TxDOT dumps Trans Texas Corridors - Cintra Zachry contract to be canceled

Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) officials plan to announce Wednesday that, in response to citizen comments received during the environmental review of Trans-Texas Corridor-35, the department has recommended the No Action Alternative on the TTC-35 environmental study to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

The dramatic retrenchment is announced on the TxDOT website tonight.  

The recommendation by TxDOT "will effectively end efforts to develop TTC-35 through the Trans-Texas Corridor concept," it says.

I-35 has long been recognized, TxDOT says in the announcement this evening, as one of the state’s most congested highways, delaying travel for motorists and freight.

"The TTC concept was introduced in 2001 as a strategy to address congestion."

However earlier this year TxDOT officials decided that the TTC concept was being set aside because of collapsing political support.

Wednesday, TxDOT officials will explain the final steps in the TTC-35 environmental review process and outline the department’s path forward, the announcement says.

"No build" the choice

The Texas Transportation Commission - which makes policy for TxDOT - will formally adopt a "No build" alternative for the last major Trans Texas Corridor bering considered Wednesday.

TTC-35 parallels I-35 in the Dallas, Austin, San Antonio corridor. It has been the subject of alternatives analysis and permitting for five years now.

Cintra/Zachry lose toll concession

That project development work was funded under a pre-concession agreement called a comprehensive development agreement (CDA) with a Cintra-Zachry joint venture working with TxDOT.

Texas transport commissioner Bill Meadows is quoted in the Ft Worth Star Telegraph this afternoon:

"What we basically are doing (this week) is we are terminating the process. It's the no-build option. Formally, absolutely, TTC35 is dead. We are canceling the contract with (Cintra and) Zachry."

Lack of public support cited

Meadows said there is no public support for the project.

TTC35 was an approx 1300km (800 mile) long corridor 1200ft (365m) wide to extend from south of San Antonio past Austin on its eastern edge through the Dallas area to the Oklahoma border. The first stage was to cost some $9.8b and in 21006 was said by TxDOT it was to be completed by 2011.

The other major nearterm Trans Texas Corridor was to be TTC69 from far northeast Texas at Texarkana through the Houston area to the Mexican border. It was abandoned in early 2008.

All toll financed

All Trans Texas Corridors were planned to be toll financed. In fully developed form they would have had separate truckways from the car expressways, high speed rail and freight rail as well as provision for electric power and natural gas.

TxDOT's announcement of the end of TTC35:

http://www.txdot.gov/news/047-2009.htm

2006 pitch for TTCs:

http://www.tollroadsnews.com/sites/default/files/2006pitch.pdf

TOLLROADSnews 2009-10-06