AUSTIN – Gov. Greg Abbott Thursday announced a record $142 billion in total investment for Texas’ transportation infrastructure.
The record investment includes the unanimous adoption of the $100 billion 10-year statewide roadway construction plan with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) for transportation projects to enhance safety, improve congestion and connectivity, and preserve Texas roadways.
This is a $25 billion increase in total investment from the previous year.
“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,” Abbott said.
“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,” he said. “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.”
Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg Jr. said investment in the transportation system “is critically important to help meet the needs of our fast-growing state.”
“Thanks to the leadership of Governor Abbott and our Texas Legislature, Texas continues to see growth in the transportation investments needed to support a world-class transportation system focused on safety and congestion relief.”
TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams agreed with Bugg’s assessment.
“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,” Williams said. “TxDOT is already putting these resources to work with a record number of projects aimed at improving safety and saving lives on our roadways.”
In February, Abbott announced TxDOT’s proposed 2024 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), estimated to be $15 billion more than the 2023 UTP.
With the State of Texas providing a majority of the funding, the 2024 UTP includes a total investment of over $142 billion for all development and delivery projects, right of way acquisition, engineering, routine maintenance contracts, and UTP construction funding.
The over $10 billion of average annual investment programmed in the UTP over the next 10 years is expected to bring an estimated $18.8 billion per year in economic benefits, per the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s analysis.
These benefits are a result of increased labor income and business output, as well as the addition of 70,500 direct and indirect jobs.
The UTP is a planning document that guides the development of transportation projects across the state.
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