Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Thursday that a record $142 billion in funding will be spent on transportation infrastructure across the State of Texas.
A significant portion of the state taxpayer dollars will go to projects in North Texas.
“Thanks to our booming economy, Texas has achieved a major milestone in our transportation infrastructure with this record $142 billion investment that will strengthen our roadways and build a next-generation transportation network,” said Abbott in an August press release.
“Through this record transportation investment project, the State of Texas will further improve roadway congestion and safety to meet the growing needs of Texans in our large metros, rural communities, and everywhere in between. This plan will not only connect Texans from every corner of our state, it will also bolster our economic growth and ensure Texans and businesses continue to thrive for generations to come.”
The record expenditure includes a $100 billion decade-long statewide roadway construction plan in partnership with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).
The funding is part of the 2024 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), which contains a number of multi-million dollar projects for the North Texas area, including $524 million to reconstruct I-30 Canyon between I-35E and I-45 in Dallas County, $220 million to reconstruct U.S. 80 in Mesquite between Town East Boulevard and Belt Line Road, and $163 million for improvements to I-35 in Denton County, among others.
The average annual expenditure on the UTP is expected to generate $18.8 billion yearly in economic benefits as a result of “increased labor income and business output.” In addition to this, rural projects will also see a funding increase of $19.2 billion, up significantly from the $2.2 billion such projects received in 2016.
Marc Williams, executive director of TxDOT, said, “This plan will help the lives of all Texans for years to come as we work to move people and goods safely and efficiently in our rural, urban, and metropolitan areas,” per the press release. “TxDOT is already putting these resources to work with a record number of projects aimed at improving safety and saving lives on our roadways.”