criteria for evaluating mobility projects that would receive stimulus funds: 1) projects that improve the safety of the transportation system; 2) projects on corridors of statewide significance or regional priority; 3) projects that leverage or pool resources; 4) projects that create long-term economic benefit to the communities and region that they serve; 5) projects in areas that are economically distressed; and 6) fair and equitable distribution of projects around the state. The priority and preference selection criteria described in the ARRA and the FHWA guidelines were subsequently used in the evaluation process to develop the lists of projects recommended for funding under the ARRA.

TxDOT staff estimates that it could let contracts any day now that would spend more than $750 million of stimulus funds. By May of 2010, the department predicts that it will have let contracts for $1.7 billion in stimulus funds that, together with other investments, will generate $3.1 billion in maintenance and mobility projects for Texas. Based on FHWA estimates, $3.5 billion in transportation spending would support more than 90,000 jobs.

The commission previously approved TxDOT’s support for 10 aviation projects valued at $49.7 million and voted for stimulus spending on 39 public transportation projects valued at $32.8 million for rural program operators.

Stimulus Funds Allocated for ‘Ready-to-Go’ Projects Statewide

Texas Department of Transportation officials recommended that roadway, transit, and aviation projects be funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, commonly known as the economic stimulus package.

Stimulus fund spending was approved by the Texas Transportation Commission and the commission approved stimulus funds for 266 roadway and bridge maintenance and rehabilitation projects valued at approximately $506 million including: 182 roadway maintenance projects valued at approximately $370 million; 27 roadway rehabilitation projects valued at approximately $73 million; 47 bridge projects valued at approximately $31 million; and 10 projects that are local and regional safety enhancements projects valued at approximately $30 million.

Nearly $38 million in economic stimulus money will fund Segment 3A of Loop 49 in Tyler. Segment 3A will connect to the existing segments of Loop 49 at SH 155, and proceed northwest to SH 31.

TxDOT in partnership with the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Smith County, the City of Tyler, and the Tyler Metropolitan Planning Organization has contributed funding or engineering support to the project.

The Tyler MPO voted to use its entire $4.7 million allotment from the stimulus package to help pay for Segment 3A. Construction on Segment 3A is scheduled to let to contract in July, with construction to begin as early as September.

Segment One of Loop 49, between US 69 and SH 155, was opened to traffic in August 2006, followed by Segment Two, from US 69 to FM 756, or Paluxy Drive, in December 2007. Segment 5 of Loop 49, between FM 756 and SH 110 in Whitehouse, is scheduled to let to construction in June.

The commission awarded $21 million from the stimulus package for rehabilitation and system preservation funds to the Tyler District.

Among other projects is $3.1 million for US 259 resurfacing between IH-20 frontage and U.S. 80 and $2.5 million for U.S. 80 resurfacing between Spur 63/SH 31 intersection and U.S. 259, both in Longview; $4 million for U.S. 69 resurfacing between IH-20 and North Loop 323 in Tyler; $2.5 million for FM 344 to add shoulders and resurface between FM 346 in Teaselville and U.S. 69 in Bullard; $4.5 million for U.S. 259 resurfacing between Kilgore and FM 850 in Jacobs; $4.8 million for U.S. 84 to add shoulders between FM 3266 east of Palestine and Anderson/Cherokee county line;

$3.4 million to resurface US 287, U.S. 70 to SH 240 in Harrold; $3 million to resurface IH-35 near Red River to near U.S. 82; $3 million to widen SH 25 and FM 368 to about .75 of a mi west of SH 79; $2.4 million to widen FM 2071 and FM 372 to FM 922; among many others.

These projects are ready for bids and will be let immediately.

TxDOT Announces Program Call for Alternatively Financed Projects

State transportation officials pulled another tool out of its toolbox to keep transportation moving across Texas with a program call to local municipalities and private entities for pass-through financing of state transportation projects.

Pass-through financing allows local municipalities or private entities to pay for costs to build a transportation project and get reimbursed from the state as the transportation project becomes operational. Pass-through agreements let local officials reprioritize and accelerate projects important to the region.

Pass-through financing is a tool the state created to stretch limited transportation funds by allowing local communities to fund up-front costs for constructing a state highway project. The state then reimburses a portion of the project costs to the community over time by paying a fee for each vehicle that utilizes the transportation facility financed through the program.

Up to $300 million in projects could be funded through this initiative. TxDOT can develop pass through finance agreements with a Regional Mobility Authority, regional transportation authority, county, city, public or private entity.

This type of finance generally applies to non-tolled roads, but TxDOT will consider pass-through financing for tolled projects.

Projects submitted as proposals must be on the state highway system for eligibility as a consideration for development under the program. TxDOT published notice of the program call in the Texas Register with a deadline for project submittals of May 12.

TxDOT and the Texas Transportation Commission hope to have projects selected and negotiations completed and agreements executed by the end of August.

Transportation Commission Approves Safety Bond Projects

The Texas Transportation Commission approved projects for the 2009 Safety Bond Program that will provide $600 million in funding for highway improvements having the greatest potential for reducing traffic accidents.

This is TxDOT’s second safety bond initiative in five years. A 2004 bond issuance provided TxDOT with $605 million to fund 644 safety projects. This year’s program will fund 355 projects.

More than 900 mi of highway will see safety improvements such as widening narrow two-lane roads, adding left turn lanes and continuous left turn lanes, installing concrete and cable barrier in divided highway medians, converting undivided highways to divided roads, building overpasses and more.

TxDOT will widen approximately 617 mi of narrow, two-lane roads and install 290 mi of median barrier to reduce the possibiltiy of head-on collisions. The program will also fund 105 projects to install left turn lanes or continuous left turn lanes to reduce the number of rear-end collisions. In addition, TxDOT has plans to build 23 highway interchanges to improve traffic flow and reduce accidents.

In 2003 voters gave the Commission the authority to issue bonds to pay for state highway improvements. The Proposition 14 bond program is funded by state gas-tax revenue. At least 20% of the funds generated by the bonds are for safety projects.

Among the projects approved is $955,200 for three left-turn lanes on Loop 338 in Odessa.

In addition, the commission approved $11 million for two rural overpasses in the Odessa District – one east of Andrews on SH 115, another north of Fort Stockton on U.S. 285 – at intersections with a history of fatality accidents.

Port of Houston Authority May Owe TxDOT More Than $1 Million

The Port of Houston Authority Commissioners amended an agreement with TxDOT and Harris County for widening Main Street in Galena Park for $1.08 million.

The project is funded under the METRO Mobility/Rehabilitation Program, which permits federal funding of 80% of the cost of a project, up to a maximum federal cost of $2.88 million. To participate in such funding, the PHA assumes responsible for all costs in excess of the federal participation.

TxDOT completed a subsequent review of costs after it obtained bids for this work and advised PHA staff that the low bid TxDOT obtained exceeded the estimated construction costs. PHA's share of the total costs also increased, and TxDOT is requesting reimbursement from PHA for the excess construction costs of $1,037,771.

U.S. 287 Ramp to Southbound I-45 in Corsicana Re-Opens This Month

The Texas Department of Transportation will re-open the ramp to southbound IH-45 from U.S. 287 on May 1. The closure, which began earlier this year, was part of a $3.2-million project to build a new southbound IH-45 frontage road.

During the closure, crews for Dallas-based contractor Ed Bell Construction Co.  built a new entrance ramp as part of the new southbound IH-45 frontage road. The closure was required because engineers determined a temporary entrance ramp in the construction zone would not be able to accommodate large trucks.

The closure was expected to reduce the project duration by one month. The entire project should be complete by summer.

McAnally Chosen as New TxDOT District Engineer

A veteran Odessa highway department employee completed a 26-year climb from teenage summer-hire to district engineer. Mike C. McAnally was named to succeed Lauren Garduño as the head engineer for the 12-county Odessa District, which includes Andrews, Crane, Ector, Loving, Martin, Midland, Pecos, Reeves, Terrell, Upton, Ward, and Winker counties.

McAnally will oversee the construction and maintenance activities of more than 300 employees for the nearly 3,400 mi of highways across an 18,000-sq mi area of West Texas.

For the past year, McAnally has also served as the interim director of transportation planning and development, managing district design, advance planning, right of way, environmental, public transportation, consultant and contract management, and coordination with the Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Houghton and Underwood Reappointed to Texas Transportation Commission

Gov. Rick Perry reappointed Ted Houghton of El Paso and Fred Underwood of Lubbock to the Texas Transportation Commission for terms to expire Feb. 1, 2015. The commission oversees the Texas Department of Transportation.

Houghton is self-employed in financial services, executive benefits, and estate planning. Underwood is president and CEO of the Trinity Co. The appointments are subject to senate confirmation.