DALLAS – The Texas Department of Transportation plans to spend $2.5 billion on 19 major urban projects over the next four years as part of its "Clear Lanes" program, officials said.
The Clear Lanes funding is part of a 10-year, $70 billion capital plan that TxDOT's supervisory board, the Texas Transportation Commission, has agreed to support.
In addition to the urban projects, TxDOT has rural projects that bring the Clear Lanes funding to about $4 billion over four years. The TTC is expected to vote on the funding at its March 28 meeting.
TxDOT is enjoying about $5 billion in additional funding in a year when other state agencies are expected to cut back on spending due to lower state revenues. Although TTC is experiencing one of its lighter years for debt issuance in 2017, the future projects are expected to elevate bond issuance in coming years.
Texas voters in 2014 approved using a share of the Rainy Day Fund for highway projects and in 2015 agreed to divert a portion of state sales tax revenue to road construction.
"We appreciate the support of Texans and we stand ready to deliver on these projects that will help ease their commutes," said TxDOT Deputy Executive Director Marc Williams. "Most of TxDOT's budget is dedicated to Texas roadway projects and we stand committed to putting those dollars to good use for our citizens."
While the 2015 Legislature heavily supported increased spending on highways, the 2017 session could take some of that money back. Lawmakers can reduce the transfer to the highway fund by up to half through a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. So far, no lawmaker has proposed taking any of the money back.
However, Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and Sen. Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown, asked Legislative Budget Board staff about how such a money transfer might work at a meeting in February.
Tax cuts in 2015 lowered available state revenues by about $4 billion, and the voter-approved highway funding initiatives left lawmakers with 2.7% less revenue in the current session.
Under the Clear Lanes program, most funds will be reserved for projects in Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio.
Among the most ambitious projects is the $1.7 billion plan to rebuild an elevated section of Interstate 45 in Houston and to provide new links to Interstate 69 and Texas 288. Clear Lanes would provide most of the $923 million of funding from TxDOT.
In Dallas, engineers are working on extension of the LBJ Express that recently opened on the northern section of the Interstate 635 loop around the city. Clear Lanes would provide about $437 million to add managed lanes, rebuild frontage roads, and redevelop the existing freeway. The so-called LBJ Freeway is one of the most congested highways in Dallas.
On the western section of I-635, Clear Lanes would provide $370 million to rebuild the freeway and interchanges.
