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Texas 130
State Highway 130, known as MoKan, would loosely follow the Missouri-Kansas rail line. This proposed north-south roadway would start somewhere north of Georgetown and run south to Seguin. The hope is that this roadway would redistribute traffic from Interstate 35, the most heavily traveled roadway in Texas. In July 2000, TxDOT and the Texas Turnpike Authority selected the eastern alignment for the proposed Texas 130. (See the Texas 130 Map.)
This project, which has been on the drawing boards since the late 80's, looked to be dead earlier this decade. However, the recent surge in traffic along the corridor has renewed planning for this highway. As currently projected, Texas 130 would run from Interstate 35 at Georgetown, east around Round Rock and Austin, south to Lockhart, and end at Interstate 10 in Seguin. Sections of Interstate 10 and Interstate 410 around southern and eastern San Antonio would be included as part of this bypass. There is a proposal to make Texas 130 a tollway to help pay for its construction. Also, part of the Texas 130 corridor proposal is a railroad right-of-way. Freight train traffic, like its counterpart truck traffic, has also increased substantially in the region. The existing railways go right through the hearts of the cities in the corridor, causing recurring congestion problems. A railway along Texas 130 would provide a rail bypass, thus reducing congestion in the cities on the corridor. This would also free the existing rail line for a planned San Antonio-Austin commuter rail system.
Tolls may not be the best solution for the construction of Texas 130. According to the article "Texas 130 tolls could cut traffic by a third: Turnpike authority study raises questions about feasibility of bypass for congested Interstate 35" by Debbie Hiott in the American-Statesman Staff from Dec. 1, 1998, Texas 130 would carry about a third fewer cars if motorists had to pay a toll to drive on the planned 89-mile highway, a study by turnpike authority consultants has found. The study, which for the first time estimates how many vehicles would use Texas 130 if it were a toll road, concludes it would lessen congestion on Interstate 35 and other highways. But it raises questions about the project's feasibility. According to the study, the highway, depending on location, would carry from 24,000 to 101,000 vehicles per day. By comparison, President George Bush Tollway in Dallas is expected to open in 2004 with as many as 279,000 cars per day.
However, the same article indicates that traffic congestion relief on Interstate 35 would be as high as 22 percent north of Round Rock and between five and 15 percent in downtown Austin. Eastern route alternatives for Texas SH 130 would not attract as much commuter traffic as western alternatives because they would not save as much travel time. Indeed, officials from Round Rock are excited about the prospect of building State Highway 130. "Our only point of discussion is where, not if," says Word. "We feel very strongly that based on our studies and careful consideration that an eastern alignment is an appropriate place. We will be working with the state and hopefully they will concur and see that this is an appropriate location and we can get this road built."
State Highway 130 is grounded in regional politics. According to the Austin Business Journal article on Austin-area transportation issues, State Highway 130 may not become a reality due to disagreements between various municipalities and agencies.
Perhaps the most ardent transportation worker in Williamson County is Precinct 1 Commissioner Mike Heiligenstein. For more than 15 years, Heiligenstein has been working to get MoKan on the drawing board. He says he's frustrated that the wheels have turned so slowly.
"I think all of these roads, particularly SH-45, MoPac and U.S. 183, are all grounded in regionalism, they all will require regional cooperation," says Heiligenstein. "Unfortunately, I think the one that's in the most jeopardy is 130."
Heiligenstein contends the county may rethink its position supporting 130 if a decision on the route isn't reached soon. "At this point, things aren't going anywhere," he says. "Austin has a route it prefers that swings out further east. Round Rock has a preferred route. We haven't seen a good tie down on a route from the Texas Department of Transportation. I am afraid we may lose the corridor, and Williamson County may have to re-evaluate its position if we don't see some action and some regional compromise on a route selection."
In spite of this, final approval of the Environmental Impact Statement for Texas 130 was received in June 2001. With passage of this EIS, the entire 89-mile-long, all-new location freeway corridor is more certain to be constructed than ever before. Although some estimates indicate that construction may start as soon as 2002, Erik Slotboom indicates that the entire $3.3 billion Central Texas tollway network is now projected to be completed in the 2008-2010 time period. This would include not only Texas 130 but also Texas 45 (see below).
For more on Texas 130, go to the Texas 130 Home Page, State Highway 130.Org, or Austin Tollways by Erik Slotboom.
State Highway 45
The booming Austin area has seen other highway projects proposed. One of these projects is the State Highway 45 corridor, which is planned as the outer loop of Austin. It is unlikely that the entire outer loop will be constructed, as local "not-in-my-backyard" and environmental concerns have prevented construction. The east-west section of State Highway 45 just south of Round Rock should happen first, probably as a toll road. This 16-mile, east-west roadway would run from FM 685 north of Pflugerville to just west of Anderson Mill Road and include a transition to FM 620 just south of Round Rock and Cedar Park, providing relief for the FM 1325/Interstate 35 interchange. The exact route has yet to be determined, but by 2020, an estimated 67,930 vehicles a day are expected to use Texas 45 near Anderson Mill, compared with about 29,000 vehicles each day that now use nearby FM 620.
Commissioner Heiligenstein is optimistic about the prospects for State Highway 45, and he thinks it will be the first to happen. Again, the county is anxious for the final route selection to be decided. "We've got timelines in terms of right of way, but every day we lose costs us money," he says. "We have to have some kind of resolution as quickly as possible. We have bought some right of way that we are somewhat at risk on. We have stepped out on this one, but we are trying to make deals to protect tax payers by getting the land as quickly and cost effective as possible."
More on the controversy surrounding Texas 45 from an excerpt from "Compromise sought in Texas 45 feud," an article appearing in the American-Statesman on Sunday, February 20, 2000, by Kelly Daniel:
One of the quietest highway projects in Central Texas is gaining its own route controversy, as Cedar Park officials and Travis County homeowners bicker about where to build Texas 45 along their border. At issue are businesses and development on Cedar Park's north side of RM 620, where the proposed Texas 45 would run, vs. the 26-year-old Anderson Mill neighborhood to the south, just outside Austin's city limits. In the middle is a road that has had vigorous support from Williamson and Travis counties and the cities it would serve.
Texas 45 North is planned to take all of its 400-foot right of way from Cedar Park's side. That means 33 businesses would be razed, including several gas stations, fast-food restaurants and auto repair shops and an animal clinic. Cedar Park officials estimate the city would lose at least $20 million in property and sales taxes and property buyouts. None of the Anderson Mill homes would be touched under that plan, which Cedar Park officials see as unfair. "I am going to fight this big time," said George Denny, mayor of Cedar Park, which has a population of about 25,000 people. "Because I feel like we are just a small city, and if they try to take all our commercial . . . I mean, that just wipes us out."
Denny and other Cedar Park leaders have asked the Texas Turnpike Authority, which is studying Texas 45 as a possible toll road to hasten construction, to shift the road south, either taking all the right of way from the neighborhood or splitting the difference between the two sides. Moving it into the neighborhood, where about 13,000 people live in 3,200 homes, would destroy 62 houses and three shopping centers, turn U-shaped streets into dead ends and put the highway in some people's front yards, residents and state transportation officials say. The state has been reluctant to do that, even though engineers are drawing up plans to study how it might work.
"You could end up with a house that right now is three houses into the neighborhood being directly adjacent to the roadway. And, you know, that's kind of tough (to take)," said Randall Dillard, spokesman for the Texas Department of Transportation, which oversees the turnpike division. The state is considering a compromise that would affect fewer businesses on the north side of the road by shortening the highway one mile to the west.
For more, go to Austin Tollways by Erik Slotboom.
State Highway Loop 1
Another project in Austin is Loop 1, which parallels Interstate 35 to the west. It is planned to be extended north toward Round Rock, possibly as a toll road. Also known as the MoPac Expressway, this project involves the continued widening of MoPac from Parmer Lane to intersect with the proposed SH-45. The extension spans about 5.5 miles, but would provide relief to the perennially clogged FM 1325.
For more information on the Austin-area highways (SH-1, SH-45, and SH-130), go to the Austin Business Journal article. Thanks to Erik Slotboom for information on these new Austin-area highways.
Dallas Loop 12
Another project is the planned upgrade of the western section of Loop 12. According to the related Texas DOT MIS study, the planned improvements are for the north-south corridor in western Dallas of State Loop 12 from Spur 408 to the merge with Interstate 35 and Interstate 35 from that point northward to Interstate 635.
According to Erik Slotboom, currently Loop 12 from Spur 408 to Interstate 35 is a six-lane freeway with four lanes of frontage roads along most of the length. The preferred alternative is eight general purposed freeway lanes, two reversible "managed HOV" lanes, and six lanes of continuous frontage roads. HOV lanes are elevated where right-of-way is tight. Interchange improvements are planned at Interstate 30, State Highway 185, State Highway 114, and Interstate 35.
Interstate 35 from Loop 12 north to Interstate 635 is currently a ten-lane freeway and no frontage roads. The preferred alternative is eight general purpose freeway lanes, six continuously elevated general purpose lanes (three each way) between mainlanes and frontage roads (dropping to four lanes on south part of this segment), two concurrent flow HOV lanes (one each way), one continuously elevated reversible HOV lane in the center, and six lanes of continuous frontage roads. The elevated lanes are actually very long ramps to the direct connectors at the Interstate 35/Interstate 635 interchange. Usage of long elevated structures is primarily due to the opposition to and expense of right-of-way acquisition.
This reconstruction is estimated to cost approximately $720 million, excluding interchange improvements. The earliest possible construction date would be 2004, given funding considerations.
Trinity River Parkway
Other metropolitan areas have projects ongoing in the Interstate 35 Corridor in Texas. In the Dallas metropolitan area, one major transportation and redevelopment project is the Trinity Parkway toll road near Interstate 35E. Trinity Parkway toll road, the costliest item in a proposed $1.2 billion Trinity River redevelopment, is planned to untangle downtown traffic and allow for beautification of the river area. An extensive study of the proposal began this summer, and the Dallas City Council considered a Trinity master plan in August 1999. Critics to this plan argue that building a new highway may make congestion worse and decrease the quality of the Trinity River corridor. The highway would be constructed in a flood plain, which would cause problems during periods of heavy rain.
According to the Dallas News, the Trinity Parkway would run diagonally through the heart of Dallas, cutting a 10-mile swath from State Highway 183 near Irving past downtown into South Dallas. Planners estimated in 1997 that the road would cost $394 million to build. "The highway anchors a multiagency [including the Dallas City Council, Dallas County, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, the Regional Transportation Council, and North Texas Tollway Authority] proposal to reshape the river, a plan that also includes downtown freeway work, flood-control levees, a recreational lake and a forest preserve. Dallas voters have authorized the city to borrow $246 million to pay for its share of the plan, including $84 million for the toll road."
Much of the planning for highway improvements has focused on the downtown area, since Dallas' downtown traffic problem drives the suburban commute. According to the Dallas News, three hours of congestion occurs each weekday morning and evening in the infamous "canyon" and "mixmaster" interchanges along the major Interstates in the downtown area. In 1999, traffic planners projected that if nothing were done, the morning and evening rush hours would merge by 2020 into a single, nine-hour block of congestion. A panel of Dallas-area leaders, after conducting public meetings, proposed a remedy in 1997, which features a $1 billion fix, including the Trinity toll road, which would serve as a "reliever route" to allow drivers to bypass the downtown freeway interchanges.
The Trinity Parkway plan would also encompass improvements to the existing highway infrastructure. Some downtown highways would feature new commuter lanes, projects to reduce merging, and new connections between Interstate 35E and Interstate 30. New monitoring systems are planned to help traffic flow better.
Texas State Route 161
Plans also call for improvements and freeway extensions to both ends of Texas State Route 161. The following information is from misc.transport.road on December 17, 1999, by Jason Eargle. Texas 161 is that small portion (maybe ten miles) of highway on the east and southeast side of Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The highway runs from Airport Freeway (Texas 183), north and then northeastward past John Carpenter Freeway (Texas 114 in Las Colinas) and currently ends at LBJ Freeway (Interstate 635). The highway is expected to be completed northward from its current end at Interstate 635 to the end of the President George Bush Turnpike at Interstate 35E. Plans call for Texas 161 to be extended southward to Interstate 20. Currently, the interchange with Airport Freeway (Texas 183) is under construction in Irving.
Jason Eargle received the following email from Texas DOT related to the SH-161 construction:
The route has been selected for SH 161. When it's constructed, the route will basically go south from its current intersection at SH 183 between Esters Rd and Valley View Ln to Oakdale Rd (between two Hardrock Roads). From the Oakdale Rd intersection, SH 161 will proceed southwesterly (east of Mike Lewis Park) and then southward (just like an "S" curve) until it ties into NW 19th St at Carrier Pkwy, on the western side of Waggoner Park. Please note that SH 161 will require ten acres from Waggoner Park. From the NW 19th St/Carrier Pkwy intersection, SH 161 will continue southward along NW 19th St -- crossing Interstate 30 -- until it intersects January Lane. From the NW 19th/January Ln intersection, SH 161 again traverses into an "S" curve (southeasterly to south direction) until it intersects SH 180/Main Street at West Freeway Rd. From this intersection SH 161 will head south along West Freeway Rd until it intersects SP 303 at West Freeway Road. And finally, from the SP 303/West Freeway Rd, SH 161 again would continue south to it terminus at Interstate 20 and Dorothy Rd intersection.
Interstate 30/SH 161 interchange will be a five level fully directional interchange. This interchange will be similar to the interchange at Interstate 20 and SH-360 but will have an additional level with continuous frontage roads. SH 161 mainlanes will be depressed below Interstate 30, then 2nd level is Interstate 30, 3rd level are the frontage roads, 4th and 5th level are the direct connection ramps.
Interstate 20/SH 161 interchange will be a three level trumpet interchange with Interstate 20 as the first level, SH 161 as the 2nd level and the direct connection ramps as the 3rd level.
Please note that initially the SH 161 project would consist of four freeway lanes from Interstate 20 to Interstate 30 with three-lane frontage road lanes on each side. From Interstate 30 to SH 183, SH 161 will be 6 freeway lanes with three-lane frontage roads on each side with the exception that frontage roads will not be continuous from the West Fork of the Trinity River to Oakdale Rd and from Rock Island Rd to SH 183. Ultimately, SH 161 project would be expanded to eight to ten mainlanes.
Please note that the project has been in litigation for 16 years and is currently undergoing an Appeal at the 5th Circuit Court in New Orleans. The outcome of the Appeal is anticipated to be known by the end of year 2000. Currently, we are buying right-of-way for the project and so the earliest the construction can start would be year 2003. The whole project should take 5-7 years to complete unless the project becomes a toll road which may make the construction completion date somewhat sooner.
Why Toll Roads?
Notably, many of the projects listed along the Interstate 35 corridor in Texas involve toll roads. Precinct One Commissioner Heiligenstein questions the state's decision to make all these new roads toll roads. "I think it was kind of ironic we worked as hard as we did to help secure some additional funding for the transportation bill [TEA 21]," he says. "I don't think anyone from Texas was up in Washington more than we were and yet our citizens have to put up with toll roads. I don't think every road in this area should be a toll road." It will be interesting to see if other federal or state funding becomes available for construction of projects within this corridor.
Interstate 35 in Oklahoma
The AASHTO Quarterly in reported, in its Spring 1999 edition, that Oklahoma was the recipient of significant TEA-21 funding related to the development of the Interstate 35 corridor. The following is an excerpt from that article about significant reconstruction and relocation of the Interstate 40 Crosstown Expressway in Oklahoma City:
Its mid-America location and proximity to Interstate 35 give the Interstate 40 Oklahoma City Crosstown Expressway vital national significance. So much, in fact, that its reconstruction needs earned a $103 million allocation under TEA-21. Local interests across the state were set aside by civic and political leaders to push for the upgrading of this route.
Completed in the 1960s, the Crosstown is showing its age and is in serious need
of reconstruction. Traffic load is 100,000 vehicles per day, and the two-mile bridge through the heart of downtown Oklahoma City is the longest bridge in the state. Joint failures are common and the concrete deck must be replaced. If a single cross member were to fail because of the outdated, fracture-critical design, an entire section could collapse. Serious safety issues include substandard geometry, inadequate acceleration lanes and shoulders and winter icing on the bridge.
For a project of this magnitude, money is a critical factor. With a total cost of over $230 million, as much outside funding as possible was needed. Given Oklahoma's state funding, the project would either consume almost the entire $300 million state highway budget for one year, or take up eight years of bridge replacement funds, with no money left over to do any other bridge construction statewide during that period.
The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has spent the past three years working to build community consensus through a major investment study to meet both local and national needs. This project is an excellent example of continuous community involvement. Efforts included hundreds of meetings with civic groups and elected officials. Media coverage was extensive, with frequent print and broadcast stories generated during the study period. Both citizen and technical committees were formed and met to address the wide-ranging issues involved in planning for such a massive project. Congressman Bud Shuster (R-PA) visited Oklahoma in 1997 to see the Crosstown situation and was shown the problems up close. ODOT presented a number of proposed new alignments for the route and, through study and public input, finally narrowed the choices and in December 1998 announced the preferred route. Alternate D, as it is called, runs a few blocks south of the existing mainline and represents what ODOT considers the best compromise in cost, construction time and traffic disruption.
The proposed route, being separate from the present alignment, can be constructed while the existing facility continues in use. The new construction can be easily phased and completed with the whole facility opening at once. Provided the remaining financing can be lined up, the projected timeline for the Crosstown realignment will include final engineering design plans completed and right-of-way acquisition beginning by FY 2001. Construction should begin by FY 2002 with final construction under way by FY 2005. By covering almost half of the total cost of the project, TEA-21 has helped ensure that a critical link in the nation's highway network will continue to contribute to America's economic well being.
U.S. 69 in Oklahoma
The ISTEA legislation of 1991 Section 1074 states, "Notwithstanding any other provision of law, upon the request of the Oklahoma State highway agency, the Secretary shall designate the portion of United States Route 69 from the Oklahoma-Texas State line to Checotah in the State of Oklahoma as a part of the Interstate System pursuant to section 139 of title 23, United States Code." While U.S. 69 has not been brought up to Interstate standards as of 2002, current plans call for an Oklahoma Turnpike to parallel U.S. 69.
Interstate 35 in Kansas
The U.S. 59 Corridor, which is only tangentially related to the Interstate 35 corridor, is slated for upgrades. According to Richie Kennedy, KDOT is proposing a new U.S. 59 freeway between the end of the current four-lane section in Lawrence and Interstate 35 near Ottawa. KDOT wants to make it a four-lane freeway; however, a group has formed who think that 59 can be upgraded to an expressway to properly handle traffic needs. The preferred alignment of the proposed U.S. 59 freeway would be located as much as a mile away from the present alignment of U.S. 59. Although KDOT has already settled on constructing a freeway, local opposition has sprung up to request more studies on making the roadway an expressway with at-grade intersections.
Interstate 35 in Missouri
No major improvements.
Interstate 35 in Iowa
The Interstate 235 freeway through Des Moines is slated for a major reconstruction and upgrade over the next several years. In addition, a bypass carrying U.S. 65 has been constructed southeast of Des Moines to accommodate the rapid growth of the suburbs.
At Clear Lake, the Interstate 35 Corridor links with the Avenue of the Saints, a highway that will provide expressway access between St. Louis and St. Paul.
Interstate 35 in Minnesota
Improvements are planned for Interstate 35 in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. Most of the information below is provided by Adam Froehlig. Several improvements are planned for the Interstate 35W branch through Minneapolis:
- The section between Interstate 494 and 46th Street in Richfield and south
Minneapolis will see some major upgrades, including a full reconstruction of the infamous "Crosstown Commons" (the interchanges/duplex with MN 62), over the next few years. Upon completion around 2003, Interstate 35W will have an additional lane in each direction, to be used as an HOV lane during rush hours. Interstate 35W and MN 62 will also be separated from each other, with some of the current "left exits" being replaced by right-side exits.
- Other projects on the horizon include improvements and/or major expansion between 46th Street and Interstate 94, and also between Washington Ave (east side of downtown Minneapolis) to the Ramsey/Anoka County line. Whatever improvements are decided will happen in the 2010s.
MnDOT also plans improvements for Interstate 35E:
- The short duplex between Interstate 35E and Interstate 694 is currently seeing some ramp and mainline adjustments in order to reduce/remove the weaving problems of the original configuration.
- Major upgrades are planned on two segments of Interstate 35E, between Minnesota 110 and Minnesota 5, and between Interstate 94 and Interstate 694. The two main bridges involved, the Mississippi River bridge (between Minnesota 110 and Minnesota 5) and a railroad bridge near downtown St. Paul, will likely see replacement in the next five years, with the other improvements occuring sometime during the 2010s.
Interstate 29: Sioux City Bypass
A 7.2-mile bypass is being designed and constructed on the eastern/northeastern edge of Sioux City, Iowa. It will connect U.S. 75 north of Sioux City with U.S. 20 east of Sioux City, and it will be designated as part of Interstate 129. Currently, Interstate 129 extends from Interstate 29 west into South Sioux City, Nebraska for about three miles. Interstate 129 will be extended east via the existing U.S. 20 freeway up and around the southeastern side of Sioux City. When finished in late 2001, Interstate 129 will be over 17 miles long. After this section is complete, long-range plans (2004-2008) call for the loop to be extended back west across the northside of Sioux City westward to South Dakota and connect with I-29 just north of North Sioux City, South Dakota. This will result in an Interstate loop around the eastern side of the Sioux City metro area, and the road may at that time be recommissioned as Interstate 429. However, funding for the complete bypass has not yet been realized. More information on this is available at Three-Digit Interstates from Interstate 29 (Kurumi/Scott Oglesby).
The High-Tech Highway
Interstate 35 was added to the list of high priority corridors as part of the NHS legislation, but it was not included in ISTEA. The North America Superhighway Coalition, formed by leaders from 21 Texas counties, coordinates efforts to secure funding for highway. In addition, the coalition wants to see Interstate 35 reborn as a high-tech superhighway. According to Texas' Fiscal Notes:
"Supporters in Texas propose that a fiber optic spine be installed along Interstate 35 to track cargo from origin to destination and to recommend the quickest and most cost-efficient routes to be drivers. The superhighway would include international signs and would allow cargos to be pre-cleared at U.S. Customs at inland ports. All tolls, taxes, and fees could be prepaid and transferred to appropriate states. Border inspections could be cut to a minimum. In May 1995, then-U.S. Transportation Secretary Federico Pena announced the two pilot projects designed to automate the clearance of commercial border crossings and to improve safety. The projects ... are expected to electronically identify the vehicle and check the pertinent safety, customs, and immigration data before the shipment's arrival. Tests on the project began in the spring of 1995 and are expected to end in early 1997."
These tests may be ongoing both in Texas and in Arizona.
Interstate 35 and Interstate 69 (Corridors 18 and 20)
The North America Superhighway Coalition was founded to advocate Interstate 35 as a route from Canada to Mexico. The Interstate 35 Corridor Coalition was partially developed because of a perceived threat from the proposed Interstate 69 being considered in Eastern Texas. I have read several articles that attest to this rivalry, including the map above. Despite all the debate between proponents of both corridors, in my opinion it all comes down to this: Interstate 35 is built and Interstate 69 is not.
Other Texas Freeway Corridors
In a misc.transport.road article from June 1998, Fred Tyner (who has also opined on several of the High Priority Corridors in Mississippi) indicated that Texas had an old freeway plan. From the best of his recollection, here are the routes. Those that have been completed are so noted:
- Texoma Freeway: U.S. 75 (completed)
- EasTex Freeway: Houston to Texarkana
- CenTex Freeway: U.S. 190 in the Temple-Killeen area
- Coastal Bend Freeway: Houston to the Rio Grande Valley (Brownsville?)
- Panhandle Freeway: Ft. Worth to Amarillo
- Capital of Texas Freeway: East-West through Austin, connecting to Interstate 10 at each end (sounds like the Texas 71 freeway proposal)
- Valley Freeway: Laredo-Brownsville
- WesTex Freeway: New Mexico to Amarillo, San Angelo, and Junction
The Port-to-Plains Freeway from Houston to Lubbock was not on the proposed Texas freeway map. As proposed, this freeway would cut a diagonal across interior Texas, with a connection to Interstate 27 and to Mexico. That should make the highway a "NAFTA" corridor.
Page Updated August 18, 2002.
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