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November 24, 2009

Strategy planning underway

State, county transportation officials look to future

By Rich Flowers News Editor

Local Texas Department of Transportation officials met with Henderson County officials Tuesday, as part of a statewide campaign to formulate a strategic plan for the years 2011-2015.

Texas state law requires state agencies prepare a strategic plan every bi-ennium.

TxDOT began the process in July, holding a series of workshops and public meetings too gather input for the plan. A final draft will be posted on the TxDOT website in December for public comment.

TxDOT Area Engineer Cheryl Tiner, Assistant Area Engineer Chad Ingram and Maintenance Supervisor Tony Buford joined County Judge David Holstein and three county commissioners at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center for the meeting.

A common theme for the discussion was the increased cost of building and repairing roadways without an increase in funding.

“The money is just not there like it used to be,” Tiner said. “We get a lot of our money from the gasoline tax. The gas tax has not increased since 1991, but hot mix costs a lot more than in 1991.”

Ingram hopes the planning process will give the department an opportunity to familiarize the public on the obstacles faced in constructing and maintaining highways.

“Hopefully this will not only make us more accountable, but maybe we’ll be able to educate, and make people realize that it costs $1 million to rehabilitate a mile of road,” Ingram said.

TxDOT has repaired several stretches of Henderson County with seal coat in 2009. Seal coat uses a two-step process of spraying down hot asphalt, and covering it with rock.

“Once people know the cost, maybe they’ll say that noisy seal coat is not so bad,” Ingram said. “You’re talking a million dollars for a mile of road compared to $100,000 for a mile.”

Holstein said TxDOT projects have paid dividends for county citizens. Projects on State Highway 334, State Highway 31 and U.S. Highway 175 have upgraded heavily-traveled stretches of road.

The widening of Highway 334 planted the seed for the economic and population boom Gun Barrel City enjoyed in recent years, Holstein said.

“A lot of people see TxDOT as a sign-straightening, pot-hole patching organization,” Buford said. “They don’t realize the design issues and environmental issues we have to work through. It costs so much money so we can turn a shovel of dirt on a project.”

Informaton about the strategic planning progress is available at the TxDOT website.

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