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MPO to mull I-69 designation
By: Brandy S. Chewning - Texarkana Gazette
The Metropolitan Planning Organization is considering whether to support designating a small section of U.S. Highway 59 as Interstate 69.
U.S. 59 bypass (originally known as Loop 151), connecting U.S. 59 and Interstate 30, is already built to interstate standards, and the local committee for planning I-69 in Texas has requested that MPO support designating it I-69.
Jerry Sparks, chairman of the Segment 1 corridor committee, said part of the southern portion of the route, around Houston, has already been designated I-69.
“We’re going to show people that Texas has it tagged at the top and bottom; all we have to do is connect the dots,” Sparks said.
To get a legitimate designation as I-69, not just as a future corridor, will likely take 18 months, Sparks said.
“It is an awareness that I-69 is moving forward,” he said. “It’s a very small piece, more for recognition value than anything else. It is my understanding that the recognition of the north and the south ends of I-69 being built to interstate standards is a positive factor in helping secure more federal funds.”
The proposed resolution says all that will be designated is the short section of the bypass (Loop 151) and calls for continued study of a relief route west of Texarkana. Various routes have been considered, and all have met with public opposition.
In other action at an upcoming meeting, the MPO technical committee is expected to recommend a project for spending $2.2 million received from the Texas Transportation Commission.
Though it sounds like a lot of money for most pocketbooks, MPO Director Brad McCaleb told MPO members last month that $2.2 million is minimal in the transportation world.
Two billion dollars is being divvied out to MPOs in Texas, but qualifying projects will have strict criteria and tight timelines. McCaleb said there has been discussion of allowing MPOs to loan their funds if they do not have qualifying projects themselves.
“You have one MPO and they don’t have any projects that they can get ready to meet this timeline, but you have another MPO, they have a project, it’s ready to go out the door but they’re short on funding,” McCaleb explained. “The first MPO would transfer their allocation to the second MPO ... part of the agreement being that that second MPO then, at a particular point in time in the future, would send a portion of their allocated funds back to the first MPO.
“Basically, you’re buying yourself time to develop that project that you don’t currently have ready,” he said.
Texarkana’s portion of the state funding will likely be used to rebuild the intersection of U.S. 59 and Kings Highway.
The MPO technical committee meets at 10 a.m. Thursday and the policy board will take final action at 10 a.m. May 17. Both meetings will be at the Texas Municipal Building, 220 Texas Blvd.
Published: 05/09/2012