June 11, 2008

Kyle Arnold,  The Monitor

McALLEN - The state won't build new roads for the controversial I-69 and Trans-Texas Corridor, officially scrapping plans for a new highway between Expressway 281 and Highway 77.

The plan hasn't been a serious option for the highway the Rio Grande Valley for more than a year, but the decision also affects major sections of the interstate in Houston, where the state had considered building a new road to bypass the busy city.

The state has spent more than a year collecting comments from citizens that live in affected areas.

"A lot of the comments were ‘We don't want the route, we don't want it in this location," said Amadeo Saenz, TxDOT's executive director. "A lot of people also said why don't you go out there and use existing corridors."

Interstate 69 and the Trans-Texas Corridor are a massive highway project that would connect Texarkana to Houston and then to Harlingen, McAllen and Laredo, according to the route the Texas Department of Transportation will recommend to federal highway officials.

The recommended route will mostly follow Highway 59 from Texarkana to Victoria. From there it will split into three sections to reach the Texas border cities.

Saenz said most of the comments from the Rio Grande Valley were in favor of the highway and urged the state to build it as quickly as possible. He also said it would be necessary to upgrade many of the South Texas roads to interstate quality.

The so-called "NAFTA superhighway" has drawn criticism from some because it would connect international bridges from Mexico to the northern United States with an interstate system. Some say that could make it cheaper and easier to transport Mexican goods to the United States and would eliminate American jobs.

Eventually, the system could also include a rail.
Valley business and government officials have applauded the project, saying it would increase commerce in South Texas.

The recommended route is only part of a first phase environmental impact survey. Saenz said the state is still three to five years from assigning a route for the highway system.

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