By PAMELA ROBINSON, Register Staff Writer
Gainesville Daily Register
Gainesville — Future projects were laid out during the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) public meeting on Tuesday for Fiscal Years 2011, 2012 and 2013. TxDOT area engineer Wayne Bell reviewed the Unified Transportation Program (UTP) of Work for FY 2011, 2012 and 2013, some of TxDOT’s current projects and then answered questions. “I will tell you that the projects that we have on this list are pretty slim,” Bell started. “Most of you know that TxDOT is under a money crunch and we’re basically semi-broke, and what money we do have is being directed into the metroplex for adding capacity, down there where all the traffic jams are.” For Fiscal Year 2011, there is one Cooke County project: Lindsay Landscape Project, ID #17 (see map) - In Lindsay from U.S. Highway 82, 1.357 miles west of FM 1199 north to 0.857 miles west of FM 1199 north. Cost estimate is $60,000-Governor’s Award for City of Lindsay’s beatification. Letting date is July 11. For Fiscal Year 2012, there are six Cooke County projects: Hot Mix Overlay Project, ID #19 (see map) - U.S. Highway 82, pave from FM 2739 to FM 1199 in Lindsay. Cost estimate is $1,526,437. Letting date is Sept. 11. Replace Bridge and Approaches Project, ID #24 (see map) - CR 165 at Draw. Cost estimate is $277,215. Letting date is Oct. 11. Replace Bridge and Approaches Project, ID #25 (see map) - CR 122 at Hickory Creek. Cost estimate is $178,585. Letting date is Oct. 11. Provide Additional Paved Surface Width Project, ID #27 - FM 902, Near Lake Kiowa to Grayson County Line. Cost estimate is $2,375,279. Letting date is Nov. 11. (Bell said this project will probably change as he also submitted for safety project money. Bell said he received word March 15 that the project made the list and may be pushed out to a future date and be funded from safety bonds. This would free up the $2,375,279 for another project in the district). Hot Mix Overlay Project, ID #29 (see map) - FM 51, from FM 922 in Era to FM 1306 in Gainesville. Cost estimate is $2,936,375. Letting date is March 12. Nova Chip Overlay Project, ID #30 (see map) - FM 51, start at Interstate 35 through City of Gainesville near FM 372. Cost estimate is $287,356. Letting date is March 12. Fiscal Year 2013, there are no Cooke County projects scheduled. For the county of Montague, there are three projects scheduled for 2011, no projects are scheduled for 2012 and one project is scheduled for 2013. Bell said the program list is subject to change almost daily, so the project’s status is current as of March 12 and that all of the projects depend on funding coming through as planned. He added that if the federal government does another stimulus program some projects will probably be added. During discussion, Cooke County Pct. 3 Commissioner Al Smith asked Bell to address the reportedly drastic reduction in the amount of money available for the county for maintenance and total reduction for new roads and new real improvements. “Basically, our funding has decreased drastically in the last year and a half, two years,” Bell replied. “Several reasons for this. One is that when gas got up to $4 a gallon, people started to cut back on driving and then they went out and bought the newer cars which get better gas mileage. So, the revenues that TxDOT is getting is actually declining a little bit because of more efficient cars...” Bell said that so far, the state hasn’t come up with any other ways of putting any more money into the road system. “The federal government has also felt the pinch and they have come out with several recissions,” he said. “Recissions is where money that they promised us in the future never materialized because they didn’t collect the taxes, so now they’re saying, ‘well, you’re not going to get this money,’ so they’re taking that money away from us, and that’s probably been close to, last year, a billion dollars.” Bell said that most of “your money” now is being funneled into the major MPO’s (Metropolitan Planning Organization) and it will not come out into the rural areas, but that will probably change in the near future. Bell reported that all the money in the area (Cooke and Montague County and the southern portion of Clay County), which is not indicated on the project list, is basically going to be for maintenance of the roads. “So most all the money we have is going to be spent on seal coats and overlays,” he continued, “to try to hold our system together until new funding becomes available.” During the meeting an audience member asked about the status of the Trans Texas Corridor. “Everybody tells me the Trans Texas Corridor is dead,” Bell said. “The Trans Texas Corridor, that concept, the 1,200-foot road cutting across Cooke County is what I’ve been told is dead.” He went on to say that something still needs to be done to provide more lanes, especially down in the Dallas-Fort Worth area for North Texas, but that enlarging I-35 is not an easy solution. Enlarging I-35 in places may be practical, he continued. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t parallel some roads, because it’s almost impossible to go out and enlarge I-35 and go out there and shut a lane down to add some more lanes,” Bell said. “You just can’t hardly do that in Cooke County, especially on weekends...But, to answer the question, they tell me the Trans Texas Corridor is dead. Now some people say it’s been renamed and called something else, but they have canceled environmental and all of that and the studies and you can’t go forward if you’ve canceled that. So, I think it’s dead.” Bell said there is talk about increasing the gas tax and about possibly putting a device on every vehicle that will show the number of miles driven, and then charging for the miles put on the vehicle. He said there are several plans out there to raise funds, but no decisions have been made. Bell gave an update on the overpass on Highway 82 and FM 678, saying it is still on track to let in August of this year. He said it is his understanding that four or five properties have already been purchased and offers have been made for the rest of the properties. During the meeting Bell announced this was his last meeting and speech, as he is retiring from TxDOT the end of the month after 40 years.
