TEXAS, USA — On Tuesday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced the unanimous adoption of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) 2023 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), advancing a record $85 billion, 10-year roadway construction plan.
The UTP includes project priorities and funding projects in 25 districts across Texas. The 2023 plan has three main objectives: to promote safety, preserve the state’s assets and optimize the performance of the state’s transportation system overall.
"TxDOT's 2023 Unified Transportation Program is a critical step toward addressing the diverse needs of Texans in rural, urban and metropolitan communities," said Gov. Abbott. "This 10-year plan to address transportation needs statewide and dedicate $85 billion to improve roadways will be a huge boon to our state's infrastructure and booming economy. As more people move to Texas and businesses grow across the state, we are working together to make sure Texans' transportation safety and mobility are secured and businesses can flourish for generations to come."
TxDOT's Waco District Spokesperson Jake Smith said the $85 billion investment speaks for the growth and the demand of the state.
"That's of course one of the reasons why we do projects enforced to endure the projected capacity or projected traffic pattern of a certain area," he said.
“Texas’ rapid growth reinforces the importance of investing in transportation to efficiently move both people and freight across our diverse state," said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. "TxDOT is working hard to not only build the new roads and transportation capacity Texas needs, but to maintain the more than 80,000 miles of roads and other transportation infrastructure under our care.“
The UTP funds will coincide with an additional $32 billion over the life of the program for routine maintenance contracts and project development.
Projects will be funded through legislative and voter-approved initiatives that allocate portions of oil and gas taxes, sales taxes and other money to the state highway fund.
From rural roads to higher concentration areas, Smith said the plan will help serve a diverse population in Central Texas.
"Whether it's a project in McLennan County where we have a higher concentration of people or in the rural counties that we serve," Smith said. Whether it be Hamilton or Coryell, we serve a diverse population in our district and we believe our list of projects serves that diverse population," he said.
One of the feature projects in Central Texas is in Coryell County. U-S 190 will get two more lanes to the existing relief route turning it into a freeway section. Smith told 6 News it will cost tens of millions of dollars.
And, of course there is still work to be done on I-35 in Waco. You can see what other projects are in the plan here.
Smith says the projects in the 2023 plan for the Waco District were chosen by priority.
"This is a joint effort by not only TxDOT but, just talking with local elected officials, local planning organizations and the public and not only getting that input but also optimizing thorough analysis of what projects would best serve different populations and pushing through with that," Smith explained.
The Texas A&M Transportation Institute estimates the UTP will bring in $15.5 billion per year in economic benefits. The money will come from increased labor income and business output, as well as the addition of more than 58,000 direct and indirect jobs.