Efforts to improve Texas 199 on the north edge of downtown Fort Worth got a boost Thursday after the Texas Transportation Commission agreed to reimburse the city for up to $11.2 million in road work for that corridor.
That project, which is on the western cusp of the planned Trinity River Vision redevelopment, was among 14 jobs that were awarded $173 million under the state's pass-through financing program. Under pass-through financing, cities and counties pay for road work and get reimbursed over several years by the Texas Department of Transportation's gas tax-supported highway fund. It's a way to advance projects today, rather than waiting for state funding to be freed up.
The Texas 199 project stretches from north of Cullen Street to near White Settlement Road, where North Henderson Street transitions to Jacksboro Highway. The total cost of improvements in that area is pegged at $34 million.
Pass-through financing also was approved for a new interchange at Interstate 20, west of Fort Worth in Parker County. It's for the Western Loop that will stretch across eastern Parker County, near Weatherford. The county will be reimbursed for about $7 million of the $8.4 million project.
Separately, $20.5 million was awarded for the expansion of U.S. 380 west of Denton, a two-lane road that is considered dangerous and has been the site of fatal accidents. The road will be expanded into a four-lane, divided highway from the Denton-Wise County line to about a half-mile west of Farm Road 156.
The project will be paid out of the Proposition 14 program, which allows projects to be paid for today from the issuance of bonds, and reimbursed through the state's gas tax-supported highway fund.
-- Gordon Dickson, gdickson@star-telegram.com
Twitter: @gdickson
You mean to tell me 199 in northwest Tarrant county can't be completed due to budget issues for decades yet a 1/2 mile stretch near downtown gets rubber stamped!!! I guess we need a lake project or a race track to find the magic funding; losing lives isn't enough...thanks Tarrant county commissioners, TXDOT, and any other misguided decision maker I failed to slight!
Posted by: Mike H | May 26, 2011 at 03:18 PM
Re: Parker County funding. As a point of clarification, the funding will be for an interchange at IH-20, west of Weatherford where Ric Williamson Memorial Highway (Western Loop) will connect. The loop ends at highway 51 North, a few miles north of the courthouse. Ultimately, as funds become available, the loop will cross 51 North, head east, then south between Hudson Oaks and Weatherford, connecting to IH-20 near or at Centerpoint Road.
Posted by: County Judge Mark Riley | May 26, 2011 at 04:33 PM
It is amazing for Tex-Dot to go and build service roads on Hwy. 199 in less than 6 months, yet, THEY cannot even complete the main lanes of the highway. I didnot KNOW that Tex-Dot was a buisness. I thought it was funded by the state from OUR TAXES. They SHOULD NOT BE CONCERNED ABOUT PROFITS AND BONUSES!! They should be concerned about finishing a project before starting up new ones. Also, if they are not going to finish the main lanes between Azle and Confederate Park Road soon, then they need to raise the speed limits to 50 mph. to ease the congetstion there. Besides, people are going at speeds of 55 mph quite often anyways. COMPLETE IT SOON!!!!
Posted by: Joe Biedenbender | May 26, 2011 at 05:27 PM
Someone is being screwed. The recent toll road plans they unveiled last week was going to cost ~$185 MILLION per mile yet it seems county wide maintenance can be done much cheaper if TxDOT isn't involved.
Posted by: anonymous | May 26, 2011 at 09:23 PM
when will Hwy 360 South be completed???
Posted by: JC | May 26, 2011 at 09:35 PM