North Texas transportation projects are slated to receive billions of dollars in funding over the next decade under the state’s new $138 billion plan, the Unified Transportation Program .
The Texas Transportation Commission announced the investment on Aug. 26. Of the $138 billion, $95 billion will be dedicated to construction projects while the remaining $43 billion in funding goes toward development and routine maintenance.
The Dallas and Fort Worth districts of the Texas Department of Transportation will receive $16.5 billion, total, in funding over the next 10 years “in construction funding to address critical safety, mobility and infrastructure needs, improve system reliability and reduce congestion across North Texas,” said Tony Hartzel, public information officer for TxDOT’s Dallas district.
Many of the regions’ planned projects are part of the Texas Clear Lanes initiative, a statewide strategy intended to reduce traffic. The Dallas and Fort Worth districts were selected to receive $491 million and $200 million, respectively, to help address congestion, and the funding is part of the total $16.5 billion provided to the region.
However, the plan does not guarantee each project will get built.
Interstate 35W in Denton County and Interstate 345 in Dallas County have received additional funds from the program this year, but there are no official start dates yet, said Hartzel. Other projects in the districts are being considered for funding adjustments.
“The projects are expected to improve safety and mobility by reducing congestion at key bottlenecks, enhancing roadway safety features, increasing roadway capacity, improving traffic flow and strengthening overall system reliability,” said Hartzel.
Hartzel said the transportation program is a planning and financial forecast, and is not the same as an official budget plan.
“It looks at projects in the pipeline for up to 10 years, but it does not specifically allocate money to them,” Hartzel said.
Funding may change in the future, and because of that, the program does not serve as a budget or guarantee that certain projects will get built, he added. Instead, the program allows TxDOT and local agencies to prepare projects for construction.