Texas DoT seeks European cooperation

11 November 2003

Representatives from the Texas Department of Transportation, US, have visited several European capitals to promote involvement in the proposed US$183 billion Trans Texas Corridor project, a series of infrastructure corridors located throughout the State of Texas.

The 6,700km corridor will include separate lanes for passenger vehicles (three in each lane) and trucks (two in each direction), six rail lines (three in each direction); two tracks for high-speed passenger rail, two for commuter rail and two for freight. The corridor will also include a 60m dedicated utility zone, for power, oil and gas.

The whole programme has identified a range of opportunities for public-private partnerships. In particular, there are major opportunities for European business partners with 'creative solutions for equity participation and concession models,' says Phillip Russell, director of the Texas Turnpike Authority Division of the DOT.

With a development span up to three decades, the proposed investment underpins Texas's position as a major transport centre for N. America, and will enable Texan infrastructure to meet its increasing trade requirements and projected population growth from 21 million today to 40 million over the next 30 years.

Texas has long been seen as the crossroads of North America, but this concept has never been more relevant as trade between North and South America continues to grow.

Most goods and commodities coming into the United States from Mexico and South America cross the Texas border and move north, sometimes all the way to Canada. The reverse is true for exports.

In fact, 79% of all US-Mexico trade passes through Texas ports of entry. Under the North American Free Trade Agreement, this international traffic will only increase.

Largest engineering project ever

The Trans Texas Corridor is the largest engineering project ever proposed for Texas. The planning and work involved in the corridor will far exceed any public works project in the state's history.

The current Interstate system in Texas is essentially complete. But the similarity between Texas' portion of the Interstate system and the Trans Texas Corridor ends there.

The Interstate system was a nationwide effort, primarily funded with federal dollars. Though other state transportation agencies also are looking to the future, no other state has proposed such an ambitious and visionary project as the corridor.

Funding for the corridor will be as innovative as the corridor itself.

More flexibility

Texas voters provided the framework on November 6, 2001 when they approved Proposition 15. That constitutional amendment allows Texas more flexibility than it has ever had to pay for transportation projects through a variety of means. These include public-private partnerships called exclusive development agreements, and funding options like toll equity, the Texas Mobility Fund and regional mobility authorities.

Public involvement

Public involvement will be a key to planning and developing the corridor. During the corridor's route-selection phase, any needed changes will be identified through a detailed, project-specific process of public involvement. The public will have opportunities to comment early and often.

Although the design and cost analysis reflects construction of all corridor components, individual elements can be phased in as needed.

Pavement cost for a four-lane truck roadway is estimated at $3.1 million per centreline mile (about 1.6km). Projected pavement cost for a six-lane passenger vehicle roadway is $1.1 million per centreline mile.

Other roadway costs in addition to pavement structures will include mobilisation, clearing right of way, excavation, embankment, drainage structures, landscaping, signing and pavement markings, and safety features. Total roadway cost per centreline mile is estimated at $7 million.

The average cost of grade-separated bridge structures is estimated at $5.2 million per centreline mile. The average cost of interchanges is estimated at $3.2 million per centreline mile.

Heavier rail

The use of freight cars capable of accommodating heavier loads allows for transportation of increased tonnage in a single train. The corridor will have heavier rail for these freight cars. The average cost for conventional commuter and freight rail is estimated at $4.4 million per centreline mile for four tracks.

Including costs for mobilisation, excavation and embankments as well as incidental expenses associated with construction of new track, the cost would be $7.4 million per centreline mile for four tracks.

Based on an estimated cost of $31.4 million per centreline mile, the 6,437km corridor would cost $125.5 billion, not including right of way and miscellaneous costs. Factoring in right of way at $11.7 billion to $38 billion and miscellaneous costs at $8 billion to $20 billion, the estimated total cost for the Trans Texas Corridor would range from $145.2 billion to $183.5 billion.

 

The project will adopt the Quantm route planning optimisation system. This Australian system allows project teams to take a holistic approach to planning, integrating complex environmental, community, heritage, engineering and cost issues into a single analysis.

 

 World Highways,  http://www.tspeurope.com/News/article.cfm?recordID=4046