State Adopts Transportation Plan for 2006

The Texas Transportation Commission recently approved the 2006 Statewide Mobility Program, a major aspect of TxDOT's blueprint for statewide transportation projects.

February TxDOT Letting Dates

The Texas Department of Transportation has scheduled its next highway letting for February 7 and 8. Seventy-nine projects are approved to be let with an estimated total of $305,924,951.

A TxDOT report said projects may be added, advanced or delayed as deemed necessary

TxDOT's Statewide Mobility Program

The Texas Transportation Commission has awarded a contract for the construction of a three-level interchange connecting the new NASA Road 1 Bypass and IH-45-Gulf Freeway. The project will construct a new overpass on IH-45-Gulf Freeway where the bypass currently under construction will intersect the freeway. In addition, two new direct connector ramps at the interchange, providing motorists traveling to and from Houston with direct access between the new NASA Road 1 and IH 45-Gulf Freeway mainlanes will be constructed. The southbound direct connector to NASA Road 1 eastbound will soar more than 70 ft. over the at-grade frontage roads.

The $54,479,255 contract was awarded to W.W. Webber Inc. of Houston. The 1-mi. section of the Gulf Freeway will be completely rebuilt south of the present NASA Road 1 to the proposed interchange. This project will build the north- and southbound three-lane frontage roads of IH-45 as an at-grade intersection with the new NASA Road 1 Bypass.

All work on the project will be completed by the end of March 2009. The Texas Transportation Commission recently approved the 2006 Statewide Mobility Program.

The plan allocates nearly $12.4 billion for mobility improvements for highway, rail, public transportation and aviation across Texas through 2009. The majority of projects in the program were selected at the local level, either directly by local officials or local officials working with TxDOT district offices.

The commission also approved the Texas Rail System Plan, TxDOT's first-ever statewide rail plan. The plan is the result of legislation broadening the department's rail responsibilities. It highlights the importance of rail in reducing highway traffic congestion and in attracting new businesses to the state. The document identifies current and proposed rail projects, determines infrastructure and capacity needs and the processes to address those needs.

Also on the commission's agenda items was the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority. The commission authorized TxDOT to negotiate an agreement with the RMA authorizing it to develop three potential toll projects in San Antonio. These projects include expansion or new construction of IH-35 from the Bexar/

Guadalupe County line to IH-37, SH 16 from IH-410 to Loop 1604 and the U.S. 281/Wurzbach Parkway interchange. In related commission action, preliminary approval also was granted for a $7.5 million loan to the RMA to develop its starter toll system.

TxDOT also was authorized by the commission to execute a pass-through finance agreement with Williamson County for improvements to various highway projects in the county. This is the fourth pass-through toll agreement approved by the commission.

Motorists will see more truck lane restrictions with the commission's approval of restricted lanes on IH-20 in Dallas County, IH-30 in Tarrant County and IH-10 and U.S. Highway 290 in Harris County. Crashes were reduced by nearly two-thirds after trucks were restricted to certain lanes on an 8-mi. stretch of IH-10 in Houston in 2000. With this action, approximately 197 miles of truck lane restrictions have been approved in Texas.

Texas Lands Offshore Wind Project

Commissioner Jerry Patterson of the Texas General Land Office recently announced the state has signed an agreement to allow the first offshore wind-energy project in the United States to be built off Galveston Island.

"Today marks a new era for energy development in America, and what better place to begin than Texas," Patterson said. "Texas knows energy, and we're ready to lead the nation toward establishing clean, reliable coastal wind power as an energy reality."

The multi-million dollar lease, signed with Galveston-Offshore Wind LLC, allows work to begin immediately on the construction of two meteorological towers. Galveston-Offshore Wind is a division of Louisiana-based Wind Energy Systems Technologies.

The towers will help gather data to determine exactly where the 150 MW wind energy development will be built on an 11,355-acre lease about seven mi. off the coast of Galveston. Revenue from the agreement - expected to be at least $26.5 million - will be deposited in the state's Permanent School Fund, which helps pay for public education.

Other states, including New York and Massachusetts, have pursued offshore wind projects that got bogged down, making the lease a first for Texas and the nation.

"Coastal wind power has come to the United States," Patterson said. "And found a home in Texas."

Once the research is complete, the second phase of the lease - the construction phase - will begin. Construction is expected to cost as much as $300 million and could take up to five years. Wind Energy Systems Technologies plans to build a field of about 50 wind turbines to produce an expected 150 MW. The hub of each turbine will rise 260 ft. above sea level. The turbine blades will be up to 55 yds. long, giving each turbine a diameter approximately the length of a football field.

HDR Acquires Transportation Firm

HDR Inc. has acquired S.R. Beard & Associates LLC, a transportation consulting firm headquartered in Phoenix, Ariz. S.R. Beard has 55 employees with additional offices in Dallas and Houston. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

S.R. Beard will conduct business as HDR/S.R. Beard & Associates and will help lead the company's transit planning and transit program management practice nationally.