TxDOT officials say I-69/TTC will follow existing highways
By BARRY HALVORSON bhalvorson@journal-spectator.com

Staff photo by Barry Halvorson Wharton Area Engineer Mark Wooldridge, left, listens in as Yoakum District Engineer Lonnie J. Gregorcyk, explains the recommended route I-69/TTC will now follow existing highways, such as U.S. 59.

As part of the I-69/TTC Tier One Environmental Impact Study, Texas Department of Transportation officials went out into the communities and counties that would be impacted by the project.

And in response to what they heard back during those public hearings and town hall meetings, TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz Jr. announced the department will be recommending to the Federal Highway Administration against the new location alternative.

"Instead, TxDOT is recommending the use of existing/planned transportation facilities alternative as the preferred alternative in the I-69/TTC Tier One Final Environmental Impact Statement," he wrote in his letter to the FWA. "This includes using the right of way along U.S. 59, U.S. 77, U.S. 281 and State Highway 44."

Putting it in simple English during a news conference held Wednesday in Victoria, Saenz said the project will concentrate on using those existing highways instead of building new roadway corridors. In explaining that decision, he said the agency was following the will of the people as expressed in comments made during the hearings and in various letters and e-mails sent to the agency.

Staff photo by Barry Halvorson TxDOT Executive Director Amadeo Saenz Jr. says the agency will recommend that the I-69/TTC project will be built along existing highways, like U.S. 59.

"We had extensive, extensive public input," Saenz said. "We heard a lot, and a lot that I can't repeat, on what should be done. And what people said was why not use the existing corridors. Based on those comments, our recommendation is to move forward along existing corridors."

He added that the agency will also be following the guiding principals for toll roads recently announced by the agency, including that any existing lanes of traffic would remain the same and that only new lanes, if necessary, would be tolled.

TxDOT Assistant Executive Director for Innovative Project Development said that after more than 20 years of having the I-69 concept on the drawing board, the project is closer than it has ever been to moving forward. He also said that the public input was instrumental in reaching a decision, citing the fact that the agency received more than 28,000 comments during the Tier One study from approximately 12,000 people.

"There were some who doubted us and said that TxDOT was not listening but we were," he said.

In response to questions, Saenz said there was a misunderstanding regarding leaving existing highways out of the Tier One study.

"As part of the DEIS (Draft Environmental Impact Study) we included both the existing alignment as well as adjacent corridors," he said. "We always had the intent of looking at existing infrastructure. But I guess we did a poor job of communicating that information to the public."

Included among the most compelling information provided to TxDOT during the process was history of the area prepared by various residents and groups, Texas Turnpike Authority Division Environmental Manager Doug Booher said.

"We got a lot of comments, particularly from the Glen Flora and Spanish Camp communities as well as Wharton, Waller and Austin Counties in general," Booher said.

"The history of Texas is always a consideration and making the effort to minimize the impact is something that is always a challenge but does not go away."

In discussing how the project will be developed from this point on, Saenz said his agency would be using an advisory committee approach, including an overall group and a segment advisory committee that will offer input on specifics in their particular regions of interest.

"They will help identify what it will look like," he said. "Whether it is highway, highway with railroad, highway and railroad with utility easements or just railroad."

And while it was confirmed the alternate routes are out of consideration, in an interview following the meeting Saenz and Yoakum District Engineer Lonnie Gregorcyk did say there will be some areas where certain allowances will be made.

Those include making decisions where the highway passes through a community and a bypass or loop may be necessary to accommodate the additional or expanded lanes of traffic.

"But that will be dealt with on a case-by-case basis," Gregorcyk said.

"And it will be discussed with local elected officials. Those projects will be handled more like local TxDOT projects than as part of the overall project."

The estimate of six months to a year were given for the completion of the Tier Two EIS before the project can proceed further.

No time line was offered concerning the start or completion of construction.

A copy of Saenz's letter to the FHWA and a new map reflection TxDOT's recommendation are available on the Internet at www.keeptexasmoving. com.