You don’t have to convince us about the current conditions of US 290 – the current congestion during peak periods is at an unacceptable level. Unfortunately it continues to get even worse with time and continued growth patterns.
As noted, the US 290 Program has always had a phased implementation due to funding limitations as well as consideration of traffic impacts. It is anticipated that construction of Segment K, the inbound portion of the IH 610/US 290 interchange will begin in Summer 2011. It is also anticipated that Segment J-1, the Direct Connector from IH 10 to outbound US 290 and the IH 610 North Loop eastbound, will be put out for construction bid in Fall 2012.
In addition, it is anticipated that the identified Category 2, Urban Mobility funding for minimal construction on additional portions of the US 290 Program, including sections on US 290 between W. 34th Street and Beltway 8, will allow construction on those portions to begin in 2014. See which portions of US 290 are tentatively funded here, and find more details about the UTP here.
The rest of US 290 Phase II, which extends from W. 34th Street to Telge Road, and US 290 Phase III, which extends from Telge Road to FM 2920, will be significantly impacted by future funding.
Our program also includes the construction of the parallel Hempstead Tollway. Currently our program partner, the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA), is assessing its long-term regional mobility goals and financial projections to determine applicable construction phasing.
We understand your frustrations and share in the existing commute challenges on this corridor. However, transportation projects do take a lengthy period to achieve the necessary approvals. We must comply with current federal laws, which are designed to protect the public’s interest, including the current Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process governed by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is being very proactive in trying to expedite the US 290 Program at both the state and federal level. The goal is to make the process move faster in a responsible manner in order to meet the demands being placed upon our infrastructure due to exploding population growth rates.
Additionally, we are in the midst of a funding crisis. While legislative actions in recent years provided new financial tools for transportation which has enabled investment of historic levels with a $5.3 Billion construction project in 2006, to improve mobility and safety across the state, we have maximized all available options to date and our project is returning to the level of a few years ago. Meanwhile more and more funds are being diverted from transportation or rescinded by the federal government while costs are increasing at dramatic levels. The end result is we are running out of money to pay for added capacity projects and must shift our focus to maintaining the existing transportation system.
The issue is not new, but continues to become more challenging:
Over the past 25 years in Texas…
- Our population increased 57%
- Use of our roads grew 95%
- State road capacity grew only 8%
- Congress transferred $7 billion in Texas gas tax payments to other states
- The state moved $10.8 billion in transportation funds to other uses
Over the next 25 years in Texas…
- Our population will increase an additional 64%
- Use of our roads will increase an additional 214%
- State road capacity will grow only an additional 6%
- Congress will transfer an additional $7.5 billion in Texas gas tax payments to other states
- The state will use an additional $13.5 billion in transportation funds for other pressing needs
The funding issue has been increased by a number of factors including the impact of inflation (highway construction costs have increased 62% over the past 5 years); increased maintenance needs for an aging system; the continued movement of state transportation dollars to pay for other state priorities; higher gas prices which have decreased consumption and resulted in revenue shortfalls since the gas tax remains a constant value per gallon; and the uncertainty of federal funds. We encourage you to review this publication, TxDOT Open for Business. It gives even more stats and figures, as well as lists TxDOT’s original strategy to proactively meet this significant funding challenge.