TXDoT tears down Trans-TX Corridor

AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) - The Texas Department of Transportation has officially announced the cancellation of its unpopular Trans-Texas Corridor project much to the relief of many taxpayers.

The project, proposed in 2002, was meant to link a system of toll roads to ease congestion just north of Dallas all the way to the Mexico border.

The project was meant to be a 1,200-foot wide, multi-modal corridor parallel to Interstate 35. The 600 proposed miles might have eased traffic, but it was something that could have hurt a lot of landowners along the way.

Standing before an Austin crowd to make the announcement, Ted Houghton of the Texas Transportation Commission said, "I am Ted Houghton, the most arrogant commissioner of the most arrogant state agency in the history of the state of Texas."

Those words of introduction were meant to poke fun at the way many Texans view their Department of Transportation. Part of that alleged arrogance comes from the 600,000 acres of land that would have been seized by TXDoT to complete the Trans-Texas Corridor. While Wednesday's move made sense for landowners, opponents of current state government also see it as a political move.

“Trans-Texas Corridor won't be dead until Gov. Perry is no longer governor, and his political appointees are no longer running TXDoT,” said Jennifer Baker, the communications director for the gubernatorial campaign of Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican primary opponent of current Gov. Rick Perry.

Baker pointed out the hurdles the Trans-Texas Corridor has been through to stay in existence for years, all but officially canceling it earlier this year. Hutchison's camp called it coincidence this announcement came the same week she received the backing of the state's Farm Bureau – 400,000 vocal members against the project and its land acquisition from the start.

"Gov. Perry has broken his trust with Texans and the Farm Bureau,” Baker said. “Now it’s election year, and he wants to try to make this issue go away. It’s very important, and Sen. Hutchison is very committed to protecting private property rights."

The Texas Transportation Commission said traffic congestion along Interstate 35 will not go unaddressed. After nearly $12 million on a wasted, environmental study for a project that appears will never happen, the agency said it will alleviate problems in sections over time, seeking public input every step along the way.

"We didn't do a very good job of explaining the Trans-Texas Corridor,” Houghton said. “A lot of it was mostly our fault in how we explained it and how we rolled it out. We're not very good marketeers here at the Texas Department of Transportation. But we learned the hard way, and I've got the scars to prove it."

The governor’s spokesperson issued this statement after the announcement: "The Trans-Texas Corridor concept was retired in January, and TxDOTs announcement today is the next step in this process. The State of Texas will continue to build and improve our infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing population.”

TXDoT said it still plans to expand Interstate 35 to six, untolled lanes from San Antonio to the Y-intersection in Hillsboro, which was under the original plan though there is no funding yet for this part yet. It could also build Loop 9 in North Texas, an outer loop planned for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The only specific mention of the Austin area was the continued construction of Highway 130 segments five and six between Austin and Seguin. There will also be no effect on the department’s efforts to develop I-69.

TXDoT also said an Interstate 35 Corridor Advisory Committee will develop a Citizens Plan for Interstate 35 to best address the public's concerns for this highway.