Remaining 40 Mi of SH 130 to Move Forward

U.S. Department of Transportation loan helps State Highway 130 move forward on next segments in Central Texas; also, Delisi, Meadows appointed to Texas Transportation Commission.

Next Phase of SH 130 Moves Closer to Start With Financial Close

A consortium led by Cintra of Madrid, Spain, achieved financial close for the construction and operation of the final two segments of State Highway 130 in Central Texas.

The $1.36 billion investment by the Austin-based SH 130 Concession Co. LLC will be financed through a combination of private equity, bank loans and a Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s TIFIA loan program exists to encourage private sector involvement in U.S. highway projects.

Cintra maintains a 65% stake in the SH 130 Concession Co.. Cintra’s U.S. operations are headquartered in Texas.

The funding will mean the completion of the remaining 40 mi of SH 130 from southeast of Austin to IH-10 at Seguin. The public-private project is Texas’ first concession agreement and was approved by the Texas Transportation Commission in June 2006.

Construction on the four lanes of segments five and six is expected to start early 2009. Construction work will be performed by Madrid-based Ferrovial Agroman and San Antonio-based Zachry Construction Corp., with completion expected in 2012 or earlier.

The ew expressway will offer an alternative to IH-35 between San Antonio and north Austin. The new high-capacity expressway will also help absorb existing and expected growth in long-distance truck traffic, further relieving congestion on IH-35, Texas’ primary north-south route.

Under the terms of the concession agreement, the consortium has paid TxDOT a $25.8 million upfront concession payment, which will be used for other projects in the region.

The duration of the concession agreement is 50 years after the completion of construction; at the end of the term, the asset will be handed back to TxDOT. Tolls on the new expressway will be set through the life of the project by TxDOT. The state of Texas also gets a yearly share of the toll revenue.

New Leadership Named to Texas Transportation Commission

Deirdre Delisi of Austin and William Meadows of Fort Worth were recently appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees the Texas Department of Transportation. Their terms expire Feb.1, 2013.

Delisi has more than 12 years of experience in government policy. She served as chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to Gov. Perry, and served as special assistant to then-Lt. Gov. Perry. She is a former policy advisor to the presidential campaigns of Lamar Alexander and George W. Bush, and served at the Texas Department of Commerce and as legislative aide for Texas Senator Bill Ratliff. She replaces Hope Andrade and will serve as chair of the commission.

Meadows is chairman of Hub International Rigg. He is vice chairman of the North Texas Tollway Authority, and a trustee of the Hatton W. Sumners Foundation. He is a past appointee to the Texas Water Development Board and formerly served as a city council member and mayor pro-tempore for the City of Fort Worth.

Balfour Beatty Earns Environmental Award for Texas Toll Road Project

Atlanta-based Balfour Beatty Infrastructure Inc., along with Lone Star Infrastructure consortium partners Fluor Corp. of Irving and T.J. Lambrecht Construction of Euless, received honors for posting a spotless environmental record during the SH 130 project.

The Texas Council of Engineering Companies presented LSI with a gold medal at the 2008 Engineering Excellence Awards Banquet. LSI undertook the design and construction of the 49-mi, $1.5 billion toll road that serves as a reliever route to IH-35 in Central Texas.

The gold medal is one of only 12 projects statewide, for which the Texas Council of Engineering Companies has granted top engineering honors.

LSI’s extensive SH 130 project began with a groundbreaking in October 2003. More than 40 mi of the highway are now open, with the final segment opening this past spring. The toll road extends from IH-35 north of Georgetown to U.S. Highway 183 southeast of Austin.

LSI was formed to design and build SH 130, a 49-mi toll road through Central Texas. It is one of the nation’s largest infrastructure projects.

Trans-Texas Corridor Advisory Committee Named

The Texas Transportation Commission selected members to serve on two citizens’ Advisory Committees for the Trans-Texas Corridor.

Each committee will advise TxDOT in the planning of two priority corridors. One committee will focus on IH-35 corridor, and TTC-35 and the other committee will advise TxDOT on the proposed I-H-69 corridor and IH-69/TTC.

The committees will study and prepare reports on the impacts of corridor development, including economic, political, societal, population trends; the use of existing, new and upgraded facilities; road and rail solutions; and financing options.

Based on report findings, the committees will make recommendations to TxDOT’s executive director and the Texas Transportation Commission on the development of these priority corridors.

TxDOT Removes Cable Wire Barrier Along IH-20

Almost 12 mi of cable wire barrier along IH- 20 from State Highway 34 to the Van Zandt County line was recently removed.

The barrier is being removed in an effort to reduce maintenance and wire-rope replacement costs along the stretch of IH-20. The area office has spent $85,800 in maintenance repairs for the section being removed, which equates to more than one-third of all area cable-wire barrier costs. Currently, Kaufman County has 50 mi of cable barrier along U.S. 80, U.S. 175 and IH-20.

After several studies of this experimental barrier system, it has been determined that safety will still be maintained because of the wide medians along this 12-mi stretch of IH-20. Relocation of the cable-wire barrier is being considered in other areas of the state.

Denton County Begins $21 Million Widening Project on FM 2499

The FM 2499 widening project for Flower Mound, Highland Village and the surrounding communities began reconfiguring traffic lanes and placing concrete barriers recently at the intersection of FM 407.

The westbound turn lane on FM 407 at the intersection will be reconfigured as a through lane. The lane reconfiguration will remain in place until approximately January while contractor W.W. Webber LLC of Dallas completes the next phase of the $21 million project.

The widening of the 3-mi section of FM 2499, from FM 1171 to just north of FM 407, is expected to be complete by December 2010.

Weigh-In Motion System Installed as Part of Brownfield-Area Project

Work on an $11.3 million project for 18 mi of U.S. 82 in Terry County began recently with milling, grading and overlaying the surface, widening the highway shoulders and building up a low-lying stretch of roadway west of Brownfield.

Detours and lane closures will be part of the project until August on U.S. 82, between Brownfield and the Yoakum County line. The installation of a Weigh-in Motion system, which will allow TxDOT to collect data used to improve roadway design and performance, is also part of the project.

As vehicles drive over the system, sensors installed into the pavement will measure and record each vehicle’s speed, length and weight. The data collected will be used for pavement design and planning, which is instrumental in building better roadways.

The recorded data is sent to Austin, via modem, where the information is run through software that can identify the types of vehicles that traveled over the WIM system sensors.

The project contractor is Fort Worth-based Kiewit Texas Construction.

$44.2 Million Expansion of Almost 10 Mi Started on FM 511

The 9.7-mi FM 511 expansion in the Olmito/Brownsville area began earlier this year and should wrap up spring 2010 at a cost of $44.2 million.

The TxDOT Pharr District began the expansion beginning at U.S. 77/83 Expressway and continuing south to SH 48, near the Port of Brownsville.

The project consists of reconstructing and widening the existing FM 511 to four travel lanes, frontage roads and overpasses at FM 1847, at two Railroad crossings and over the Drainage District No. 3 ditch. The project was awarded to Ballenger Construction of San Benito.

Ballenger Construction is also working on the $10.5 million expansion of FM 1847 from FM 511 to north of Henderson Road in Brownsville/Cameron County area. The 5-mi project is expected to take approximately 18 months to complete. The project consists of reconstructing and widening FM 1847 to a 64-ft roadway with four travel lanes and a continuous left turn lane.

Hidalgo County’s Business 83 Expansion Under Way

About six months into a 21-month project, the Texas Department of Transportation Pharr District is expanding Business 83 in western Hidalgo County.

The 5.6-mi project begins at the intersection of U.S. 83 and Business 83, just east of Penitas to the intersection of U.S. 83 and Business 83, near Inspiration Road. Business 83 will be reconstructed and widened to an 84 foot curb and gutter roadway with four lanes and continuous left turn lane. Foremost Paving of Weslaco was awarded the $14.7 million dollar contract.

New Bridge Added to Reconstruction of FM 1187 Project

Work began on the $8.69 million reconstruction and expansion of the Farm-to-Market Road 1187 bridge over IH-35W in south Fort Worth.

Led by W.W. Webber LLC of Houston, the project will include the building of a new eastbound bridge, the reconstruction of the existing bridge, a new turnaround bridge north of FM 1187, frontage road improvements and new signals.

Dedicated right turn lanes will be added to the frontage roads and FM 1187 will be widened on both sides of I-35W to accommodate the new bridge. When completed, each bridge will have two lanes with two left turn lanes to the frontage roads. The project is estimated for completion by fall 2009.

Mile-Long Section of FM 802 in Brownsville Expanded

The year-long expansion of FM 802 from U.S. 77/83 Expressway, east to FM 1847 (Paredes Line Road) in Brownsville should wrap up next February, according to TxDOT’s Pharr District.

The 1.2-mi project was awarded to Foremost Paving of Weslaco for $6.6 million. The project consists of reconstructing and widening FM 802 to a 104-ft roadway with three travel lanes in each direction with a raised median.

Sterling Construction Starts $26 Million Project in Dallas

Houston-based Sterling Construction Co., Inc. was awarded a $26 million project in Collin County by the Texas Department of Transportation for the reconstruction and expansion of a segment of Highway 75 north of Dallas.

The project includes installation of new storm drainage, embankment, concrete paving and multiple bridges. Construction began in April and will last for 30 months.

$6 Million Fort Stockton Sidewalk, Roadway Project Nears Completion

The Texas Department of Transportation and Fort Worth-based Kiewit Texas Construction will complete a $5.87 million project to rebuild Dickinson Boulevard in Fort Stockton.

The project included improvements to sections of sidewalks, handicap access ramps, curbs, and driveways along Dickinson. The major roadwork has been done at night to speed up the job and to minimize inconvenience to traffic and businesses along the busy east-west thoroughfare.