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Tollway 130 between Austin and Seguin construction

Started by longhorn, April 15, 2018, 10:51:52 PM

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longhorn

Whats with all the construction on 130 between I-10 and tollway 45? I was expecting 85 mph running but the speed limit with all of the one lane running is 65 mph. I thought the owner of this section went bankrupt? Not sure the tolls are working, did not see the normal flash as you pass underneath them like those around Austin.


Great Lakes Roads

From the TxTag website:

"The 41-mile southern section of SH 130 (segments 5-6), which is operated by the SH130 Concession Company, is undergoing a reconstruction project to fix pavement problems and improve ride quality."

Hope that answers your question on why the speed limit is being reduced temporaily...

Chris

I was just looking at SH 130 on Google Earth the other day, it has imagery from January 22. They have completely ripped out the pavement on the I-10 west to SH 130 north ramp. There are some other single lane work zones too. That's some serious reconstruction for a roadway that is only a few years old.

longhorn

There were rumors that the company that built the southern 130 portion did it on the cheap, I guess we are seeing the results.  Was still quicker than taking I-35 from SAT to Georgetown.

wxfree

This isn't the first time that road has had major repairs.  It needed a lot of rebuilding before it opened.  The company blamed the drought and the soil conditions.  I-10 and I-35 in the area, which carried heavy traffic while experiencing the same drought and soil conditions, had no problems.  It was built very cheaply.  The company knew it would be a revenue negative operation and built it accordingly.  The two partners, a toll road investment company and a road builder, used the money they borrowed to pay themselves to build the road and made all the money they ever would that way.  The cheaper they got it built the more profit they'd make.
I'd like to buy a vowel, Alex.  What is E?

AsphaltPlanet

#5
The pavement has distressed due to a high amount of clay in the soil in that part of Texas.  The current repairs are a continuation of years of previous repairs as well.  When the highway was constructed, areas of clay were treated with lime (a form of calcium oxide)calcium chloride, which should have (and probably to an extend did) help to mitigate the effects of subsurface water on clay, however sections of the pavement have shown distress more or less since day one.

While I cannot comment weather the consortium "cheaped out" on highway construction or not... it is worth pointing out that there are quite a number of pavement distresses on the concrete segments of SH-130 closer to Austin that were built by TxDot.  Also, sections of both I-635 in Dallas, and the HW Bush Tollway in Dallas also have segments of very, very distressed pavement for similar subsurface reasons.
AsphaltPlanet.ca  Youtube -- Opinions expressed reflect the viewpoints of others.

MaxConcrete

TxDOT is soliciting for a General Engineering Consultant, with the main task listed as "GEC to Support SH 130 - Segments 5 and 6". The crumbling segment is sections 5 and 6. https://www.mysh130.com/about/

It is unclear exactly what the GEC will be doing, but since it usually takes at least 6 months to get the consultant contracts in place, this suggests to me that there may be much more work needed than the repairs currently in progress.


https://www.txdot.gov/business/consultants/architectural-engineering-surveying/meetings/040318.html
www.DFWFreeways.com
www.HoustonFreeways.com

kphoger

I drove the highway back in 2014, and the undulating roadbed stood out to me already back then because I had a heavy-laden vehicle.  I agree about the soil in that part of Texas playing a part:  many roads in that part of Texas (and across the border in Mexico) have similar problems;  TX-255–another (former) toll road–comes to mind specifically, but there are plenty of others as well.

Honestly, 85 mph is not far from the fastest speed I would comfortably drive on that highway anyway.  On some of the curves, I would even drop back closer to 80 mph.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

longhorn

I believe the 85 mph speed limit was to draw drivers. Now its mostly 65 mph, and one lane for alot of it. I imagine revenues for this bankrupted section has dropped. Might as well take the tolls off.

kphoger

Quote from: longhorn on May 15, 2018, 02:36:54 PM
I believe the 85 mph speed limit was to draw drivers. Now its mostly 65 mph, and one lane for alot of it. I imagine revenues for this bankrupted section has dropped. Might as well take the tolls off.

The company that built the toll road insisted on an 85mph speed limit as part of the deal, so Texas lawmakers gave in.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

wxfree

Quote from: kphoger on May 15, 2018, 04:35:25 PM
Quote from: longhorn on May 15, 2018, 02:36:54 PM
I believe the 85 mph speed limit was to draw drivers. Now its mostly 65 mph, and one lane for alot of it. I imagine revenues for this bankrupted section has dropped. Might as well take the tolls off.

The company that built the toll road insisted on an 85mph speed limit as part of the deal, so Texas lawmakers gave in.

They paid for it, too.  The company paid an extra $100,000,000 in concession fees for that higher speed limit authorized by TxDOT.  In the contract, TxDOT could choose its form of compensation for the higher speed limit, either the one-time payment or a bigger cut of the tolls.  They would get 4.65% no matter what (that's what the actually get) and could have selected to get 11.05% instead of the single payment.

The 85 mph speed limit had already been written into the laws, but only for non-trucks during daytime.  That was back when the night speed limit was 65 and truck limits were capped at 70.  In 2011 the night and truck limits were taken out.  In a separate bill but at the same time, the maximum speed limit of 85 was written into the regular speed limit laws.  It was originally in a separate section for the Trans-Texas Corridor, which was repealed.  The legislature knew that a hundred million bucks was at stake, so they saved that provision (which is also the reason the north part of SH 130 and SH 45SE are allowed to have a speed limit above 75).
I'd like to buy a vowel, Alex.  What is E?



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