TxDOT funding approved for building a loop around Del Rio
By Bill Sontag
Feature Writer Funding – the all-important milestone along the path to relieve congestion, expedite traffic, and spur commerce in and around Del Rio – was approved Wednesday (Feb. 28) by the Texas Highway Commission.
“Texas Highway Commissioners approved the project when Commissioner Ramiro Ramon and I were in Austin attending their meeting,” Val Verde County Commissioner Beau Nettleton said Thursday morning. “The project was approved for $75 million in ‘pass-through’ financing with a 20-year maximum and a ten-year minimum."
“Pass-through financing” is an agreement between Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Highway Commission and counties to pay for transportation projects, including reimbursement by the state for up-front local financing based on axle counts over the new road. “They’ll pay us back at fifteen cents per vehicle-mile,” Nettleton explained, adding that the calculations are based upon vehicle counts when the new road receives traffic.
Total project costs are projected to reach $102 million, and the Laredo District of TxDOT is contributing $53 million toward the project, according to Nettleton. “We should have the loop completed in about three-and-a-half years,” Nettleton said, explaining that the relief route around the east side of Del Rio, from U.S. Highway 277 South to U.S. Highway 90 West, will be a two-lane road, with passing lanes, and limited access.
Nettleton said the route will include overpass crossings and connections for the West Gate entrance to Laughlin Air Force Base, another at U.S. Highway 90 East, and the last at U.S. Highway 277 North. There will also be an “at-grade” intersection (not an overpass interchange) with Hamilton Lane north of that route’s intersection with U.S. Highway 90 East. More “at-grade” intersections will be developed at other strategic locations along the route.
Val Verde County Commissioner Ramiro Ramon told LIVE! that he and Nettleton have worked on the relief route project with TxDOT for about three years. “And at the beginning, we were thinking it might be a 25-year project. But we’ve gone from a period of saying ‘Maybe we’ll get it, and maybe we won’t,’ to now, when we’re expecting traffic on the road in just a few years,” Ramon said.
Nettleton outlined the steps ahead: “We anticipate starting the environmental [assessments and clearances of construction threats to natural or cultural resources] in the next couple of months, and getting that finished about 90 to 120 days later. Land acquisition can start right after that, and we want to begin breaking ground by the end of this year or the first part of next year.”
Gerry Pate, chairman of the board of Pate Engineers, Houston, is pleased with the reception of the Texas Highway Commissioners to the project. “You enjoy that briefly because now the work begins,” Pate said Thursday, with a chuckle. His firm is under contract with Val Verde County to shepherd the project to fruition, and he’s been instrumental in putting the financing package together to TxDOT’s obvious satisfaction. But Pate lauded the commissioners who gave the nod, Wednesday.
Texas Highway Commissioner Hope Andrade represents the Del Rio area from her office in San Antonio. “Ms. Andrade really was very complimentary about our proposal, and she has been supportive of the Val Verde County application from the start. It was she who made the motion [for the commission] to approve it yesterday.
“And Commissioner Rick Williamson, Weatherford, was real complimentary, too. Ted Houghton, from El Paso has also been very supportive, because this is also part of the Ports-To-Plains Corridor development. And Ned Holmes, Houston, told the commissioners, ‘This sounds like the kind of project we should be supporting,’” Pate said.
Now that a funding plan has been approved, Pate Engineers will take over the environmental clearances contract with Turner Collie & Braden, San Antonio, from TxDOT supervision. TC&B will move ahead on the project, with Pate’s oversight.
For more about Pate Engineers, see www.pateeng.com .
Nettleton remains enthused about the relief route’s prospects of completion and ultimate contributions to Del Rio’s economic prosperity. “This is a very beneficial project for this community. It will relieve some of the traffic issues on Avenue F [Veterans Boulevard], and add to economic growth with developments along the loop route,” Nettleton said.
Ramon concurred: “It’s going to be good for the county. The biggest thing the county is going to get out of it is the economic growth that will come from it. We’re expecting Del Rio to grow even more in the next five to ten years, and with the loop coming in, it just can’t do anything but help us. Industry may be attracted, Target [Corporation] is looking at Del Rio, restaurant chains are looking at Del Rio, and this loop will help them all figure out this is where they want to be.”
Ramon is looking to future ramifications of loop development here, including controlled growth in the right-of-way corridor. “We’re looking at several ways of doing that, including a Public Improvement District, and we’re working with [State Rep. Pete P.] Gallego’s office to see how we can do it. Of course, protecting Laughlin Air Force Base is our primary concern.
“And it’s going to be a two-lane road, but eventually it will be four lanes, so we’ll be buying enough land for the wider corridor in the long run,” Ramon said.
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I am sooooooooooooo happy
I am sooooooooooooo happy with this new development and can't wait for you guys to get it done..I live on hwy 277 and it seems that I have to make a complete u turl to get going to san antonio..so..hurry up and get going with it...thank you soooo much...what a fabulous idea..
I had expressed my concern
I had expressed my concern for the loop in prior postings, but I have since spent just a bit of time ruminating over its ramifications :) I have to agree with elfeito on most of this. But what I mainly disagree with is this statement; "Also if your business depends on the traffic created on veterans/gibbs, maybe you don’t have a legitimate business." Elfeito, there's noting wrong with having "seen a need and filled a need" by putting a business that needs traffic right where the traffic is. Facing a new paradigm is always a challenge. I do agree that businesses must be able to change to face "a new set of assumptions", or become extinct, but not that they "are not" or "were not" legitimate businesses. I also disagree with the annex thing. Annexing is like adopting a child. There are certain responsibilities that come with said action. Currently the City has not fulfilled all of its responsibilities to its last wave of annexation. Responsibilities like; City Water, City Sewer and so on and so forth not to mention expanding the Police force and Fire Dept protection. And to add to this point the City really can’t “at this point” take care of what it already has. As I understand it there are large sections of “original” Del Rio that still don’t have City Gas service. Bottom line is that the City can not just annex, collect taxes and not provide service. The provable inability to provide service would, “I believe” make a lively legal battle should annexation be attempted.
I do agree that this will force or rather enable expansion and growth outwards. Although we already have some of that in the form of the Lake development. The businesses that will be hurt are primarily the Stop and Go Gas Station type businesses. Those will prob have relocate, to be at or near the exits on and off of the loop to remain successful. Restaurants will be the next to be affected albeit on a smaller scale at first. Once other Restaurants move out to the entrances and exits off of the loop then the "in town" ones will be hurt to some small extent but I don’t believe that any will actually be "pushed" out of business. Remember there are always those nice Hwy signs pointing out eateries and giving distances to them on the off ramps of highways. I have left out the retail businesses because I think that they will actually be helped by this. Yes I said helped. For one those people “passing through” rarely if at ever stop to shop “I know a few do”. But those passing through like the truckers, cause a traffic problem that in turn causes people like me to stay off of Veterans Blvd for shopping, mostly out of frustration and fear of my life. The people that are coming into town with the intent of shopping will still find those businesses, but now they will find them easier because they can take the time to look for them while driving “and not being pushed” down Veterans.
I HOPE TXDOT DOES NOT TAKE
I HOPE TXDOT DOES NOT TAKE AS LONG TO START THIS LOOP AS IT IS TAKING THEM TO START THE NEW OUTER LOOP APPROVED FOR E.P. PROJECT WAS APPROVED APPROX. 5 YEARS AGO AND IS STILL IN THE PLANNING STAGES.
I dont think eagle pass is
I dont think eagle pass is using the same financing as del rio is for this project.
I agree. I believe the EP
I agree. I believe the EP loop is using state grant money while the DR loop is using pass through toll financing.
Veterans Blvd. and Gibbs are
Veterans Blvd. and Gibbs are not city streets but state highways--90 and 277. When the Mexico traffic left the old road to Mexico, for the new loop, it did hurt the downtown businesses. Because that road went thru the middle of a school, Garfield School, it was a good thing to move it. How will a loop bring more businesses to Del Rio, please explain. Maybe to replace the ones that close due to the loop huh. It will not help the city coffers any unless the city gets the balls to do some annexing, which should be done now, if this thing is for real. If I owned a business on any of these two highways and Bedell. I would be very nervous how this loop is going to effect me if I depended on that traffic. It may be a good thing but I sure hope the bussiness are considered, after all they helped build this city.
I don't believe building
I don't believe building this bypass will effect those businesss' as much as you think. First and foremost, it's intention is to relieve the congestion caused by semi's and the like. It's obvious that those vehicles need a more convenient way around the city. Beside's, even if those truckers do want to visit an establishmnet on Gibb's, Veteran's, or Bedell, where are they supposed to park?
New business development? Sure, there's probably already somebody with their eye on a prime piece of property on this route with plans to build a mega truck stop!
As to the idea that this will have an even more negative impact on the downtown area, I have to disagree. In my opinion, the problem with downtown is there's NO place to park! maybe some savvy developer adn local businessmen can conceive a plan wehre Main St. is closed to vehicle traffic, make it a "walkiing mall" and small business boutique, specialty shoppes, and cafes can open there. That, plus some smart marketing by the tourism buruea can then attract all those people that you're worried about bypassing Del Rio on this loop.
Oh, and once again, make parking available in the downtown area!
I do agree with you that the
I do agree with you that the city neeeds to annex that area but if they annex they need to be able to provide city services as well ie trash, etc. The businesses that closed downtown closed because they lacked vision. Bad management, no new change. With the loop the city can expand and has room to expand. One of the reasons business dont locate here is because there is no room/big streets. Also if your business depends on the traffic created on veterans/gibbs, maybe you dont have a legitimate business. People should be receptive to your business by the products/services you provide and not on who drives by.
-another native del rioan
Native Del Rioan, this will
Native Del Rioan, this will be good for Del Rio. The traffic that will pass on the loop will be the 18 wheelers that go through our streets now. This will definitely help the city streets. The reason the businesses never succeeded downtown is because they never adjusted to the changing times. The same business practices that worked in 1970 will not work in 2000. Downtown Del Rio has taken a huge turnaround in the last 2 years and wait 2 more years and it will be the place to be. More business in DR means more competition which is a good thing unlike some current business owners believe. Competition is good because it makes business reevaluate their current strategies and makes them better as a company. Those that do not change do not survive.
Not sure how good this will
Not sure how good this will be for Del Rio. Has the effect it will have on bussiness on Gibbs and Veterans Blv. been addressed. I may be wrong but this is being designed to bypass Del Rio and creat a loop around it for thru traffic. If that is true what happens to the businesses that depend on this traffic? If we think downtown Del Rio is dead just wait for this to hit like the loop to Mexico did. The bussiness that will be effected by this loop better not be asleep at the switch.