Iffy interstate:
Harris County pulls out of I-69 Alliance

The future of an interstate planned to run through Victoria appears murkier than ever.

Harris County, a key point along the proposed Interstate 69 route, pulled out of the I-69 Alliance in mid-May.

In an article in the May 15 Houston Chronicle, Bill Murphy and Rad Sallee wrote that Harris County pulled out of the I-69 Alliance after county commissioners decided too much was spent annually in membership costs. The county hopes that a bill in legislation right now is passed, because it would give them access to build a toll road as part of the Trans-Texas Corridor parallel to U.S. 59 on Texas Department of Transportation right of way.

Former Victoria County Judge Helen Walker, who represents the Port of Victoria and the city and county of Victoria on the alliance, said she did not know how Harris County pulling out of the alliance would affect the other 32 counties in the Alliance.

While she expressed her regret that Harris County had pulled out, Walker said she thinks Harris County feels that they can use a Regional Mobility Authority, an independent group that organizes, finances, designs and constructs transportation services, instead of remaining with the alliance.

Both Walker and Victoria County Judge Don Pozzi agreed that current legislation will be a key in how Harris County affects the rest of the Alliance. A two-year moratorium is being considered to further research the benefits of the Trans-Texas Corridor, which I-69 makes up a section of.

A representative with State Representative Geanie Morrison's office said that a two-year pause would give everyone a chance to see what's been going on statewide with the TTC. I-69 makes up the southern most branch of the TTC, which would run through U.S. Highway 59 from Victoria or U.S. Highway 77 from Victoria and go to the border with Mexico.

There are certain exemptions in the moratorium that would allow development to continue in parts of the state where communities wanted it, said the representative.

"I think until we see what the legislature does and until we see what the federal government does in their appropriations bill this year that any comment on the future of I-69 or TTC, either one would be premature," Morrison's representative said.

As well, last October Congressman Ron Paul wrote in his weekly online column about the government's plan to build a 10-lane megahighway or the "NAFTA Superhighway" from Mexico to Canada. The proposed road would displace landowners and businesses.

"I have no idea what the congressman's talking about," said Walker about Paul's megahighway from border to border. She explained, "Through the rural areas like Victoria and even more rural areas down the road, I don't think you're going to see that huge highway."

She said that a megahighway might work in metropolitan areas where traffic is denser, but was not necessary for rural areas.

No matter what, she said, "I think that there's no absolute doubt that Victoria needs an interstate quality highway very badly."

An interstate highway can carry heavier traffic and is divided for safety, she said. This is particularly important in the border area near Laredo where the traffic is heavy and there aren't even four lanes, she said.

"Certainly we all recognize the fact that there is a great need for improvement in transportation," Pozzi said.

FAIR USE NOTICE. This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. CorridorWatch.org is making this article available for academic research purposes in our non-commercial, non-profit, effort to advance the understanding of government accountability, civil liberties, citizen rights, social and environmental justice issues. We believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material as provided for in Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright owner. CorridorWatch.org does not express or imply that CorridorWatch.org holds any claim of copyright on such material as may appear on this page.