We need bold highway funding

Dallas Morning News ^ | March 23, 2007 | Keith Self (Collin County Judge)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

In the political world, rapid change only occurs when the public focuses attention on a specific issue.

We have that situation right now in Austin. Public and legislative attention is focused on the Texas Department of Transportation and a proposed moratorium on the Comprehensive Development Agreement process, including the recently announced CDA to construct State Highway 121 in Collin County. This public and legislative attention may offer an opportunity for Texas to reaffirm our commitment to focus government spending on core functions – in this case, transportation.

There are many subplots swirling in this complex CDA moratorium issue – reining in TxDOT, stopping the Trans Texas Corridor, protecting the North Texas Tollway Authority, stopping the announced CDA contract to build Highway 121 in Collin and Denton counties, and determining whether the Highway 121 CDA contract is a "good deal." I will address only the potential damage to the economic development of Collin County, if some equally beneficial and timely funding source is not quickly identified to build Highway 121.

Highway 121 received strong support from Sen. Florence Shapiro following my testimony Wednesday before the Senate Transportation and Homeland Security Committee. Representing Collin County on the committee, she strongly assured the citizens of our county that she is "absolutely not here to kill the road" and that she will work to fund the construction in the most economical way possible.

Simply put, a two-year delay in Highway 121 construction is unacceptable. The rapidly growing population in Collin County will overwhelm the existing transportation network and bring our explosive growth to an end, costing our county many millions of dollars in economic development and the tremendous economic momentum that we have today.

[wolfcreek]

"But a private monopoly on a road on a particular route can't be changed for 50 years, whether the company is competent or not (and since there can be no competition, what is their motivation to be competent?)."



You're absolutely right! Zachary (a partner with Cintra) is already having to replace several miles of the 45 toll road near Austin due to bad construction. I'm praying they got the flyovers right.


Texas should build and maintain their own roads. It's senseless to allow foreign interests to profit from the taxes that could be put back into local economies.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

You're welcome. :-)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

bump.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Does the road look anything like this?

[wolfcreek]

This section of road was never opened. State inspector's x-rays determined the rebar which was suppose to be on the bottom of the road surface was actually near the top.


They are in the process of completely ripping up the old pavement.


Nice Pix! Looks like California to me.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Has to be somewhere else; they're driving British-style