Saturday, November 9, 2013

South Padre Island News from The BH....

State approves loans for second causeway

Posted: Saturday, November 2, 2013 9:00 am
With the approval of a little more than $10 million in loans to Cameron County for the second causeway project, Texas has signaled its support of another vehicle access point to South Padre Island.
The Texas Transportation Commission Thursday approved two loans for the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority for the second causeway and outer parkway projects.
The commission approved a $5 million financial assistance request from the CCRMA for pre-development environmental studies, design, legal services and other qualified development costs for the Outer Parkway project, which is a planned toll road beginning at Interstate 69, formerly called Expressway 77, north of Harlingen and stretching east, connecting with the planned second causeway.
Secondly, the commission approved an additional $5.1 million CCRMA request for funds that will be used to continue the study and development of the Second Causeway Project.
CCRMA coordinator Pete Sepulveda Jr. said the $5.1 million will be used to finalize the draft environmental impact study as well as being utilized for traffic and revenue studies.
“The important thing is it will allow us to complete the environmental process, which is an extremely important part of the process,” Sepulveda said. “We believe that by the summer of 2015 the environmental impact study will be done and we should be close to getting environmental clearance.”
After that’s done, Sepulveda said the CCRMA can start design and then construction.
The $5 million for the Outer Parkway Project will be used for traffic and revenue studies, he said.
“They are two different projects, but the funds will allow us to review and complete the environmental process in the same timeframe for clearance on the causeway,” Sepulveda said. “The two different projects go hand in hand.”
The Texas Transportation Commission reports the Second Causeway Project also will provide a second hurricane evacuation route as well as enhancing local and regional mobility while decreasing traffic congestion.
“The completion of the project will benefit the state and traveling public and improve the efficiency of the state’s transportation system by enhancing local and regional mobility, decreasing congestion, increasing safety, increasing economic development opportunities, decreasing travel time and improved access for emergency response, and enhancing operational efficiency and quality of life in the project corridor and the regional transportation system,” according to the commission’s Oct. 31 meeting minutes. “The project, when used in conjunction with existing roadways, would significantly improve hurricane evacuation by providing an additional east-west roadway to funnel traffic to I-69 East and away from coast areas.”
Sepulveda said the commission’s approval of $10.1 million for the Second Causeway Project and Outer Parkway Project is huge.
“It’s not a short-term project. It’s a long-term project and providing a second access will create thousands of jobs over 30 or 40 years,” Sepulveda said. “This is a great regional project for the state of Texas and the commission funding gives an idea of the commitment and importance of the project to the state of Texas.”

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