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Governor Abbott, TxDOT Announce Record $85 Billion 10-Year Transportation Plan
Aug. 30, 2022
PARIS/ATLANTA – Governor Greg Abbott announced the adoption of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) 2023 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), advancing a record $85 billion, 10-year statewide roadway construction plan. The 2023 UTP reflects an unprecedented level of projected transportation funding dedicated to improving transportation safety, addressing congestion and rural connectivity, and preserving roadways for Texas drivers.
“The State of Texas is working to ensure they meet transportation needs of our fast-growing state and that the safety of Texans on the roadways is protected,” said Governor Abbott. “TxDOT’s 2023 Unified Transportation Program is a critical step toward addressing the diverse needs of Texans in rural, urban, and metropolitan communities. This 10-year plan to address transportation needs statewide and dedicate $85 billion to improve roadways will be a huge boon to our state’s infrastructure and economy. As more people move to Texas and businesses grow across the state, we are working to ensure Texans’ transportation safety and mobility are secured. As a result, businesses can flourish for generations to come.”
“The UTP reflects a continued focus on improving transportation safety as the top priority, maintaining our current system, addressing traffic congestion, and improving statewide connectivity over the next decade,” said TxDOT Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr. “Additionally, we are making significant progress in addressing congestion in our busiest parts of the state through our Texas Clear Lanes initiative, which improves top chokepoints in our largest metro areas.”
“Texas’ rapid growth reinforces the importance of investing in transportation to move people and freight across our diverse state efficiently,” said TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams. “TxDOT is working hard to not only build the new roads and transportation capacity Texas needs but to maintain the more than 80,000 miles of roads and other transportation infrastructure under our care.”
The UTP funds will coincide with an additional $32 billion over the program’s life for routine maintenance contracts and project development, such as planning, professional engineering, and right-of-way acquisition for more than 7,000 transportation projects and a total investment of $117 billion statewide.
Many projects in the UTP plan are roadway segments identified on Texas’ 100 Most Congested Roadways list and critical connectivity corridors. Legislative and voter-approved initiatives that allocate portions of oil and gas taxes, sales taxes, and other money to the state highway fund will finance the projects. These initiatives have increased the UTP by over $50 billion over the ten years. There is $34.3 billion in projects approved in the 2014 UTP in August 2013. With rural regions of the state supporting the critical energy and agricultural industries, the approved plan includes a historic increase in funding to $14 billion for projects in rural areas.
Focusing on TxDOT’s mission of “Connecting You with Texas,” the Paris District will continue its focus on mobility and connectivity to address the rapid growth of Northeast Texas. A critical effort is maintaining and preserving existing assets, including travel corridors such as I-30, US 75, US 82, US 271, and others. Another essential effort is preventative maintenance and rehabilitation of the district’s extensive network of farm-to-market roads. Other efforts will focus on developing resources for alternative transportation, such as the multi-use Northeast Texas Trail that spans four counties to provide health/wellness and recreation opportunities. Partnerships with metropolitan planning organizations, government councils, municipal and county leaders, and elected officials are essential to the district’s UTP development.
More information on UTP projects statewide, including those in the Paris District, is available here.
The $8.5 billion of average annual investment programmed in the UTP over the next ten years is expected to yield an estimated $15.5 billion per year in economic benefits, according to the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. These benefits result from increased labor income and business output, as well as the addition of 58,500 direct and indirect jobs.
The UTP is a planning document that authorizes highway projects for development and construction. Additionally, the UTP identifies public transportation, maritime, aviation, and rail investments. Based on effectiveness in addressing criteria such as safety, pavement condition, capacity, and rural connectivity, TxDOT and local transportation leaders and opportunities for public input at both the state and local levels select the projects.
For more information, contact Tim.McAlavy@txdot.gov or (903) 737-9213.