August TxDOT Highway Letting Dates

The Texas Department of Transportation has scheduled its next highway letting for July 7 and 8. Seventy-one projects are approved to be let with an estimated total of $330,463,597.

A TxDOT report said projects may be added, advanced or delayed as deemed necessary.

TTI: Congestion Getting Worse

An annual report on traffic congestion published by the Texas Transportation Institute, part of the Texas A&M University System, suggests that the problem of urban congestion is growing in the U.S.

"The problem can be stated simply - urban areas are not adding enough capacity, improving operations or managing demand well enough to keep congestion from growing larger," the report concluded. "Over the [last] three years, the contribution of operations improvements has grown from 260 to 340 million hours of congestion relief, but delay has increased by 300 million hours over the same period. Congestion occurs during longer portions of the day and delays more travelers and goods than ever before. And if the current fuel prices are used, the congestion 'invoice' climbs another $1.7 billion which would bring the total cost to about $65 billion."

The American Road & Transportation Builders Association, which is one of the sponsors of the report, released a statement of response.

"The root cause of traffic congestion in America is the failure of government at all levels to make the transportation capital investments necessary to keep pace with the mobility demands of an ever growing U.S. population and economy," said ARTBA president, Pete Ruane. "This is no mystery. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, since 1982 U.S. population and economic growth has driven a 74 percent increase in vehicle miles traveled. Over the same period, road lane mileage has only increased six percent. Serious public investment in new public transit, rail, airport and waterway capacity has similarly been neglected."

TAB Supports Trans-Texas Corridor

Development of the Trans-Texas Corridor - a modern transportation system capable of moving commuters and cargo quickly and more reliably - is essential to the state's long-term economic growth and prosperity, Bill Hammond, president of the Texas Association of Business, recently said in a statement.

"The Trans-Texas Corridor is vital to Texas' continued growth and prosperity," Hammond said. "Texas is America's number one exporting state, and millions of Texans rely on trade-related jobs - jobs that depend on a safe, modern and efficient transportation infrastructure. Yet anyone driving on a major Texas interstate or in an urban or suburban county knows that Texas needs better, safer roadways. The Trans-Texas Corridor will get needed roads built years sooner, relieving traffic and improving highway safety at little cost to taxpayers.

"The Trans-Texas Corridor is the most realistic proposal on the table to quickly and efficiently move people and products through Texas," he said.

Hammond said the corridor - and specifically the project's first phase that will parallel Interstate 35 (TTC-35) - will enhance the state's transportation infrastructure, divert the transport of hazardous cargo from city centers and bolster job creation.

Texans Show Interest in Corridor

The most frequently asked questions by the more than 6,000 Texans who attended the 47 open-house meetings held recently for the TTC-35 element of the Trans-Texas Corridor dealt with location, access and property acquisition, according to TxDOT.

The department said that based on public comments and continuing environmental and engineering analysis, location of TTC-35 will be further defined in the next step of the environmental process. The public will be presented with a preferred corridor approximately 10 mi. wide or less. If approved by the FHWA, the preferred corridor will become the study area for the second phase of the environmental study. Identification of a preferred corridor will not authorize construction. Additional studies are needed to determine a final route, required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

URS to Design Section of U.S. 183

URS Corp. of Austin has been awarded a contract to design an 11.5-mi. segment of the 183A Turnpike, north of Austin. The project is scheduled for completion in 2007 at a construction cost of about $180 million.

The design-build project is led by Hill Country Constructors, a joint venture between Granite Construction Co. of Watsonville, Calif. and J.D. Abrams LP of Austin. The project includes the design and construction of portions of an ultimate six-lane turnpike and frontage roads and features a toll plaza, more than 20 bridges, approximately 25 retaining walls and noise walls.