Inside scoop: Texas Transportation Commission March 2024

March 29, 2024

By Laura Butterbrodt

AUSTIN – The upcoming total solar eclipse is at the forefront of a lot of people’s focus as it approaches, including at TxDOT. During the March 28 Texas Transportation Commission meeting, TxDOT leadership briefed the commissioners on the department’s preparation and planning for the April 8 event.

Chief Engineer Lance Simmons said above all else, people should be prepared for an increase in traffic congestion on April 8, especially around 2 p.m., when the total eclipse will end. A lot of people are expected to travel throughout Texas to see the eclipse, and that’s in addition to the 13 million Texans who live in the path of totality.

Because the exact time and location of the eclipse is known in advance, TxDOT and other state agencies have been able to work together for more than a year to prepare. Personnel and courtesy patrols will be working over the weekend and throughout Monday to respond to any traffic impacts or emergencies.

Eclipse viewers are asked to please:

• Be prepared for increased traffic and expect delays, especially on major corridors.
• Park in a safe, designated space, not on the roadway.
• Arrive early to your viewing destination, stay put and leave late.
• Dispose of all garbage.
• Enjoy the eclipse safely.

Predicting exact levels of traffic congestion and population increase during the eclipse is difficult, but roads could see up to four times the normal traffic level on Monday. Impacted roadways include nearly all major corridors inside the path of totality and roads that lead in and out of the path.

Contracts

TxDOT now has more than $40 billion worth of active construction projects.

The Commissioners approved $15.7 million of funding for 17 capital improvement, development and establishment projects at 16 airports in Texas. Of the funding, $5.5 million is federal, $8.6 million is state and $1.6 million is local funding.

They also approved $652.6 million for 68 highway improvement projects, $87 million for 63 routine maintenance projects and $20 million for the construction and rehabilitation of buildings in the Austin, Tyler, Waco and Yoakum districts.

Personnel

The commissioners voted to appoint Parsons Townsend as Chief Audit and Compliance Officer for TxDOT, effective April 1, 2024. Townsend has more than 15 years of experience in auditing and compliance for state agencies and institutions of higher education. He first began working for TxDOT in 2015, and currently serves as Compliance Division Director.

March 27 special meeting

The Commission met in a special meeting March 27, where they discussed the growing Texas population. In the last year, eight of the 10 U.S. counties with the highest population growth were in Texas. Harris, Collin and Montgomery counties were the top three across the nation.

They also highlighted the progress made in the Texas Clear Lanes congestion relief initiative. As of 2024, there are 122 projects within the initiative valued at $75 billion. Of those, 19 have been completed, 25 are under construction, 29 are fully funded in the UTP and 49 are partially funded.

The Commission also discussed the importance of I-35 in Texas, especially in its support to the growth in population, employment, cross-border truck trade and freight tonnage.

More information about the meeting’s topics can be found here.

Other items of note

• The commissioners approved the proposal of amendments to the Texas Administrative Code that will classify each district by population. Under the new roles, a district with a population of more than 1 million people will be classified as metropolitan, a district with between 400,000 and 1 million people will be designated as urban, and a district with a population of less than 400,000 will be classified as rural.

• TxDOT Executive Director Mark Williams applauded the dedication of the Esperanza “Hope” Andrade ferry in Galveston at the beginning of the month. The ferry is the first to be named after a woman and the first to be named after a Latina. Find more information about the Esperanza “Hope” Andrade ferry here.