By Annie Rowe

SDN Staff Writer

Representatives of the Texas Department of Transportation Monday night presented information pertaining to the construction of the $183.5 billion Trans-Texas Corridor.

The corridor will be a 4,000-mile network of roads, high-speed rail and utility pathways conceived to meet the state’s future transportation needs.

Meetings are being conducted in each of Texas’ 234 counties to introduce the concept and allow for public input. Eighteen attended the session in Snyder.

“This will be the first time that a project such as this one has ever been attempted in the United States,” said Russel Lenz, an Abilene district engineer. “We are breaking the ground both literally and figuratively on this.”

The proposed corridor was part of House Bill 3588, signed by Gov. Rick Perry last year, which allows for the construction of the corridor designed to move people, goods and utilities through the state in a faster and safer manner.

Lenz reported that vehicle miles traveled in Texas increased 41 percent between 1999 and 2000. He further stated that the population increased by 23 percent, expanding the number of drivers on Texas highways.

“We’re getting further and further behind the curve,” said Lenz. “We need to catch up.”
The ideas for the corridor are in the early stages of development. Lenz assured the project’s feasibility, although it could take three to four decades to complete.

TxDOT proposes the construction of a network of corridors that will be up to 1,200 feet wide and will utilize separate lanes for passenger vehicles and trucks. It also will include rail lines for high-speed passenger rail travel between cities, for high-speed freight and also conventional commuter and freight.

The proposal allows for carriers of hazardous materials to avoid population centers because the Trans-Texas Corridor will go around urban areas, reducing the threat of chemical exposure in local communities.

Responding to a question from County Judge Rod Waller on how the project would be funded, Lenz said funds would come from public-private partnerships, which could include toll fees, bonds and other financing tools.

“We don’t have all the answers yet. This idea is so new that we’re actually discovering a lot more questions as a result of these meetings,” said Lenz.

“I don’t know how long it will be before we start to see anything out of this,” he said. “There are a number of surveys, including environmental surveys that must be done.”

Lenz added that the Trans-Texas Corridor is much more a long look into the future of travel that will take many years to complete.

“We still have a lot of unanswered questions,” said Lenz. “That’s the purpose of these meetings, we need a starting point and we believe the best way to start is with the citizens who want to help plan for the future.”