• Sonny Long •
• Originally published January 7, 2009 at 10:08 a.m., updated January 7, 2009 at 10:08 a.m.

The Trans-Texas Corridor in its original form is no more, and any major highway construction in the Victoria area may be a long time coming.

The project will no longer be called the Trans-Texas Corridor, but will be referred to by the highway numbers originally associated with each segment of the project, such as I-69, state Highway 130 and Loop 9.

In the Victoria area, I-69 is slated to be developed along existing U.S. Highways 59 and 77, but Yoakum District Engineer Lonnie Gregorcyk said that other segments of the project might see work done long before anything happens near Victoria.

"It is one of those needs that is still out there, but I-69 is still years away," Gregorcyk said by telephone from Austin Tuesday afternoon. "In our area, traffic is fairly moderate and our needs such as freight, rail and developing the port also come into play."

"They'll have to decide which section is financially viable. I could see it starting in the Valley where the population growth is," said Gregorcyk, who serves on the I-69 advisory committee.

The district engineer said financing any segment of the former TTC is a major sticking point.

"Our legislators will be looking for mechanisms to fund these projects. I am sure there will be a lot of discussion about that this session," he said.

One of the major changes is the construction of several smaller segments closer to 600 feet wide. Original plans called for corridors up to 1,200 feet.

One local property owner is cautiously optimistic.

"It depends on how they widen it," said Charlie Baros of Edna, who owns property near U.S. Highway 59 along which the proposed I-69 would run. "Going more narrow will be a benefit, I think. Six-hundred feet is still quite a right-of-way. I am sure it will affect us one way or the other eventually."

Another Victoria County landowner who would be affected by I-69 is also encouraged by Tuesday's announcement.

"It's a step in the right direction," said Charlie Faupel, owner of Reeves Ranch. "I'm glad they are listening some to the people."

Amadeo Saenz, executive director the Texas Department of Transportation, announced the changes Tuesday during the fourth annual Texas Transportation Forum in Austin. In unveiling the document Innovative Connectivity in Texas/Vision 2009, Saenz said, "Texans have spoken, and we've been listening., Citizens across the state have had good ideas about how Texas roads can better serve Texas communities. I believe this transformed vision for the TTC and other major corridor development goes a long way toward addressing the concerns we've heard over the past several years."

According to the Associated Press, Gov. Rick Perry, speaking in a conference call from Iraq, said projects like Interstate 69 - which would run from northeast Texas to the Rio Grande Valley - and highways that will run parallel to north-south I-35 will continue, he said. He also said Texas' commitment to building roads is what attracts many companies and their jobs to the state.

"I think the concept of the Trans-Texas Corridor is frankly one that got misunderstood," Perry said.

The dropping of the name TTC was also an important change, according to the TxDOT document.

"The Trans-Texas Corridor name has taken on an unintended meaning that can obscure the facts. The Texas Department of Transportation has decided to put the name to rest. However, a complete transition away from the TTC moniker will take time because many legal documents, studies and sections of state law currently refer to the Trans-Texas Corridor," the document states.

The document describes the transformation of the original TTC vision, including the level of involvement of local officials and citizens in planning major corridor facilities in their communities, according to a TxDOT news release.

TxDOT will seek guidance from Corridor Segment Advisory Committees, comprised of citizens from affected communities along each corridor segment, to design and build facilities that meet the needs of the region, whether that includes road, freight rail, commuter rail and so on.

"I'm pleased with the level of public involvement called for in this document," Saenz said. "I'm hopeful that, working together, we'll develop a corridor that serves both the economic interests of the state and the needs of each individual community."

Gregorcyk also said that the new plans call for an "earlier focus on local input" and "what can be done with existing routes to minimize land takes."

The original vision for the TTC called for a corridor of up to 1,200 feet in width that would allow for several modes of transportation in addition to utility transmission facilities. Since the concept was publicly introduced in 2002, communities along the TTC-35 and I-69/TTC study areas have frequently voiced concerns over the corridor width, and viewed the idea as a one-size-fits-all concept, inappropriate for a state as diverse as Texas, according to a TxDOT news release.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

• TxDOT's Promise

  Perhaps the most important development to emerge from TxDOT's dialogues with Texans is TxDOT's TTC Guiding Principles, a set of concrete promises, embodied in state law, that reflect the spirit of respect and collaboration in which ...

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TxDOT's Promise

Perhaps the most important development to emerge from TxDOT's dialogues with Texans is TxDOT's TTC Guiding Principles, a set of concrete promises, embodied in state law, that reflect the spirit of respect and collaboration in which TxDOT intends to develop any major corridor project.

All state highway facilities.will be completely owned by the State of Texas at all times.

All Comprehensive Development Agreements that provide the private developer with an interest in the CDA and related property will include provisions that allow TxDOT to purchase or "buy back" that interest at any time if "buying back the project" would be in the best financial interest of the state.

The Texas Transportation Commission shall approve, in a public meeting, the initial toll rates charged for the use of a toll project on the state highway system and the methodology for increasing the amount of tolls. All rate-setting actions will come after consultation with appropriate local metropolitan planning organizations.

Only new lanes added to an existing highway will be tolled, and there will be no reduction in the number of non-tolled lanes that exist today.

Comprehensive Development Agreements will not include "non-compete" clauses that would prohibit improvements to existing roadways. The department and any governmental entity can construct, reconstruct, expand, rehabilitate or maintain any roadway that is near or intersects with any roadway under the CDA.

TxDOT will always consider the use of existing right of way that satisfies the purpose and need of the project as a possible project location when conducting environmental studies.

To the extent practical, TxDOT shall plan and design facilities so that a landowner's property is not severed into two or more separate tracts and the original shape of the property is preserved.

SOURCE: Texas Department of Transportation, Innovative Connectivity in Texas/Vision 2009

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