With multi-billion dollar plan, TxDOT is working to keep DFW growth flowing | Opinion
For the first time in its history, the Texas Department of Transportation’s 10-year planning and construction program has surpassed $100 billion in current and future projects.
That eye-catching amount reflects the rapid growth and booming economic activity touching every corner of the Lone Star State. More people are moving to Texas to live and do business, averaging 1,960 people per day. Because of that, my Texas Transportation Commission colleagues and I made history this month with the approval of a record amount in the Texas Department of Transportation’s Unified Transportation Program, or UTP, an annually updated forecast of potential transportation revenue that may be available to fund projects over the next 10 years.
Just one year ago, TxDOT set a previous record with the approval of an $85 billion UTP. A decade ago, the UTP value stood at about $34.3 billion. These are more than just dollar amounts. These figures represent real improvements to the quality of life for all Texans. There is an economic benefit, as well. The average $10.1 billion a year in the UTP over the next decade is expected to yield an estimated $18.8 billion per year in economic benefits, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute.
The commission, under the direction of Gov. Greg Abbott, is dedicating an unprecedented level of funding that will improve transportation safety, address urban congestion and rural connectivity, and maintain roadways and bridges for Texas drivers.
The renewed focus on infrastructure came at the right time. Since 2013, Texas has added 4 million new residents — about equal to the entire population of Oklahoma. Every year, my fellow transportation commissioners and I work hard to evaluate the needs of the state and plan mobility projects for both the current and the next generation of motorists. And we will continue to execute on the mission to build more capacity to meet those needs.
The commission has focused a large part of its planning and funding efforts on the Texas Clear Lanes initiative, a program designed to address the state’s most congested roadways. It focuses on the state’s five largest metro areas, with $67 billion in non-tolled projects completed, under construction or planned.
In the next 10 years, the commission will also dedicate a record amount for active transportation, such as bicycle and pedestrian facilities. This optionality supports safety, along with lifestyles and choices that can reduce vehicular traffic.
In the Fort Worth area, TxDOT has $5.2 billion in projects. The 2024 UTP includes $178 million in additional funding for the Southeast Connector, a major project that is transforming southeast Tarrant County where Loop 820, U.S. 287 and Interstate 20 converge.
And in the Dallas area, motorists have seen the dramatic improvements along Interstate 35E from Colorado Boulevard south to the U.S. 67 split. That $666 million project, known as the Southern Gateway, improved travel times from 22 mph to 50 mph northbound in the morning and 35 mph to 56 mph southbound in the afternoon.
Through the 2024 UTP, TxDOT and the commission have committed $11.5 billion for projects planned for construction in the Dallas area, including $147 million for Texas 205 in Rockwall County and $524 million for the Interstate 30 canyon project in downtown Dallas. Funding for the vital U.S. 380 corridor in Collin County continues to increase as well.
North Texas, especially Tarrant, Denton, Collin, Kaufman and Rockwall counties, is among the fastest-growing areas in the nation each year. The region also is now home to four counties each with more than 1 million people: Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and most recently Denton, which surpassed that mark in 2023.
The time to act and plan for the future is now. That’s why the UTP and our Texas Clear Lanes initiative carries so much importance. TxDOT and the Texas Transportation Commission are serious about our mission of “Connecting You with Texas.”
Robert C. Vaughn is a member of the Texas Transportation Commission, which oversees the state Department of Transportation. He lives in Dallas.
