TEMPLE, Texas — Governor Greg Abbott announced a record 10-year, $100 billion statewide roadway construction plan with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
The new plan will increase the number of transportation projects to improve congestion, maintain roadways, and increase safety across Texas.
Texas A&M University Transportation Institute research specialist David Schrank says with the Texas population constantly increasing, these improvements came at a great time.
"We're gonna need a more efficient transportation system to handle that. This is going to help drivers in the big metro areas and also the smaller urban regions like Central Texas, Temple, Killeen," Schrank explained.
In Central Texas, TxDOT Waco's Jake Smith says TxDOT is in the beginning stages of this project but have a few major highways on their list.
"In our district, we have some major projects on that list. For I-35, we have US 190 in Coryell County, Franklin Avenue in McLennan County, and out in Hamilton County, our rural county, over $100 million for construction of the relief route by US 281," Smith said.
According to new data from the U.S. Census Bureau, Texas has joined California as the only other state in the nation with a population of more than 30 million.
Schrank says the population will be at least 40 million by the end of this 10-year project and this project is very needed in this state as more people are moving to Texas by the millions.
People will have an opportunity to weigh in on the proposed changes to the transportation program before it's approved later this year.