Funding for Austin’s Manor Expressway Speeds Project Ahead

Also, bridges and roads across the state receive funding, undergo rehab projects, extentions and other improvements.

Funding for Austin’s Manor Expressway Speeds Project Ahead

Accelerating Austin’s U.S. 290 East project – known as the Manor Expressway – moved ahead as the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority secured additional funding.

Austin’s Manor Expressway will move forward with new funding. The project will transform the U.S. 290 corridor west of the city of Manor into a 6.2-mi tollway that will intersect with SH 130. Photo Courtesy CTRMA.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved a $31.6-million loan from the State Infrastructure Bank to purchase right-of-way and relocate utilities along a 1.4-mi stretch between U.S. 183 and Springdale Road.

The project, when combined with a new flyover interchange at U.S. 183, aims to improve traffic flow in the area. The completion of the roadway and the interchange is expected in 2013 at a total cost of $245 million.

“The U.S. 290 corridor is an industrial hub with many shipping companies and large employers,” Steve J. Pustelnyk, director of communications for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, told Texas Construction. “As a result, up to 20% of the vehicles on U.S. 290 are trucks. The Manor Expressway will offer improved efficiency to these companies and provide a safer faster route for commuters who also drive the corridor.”

Ultimately, the Manor Expressway will become a 6.2-mi tollway between U.S. 183 and Parmer Lane, just west of the city of Manor. It will also intersect with the SH 130 toll road, providing an alternative high-speed route between Williamson County and Central Austin.

The project will link the two highways “via a high-speed, non-stop route, completing a vital link in the regional transportation network,” Pustelnyk says.

The TTC expects the entire project to cost more than $623 million with its primary funding generated through the sale of toll revenue bonds. Once those bonds are sold, the Mobility Authority may pay off the State Infrastructure Bank loan. The project will include non-tolled frontage roads and a bicycle and pedestrian trail.

“Building the Manor Expressway as soon as possible will save money and relieve congestion sooner,” Pustelnyk says. “As a young transportation agency with limited financial resources, the Mobility Authority does not have enough cash to fund critical project development costs such as right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation. The loan will allow us to complete the preconstruction work necessary to sell bonds to fund the project and repay the loan.”

Additionally, as growth accelerates in eastern Travis County and Williamson County, the cost of property along U.S. 290 will continue to escalate and existing traffic congestion will increase, he adds.

An independent government agency aimed at improving the regional transportation system in Travis and Williamson counties, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority will begin constructing the flyover exchange at U.S. 183 by the end of 2009. The remainder of the project will be constructed in phases beginning in 2011.

Transportation Commission Selects Private Firm for Agency Review

The Texas Transportation Commission approved the selection of private-sector consulting firm Grant Thornton of Chicago to conduct an immediate top-down management and organizational review of the Texas Department of Transportation.

The firm will gather and analyzing information about the agency and its operations before proposing recommendations to increase productivity and cut costs.

The commission outlined goals for the agency review including optimizing the department’s performance; improving transparency and accountability; promoting the effective use of resources; and assisting in the identification of future resource needs.

The review will include surveys and interviews with TxDOT employees, as well as input from state legislators, metropolitan planning organizations, and other external stakeholders. The commission expects the consultant’s recommendations to be presented for consideration in early 2010.

Fort Worth Street Widening, Improvement Project Under Way

Work began recently on the $17-million reconstruction project of Rosedale Street (Bus. U.S. 287) from IH-35W to U.S. 287 in Fort Worth. The 1.1-mi project will reconstruct the existing roadway from four lanes to six lanes with medians, drainage improvements and a new railroad bridge. The project is a partnership between the city of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and the Texas Department of Transportation.

TxDOT awarded the project to Texas Sterling Construction Co. of Houston. During construction, four lanes will be maintained for motorists in each direction. The project is estimated for completion by summer 2011.

Seven-ft wide sidewalks will be constructed on both sides of Rosedale Street. The new road will contain stamped concrete medians the city of Fort Worth plans on landscaping.

In recent years, Rosedale Street has been reconstructed and widened from I-35W west to Main Street, and from Main Street to Forest Park Boulevard, totaling $20 million in projects.

Bridge Beams Go Up in Woodall Rodgers Extension Project in Dallas

The Woodall Rodgers Extension project on IH-35E in Dallas recently required multi-lane, and intermittent, full-road closures on I-35E near downtown to allow crews to set and weld bridge beams.

The $47.5-million project to extend Woodall Rodgers Freeway from I-35E to Beckley Avenue at Singleton Boulevard will also feature the $69.7-million Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge over the Trinity River. The bridge and the remainder of the Woodall Rodgers extension are scheduled to open in mid-2011.

Plano’s Eastbound Parker Road Bridge at U.S. 75 Completed

The Texas Department of Transportation temporarily closed the southwest and southeast U.S. 75 frontage road ramps to and from Parker Road for almost a week recently to divert traffic onto the newly completed eastbound Parker Road bridge.

The work is part of a $20-million construction project to convert the U.S. 75 and Parker Road interchange from a standard, grade-separated bridge to a single-point urban interchange. The southside bridge is nearly complete and the northside bridge construction is ready to begin.

The contractor for the project is Houston-based W.W. Webber LLC. The estimated project completion date is fall 2010.

Stimulus Projects Started on Longview Roads

Roadwork recently began in the Longview area and should be finished by the end of fall. The projects include: U.S. 259 (Eastman Road) between IH-20 and U.S. 80 (Marshall Avenue), U.S. 80 between the Spur 63/SH 31 split, and the Harrison County Line.

The projects were made possible by funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, or ARRA. The 4-mi project on U.S. 259 calls for removing the old pavement, repairing base failures, applying a seal coat, and then topping the roads with fresh hot mix.

The 3-mi project on U.S. 80 will be completed in 1-mi sections. The projects represent two out of the nine awarded to the Tyler District through the ARRA, which granted the Tyler District nearly $20 million to repair and resurface highways in the eight counties that the district serves. Each of the nine projects was scheduled to begin construction in July.

Wichita Falls Flyover North to West Ramp Opened

Drivers in Wichita Falls began moving quicker through the Falls Flyover Interchange after the fourth ramp of the flyover opened recently allowing traffic to move from northbound U.S. 287/281 to westbound U.S. 82/277.

The ramp did not open with the rest of the project in November 2007. In addition, a new on-ramp for northbound US 287 from Jacksboro Highway opened as well. The Galveston Street exit ramp from Northbound U.S. 287/281 will be closed.

$88-Million IH-35 Project in Waco Moves with Bridge Demolition

The Texas Department of Transportation temporarily closed the main lanes of IH-35 at the IH-35/FM 2063 interchange for two days recently to demolish the existing FM 2063 bridge over IH-35 in Waco.

The demolition was part of a multi-phase $88-million reconstruction project, which is projected for completion in fall 2011.

Odessa’s New $24-Million JBS Interchange Opens

The $23.8-million JBS Parkway at the Business IH-20 interchange in Odessa opened recently. The new interchange connects two existing segments of JBS Parkway and IH-20 where TxDOT recently built another interchange. The joint project between TxDOT and city of Odessa to build a new interchange spanning Bus. IH-20, the Union Pacific railroad, and connecting north and south segments of JBS Parkway in East Odessa began in July 2007.

Sam Houston Tollway Construction Improves Exit Ramps

The Harris County Toll Road Authority began constructing improvements to the Westheimer and Bellaire entrance and exit ramps on the South Sam Houston Tollway in July.

The changes consist of widening the existing EZ TAG lane and adding an additional full service lane, providing a total of three lanes for the Westheimer entrance and exit ramps. The Bellaire southbound entrance ramp will be converted from the existing two narrow lanes to a wider single EZ TAG-only lane. The lanes at the northbound exit ramp to Bellaire will be widened to enhance safety for drivers.

The project is anticipated to take approximately nine months.

TxDOT Implements Safe Routes to School Program in West Texas

The Texas Department of Transportation oversaw a Safe Routes to School construction project in Stanton.

Abilene contractor Willis Electric built the project.

Funds for the project came from a federal grant.

Construction Contract Let for Segment 3A of Toll 49 in Tyler

The Texas Department of Transportation’s Tyler office let the construction contract for Segment 3A of Toll 49 to Longview Bridge and Road Ltd. for $37.9 million, $15 million less than TxDOT anticipated during planning.

After several years of funding through partnerships with local entities, the project was given the go-ahead in March when the Texas Transportation Commission awarded it nearly $38 million in funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act.

Local entities, including the city of Tyler, the Tyler Metropolitan Planning Organization, Smith County, and the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority have contributed funding or engineering to the project.

The project, approximately 6-mi long, will extend the existing portions of Toll 49 west from SH 155 and connect to SH 31 west of Tyler. Construction will take about three years.

The same infusion of federal stimulus funding caused the NETRMA to begin discussions on bringing in additional money through bonds to design and build Segment 3B, a 10-mi segment that would pick up where Segment 3A ends and connect with IH-20.

In addition, the northern-most segment of Toll 49, known as the Lindale Relief Route, which stretches 6.7 mi between IH-20 and U.S. 69 north of Lindale, is awaiting final environmental clearances.

Segment 1 of Toll 49, between U.S. 69 and SH 155, opened in August 2006, followed by Segment 2, from U.S. 69 to FM 756 in December 2007.

In addition, the Tyler District received funding and approval to begin nine other projects in East Texas, bringing total funding allocated from the ARRA to more than $50 million.

Work Continues on Laredo’s FM 1472 Direct Connector Project

Crews on the $31-million Laredo/Webb County project recently performed a railroad grade separation and continue construction of a bridge.

The project extends from about .5-mi north of IH-35 west frontage road to IH-35 west frontage road. Rosiek Construction Co. of Arlington is the project contractor.

Duval County Rehab Project Slated for Fall Completion

A rehab project from the south end of San Diego Creek Bridge to the intersection of FM 1329 in San Diego in Duval County began with plans to reconstruct SH 359’s main lanes with new base and asphalt pavement.

The SH 359 rehabilitation project in San Diego is constructed by Ballenger Construction Co. of Ballenger at a cost of $700,000. The project, with limits from south end of San Diego Creek Bridge to intersection with FM 1329, calls for the roadway rehabilitation of a .75-mi portion of SH 359 within the San Diego city limits. Estimated completion is this fall.