Trans Texas Corridor
Texas’ population is growing at a fast rate, and the Texas highways are becoming congested at an even faster rate thus we need many solutions to provide for the demands that will be placed on our transportation systems. Because of this, the Texas government has devised a plan to counter this growth. They came up with the idea of a toll road called Trans-Texas Corridor. It could improve the state’s position in the national and international marketplace. The idea was quickly adopted by many legislators, but there are those who feel that these roads pose more hardship than good to Texans and their state.
The Corridor that is proposed to be built will be up to a quarter of a mile wide. It will have up to 12 toll way lanes for passenger vehicles, 4 truck lanes, 2 passenger train tracks, 2 commuters train tracks, and 2 freight train tracks. It will also have room for underground water lines, natural gas lines, petroleum lines, and telecommunication and fiberoptics lines. Overhead high-voltage electric transmission lines and electrical transmission towers will also run along these roads. The proposed cost of this project is 180 billion dollars. To help pay for the proposed toll ways Governor Perry has enlisted private contractors, notably Cintra in partnership with San Antonio, Texas based Zachry Construction Company, to finance, build and operate the first phase from Austin to Seguin. Private Activity Bonds will also be sold to help in the cost of these new roads.
Cintra is company based in Madrid, Spain, which operates toll roads and car parks internationally. It was founded in 1998 and employs over 4000 people. They operate Highway 407 (Ontario), the Chicago Skyway the Indiana Toll Road as well as many roads in Spain, Ireland and Portugal.
The Texas Trans Corridor has many positive points to the project. One fact, according to keeptexasmoving.com is that in the past 25 years Texas’ population has increased 57%, road usage...