By Jessica Domel
Multimedia Editor
Over the next decade, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will invest $70 billion to enhance safety, reduce congestion and maintain highways across the state.
The Unified Transportation Program (UTP) targets congestion in heavily populated areas and includes projects to better connect interstates in rural areas with local roads and highways.
The plan also calls for enhancing and completing interstate highways outside urban areas and addressing needs within the energy sector and along hurricane evacuation routes.
“Mobility not only benefits individual drivers, but also the Texas economy as goods and services move safely and efficiently across our state,” J. Bruce Bugg Jr., Texas Transportation Commissioner, said. “As our state’s population grows, the 12,000 men and women of TxDOT will continue to collaborate with state and local leaders to find feasible solutions for funding specific projects that TxDOT will execute upon expeditiously to keep people and freight moving throughout our state.”
The bulk of funding for the plan comes from existing oil and gas and sales taxes approved by voters in 2014 and 2015.
UTP is a fluid plan, consisting of multiple projects and variables, according to TxDOT officials. While its overall objective is set, there are still many factors that have not yet been determined.
Current UTP projects can be searched at http://apps.dot.state.tx.us/apps/utp/search.
The next public hearing to accept comments on UTP will be held July 20. Details on available comment methods are available at http://bit.ly/TxDOTUTP.
Beware of what it will cost you if current free roads are converted to “Toll Roads”
1. Higher food costs
2. Increased cost of vacations/travel
3. In the D/FW area several of the toll roads were built by companies out of the US – Helped with employment when the roads were under construction but the tolls collected are leaving the local economy