|
At TxDOT, we work diligently to meet the state's transportation needs
while also seeking to protect and enhance the environment. At all stages,
we strive to protect native plants, guard endangered species, preserve waterways and wetlands,
and prevent pollution. Some of our most recent efforts have included:
Cultural and Historical Resource Saved
The Silver Falls Rest Area was built in the late 1930s by the Civilian
Conservation Corps. In a very dry part of West Texas, the Corps created a haven for travelers on the slopes of the Caprock Escarpment. They constructed a small spillway dam across
the White River to create a detention pond and skilled stone masons built picnic
tables, barbecue pits, walls, steps, a pump house and a stone fountain.
The first focus of the project was to renovate the Depression-era stone
structures that had seriously deteriorated after more than 60 years of use.
The river was
then dredged to remove the sediments and invasive vegetation that stopped up the
waterway behind the low-water dam. The final phase replaced the 1960s rest area
structure overlooking the canyon with an improved facility offering more
parking, modern restrooms and picnic tables.
Native Plant Preservation
Concerned about the displacement of vegetation by the widening of U.S. 87,
TxDOT personnel went to extraordinary lengths to save the seed stock
of non-threatened plant species including removing the plants by hand. They then
worked with local and state agencies to relocate the plants
to five new gardens and public access areas near U.S. Highways
87 and 83.
Wetlands Preservation
The major hurricane evacuation route for residents of Bolivar Point is SH 87
but at less than five feet above sea level, the highway was threatened by
erosion. One of the few remaining lighthouses in Texas was also endangered. This
first-of-its-kind project created a breakwater and artificial lagoon to
stabilize the shoreline. Consisting of a double row of five-ton granite blocks,
the permanent breakwater protects the silting action, creating a sheltered
coastline. Box culverts were installed at each end of the breakwater to provide
a healthy water exchange between the lagoon and the Gulf of Mexico. Follow up
surveys show that native plants and animals are thriving in the lagoon.
Bird Habitat Protected
U.S. 181 serves as a major hurricane evacuation route for the Corpus Christi
area. TxDOT recently expanded it to six lanes and raised the roadbed three feet.
The project was redesigned to minimize the impact to the critical bird habitat of
Sunset Lake and sensitive marine habitats nearby. Retaining walls,
railings and traffic barriers were incorporated into the design to prevent
off-road driving in the habitat. These efforts resulted in a safer evacuation
route with no impact to the sensitive habitat. The redesigned project
also improved recreational opportunities by providing parking areas and
boardwalks for bird watching. |
