November TxDOT Highway Letting Dates

The November Texas Department of Transportation's highway letting is scheduled for Nov. 4 and 5. According to a Aug. 19 report, 63 projects are approved to be let with an estimated total of $184,915,597.

The report also cited that projects may be added, advanced or delayed as deemed necessary.

Bid Earns Joint Venture SH 45 North Contract

Construction on a section of the State Highway 45 North 1 toll road moved closer to reality recently when a joint venture bid of $63.2 million was accepted by the Texas Transportation Commission.

The Austin office of Watsonville, Calif.-based Granite Construction Co. and Austin-headquartered J.D. Abrams LP will join forces in a joint venture to build the project. Construction could begin later this year.

The Granite/Abrams contract will be for approximately two and a half miles of SH 45 North from Parmer Lane west to the future SH 45 North/Loop 1 interchange.
Construction will include a six-lane roadway, intermittent frontage roads and toll ramps.

The SH 45 North is part of the first phase of the Central Texas Turnpike Project, which also includes the extension of Loop 1 and the northern 49 miles of SH 130. The entire turnpike project is scheduled for completion by December 2007.

Construction of the CTTP already is under way at the SH 45/Loop 1 interchange, with additional construction contracts for the turnpike project scheduled to be awarded later this year.

TxDOT Mulls Strategies For Corridor Segment

Efforts to build one of the largest transportation projects in the state's history are under way with private companies submitting innovative strategies to build a high priority segment of the Trans Texas Corridor.

The Texas Department of Transportation requested competing proposals to develop the Interstate 35 High Priority Trans Texas Corridor extending from the Red River to the Mexican border. Those proposals were due Sept. 23.

The high priority corridor would generally parallel IH 35. Portions of the IH 37 and IH 69 high priority Trans Texas Corridors may be included as necessary for connectivity and financing. Designed to be a much faster and safer transportation of people and freight, the Trans Texas Corridor will include four multi-modal, high priority corridors approximately 1,200 ft. wide.

"Looking down the road, the time is right to do more than just plan for the state's transportation future," said Michael Behrens, executive director of TxDOT. "This is an innovative concept that needs ingenuity and resources that come from public-private partnerships."

TxDOT asked teams to submit plans to acquire, develop, design, construct, finance, maintain and operate a combination of rail, roadway and utility facilities for this high priority corridor. In addition, each team had to include a description of the group's qualifications, experience and expertise.

The request for proposals was based on an unsolicited proposal submitted by Fluor Enterprises Inc. According to TxDOT rules, if an unsolicited proposal merits further evaluation, a public notice must be issued to allow other interested parties an opportunity to submit competing proposals.

The Fluor proposal, submitted on Nov. 13, 2002, was to develop and finance the IH 35 High Priority Trans Texas Corridor and included facilities for rail, roadway and utilities.

Once the proposals are evaluated, TxDOT may develop a short list of proposers qualified to submit detailed proposals for the development of this portion of the corridor. If a successful proposal is selected from the short list, TxDOT intends to enter into a comprehensive development agreement for this project. An agreement will allow the selected proposer to acquire design, build and partially finance the project.

TCEQ Approves Standard Permit For Hot Mix Plants

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality recently gave final approval to a new standard permit for hot mix asphalt plants.

The new standard permit will authorize permanent and temporary plants that have a production rate of not greater than 400 tons per hour, which will satisfy all applicable requirements in the standard permit, including the use of fabric filters as a particulate control device and onsite property line distance requirements.

The new standard permit became available for use in July. A copy of the permit is available online at www.tceq.state.tx.us under the subject line Air Permits.

APA Releases Interactive CD-ROM On Rubblization

The Asphalt Pavement Association recently released a new interactive CD-ROM on rubblization.

"Rubblization: The Quick, Cost-Effective, Environmentally Friendly Fix For Failed Concrete Pavement" provides examples of how the process has been used successfully, and discusses when it is an appropriate rehabilitation strategy for existing concrete pavements.

Video segments and PowerPoint presentations are part of the CD, which include voice-over narration and menu selections allowing the user to easily navigate through the program at his or her own pace.

The CDs are available for $2.50 each. For more information, contact the APA at (877) 272-0077, send an email to publications@asphaltalliance.com or visit the alliance Web site at www.asphaltalliance.com.