Texas Border Business
AUSTIN, Texas – Governor Greg Abbott called on the Texas Transportation Commission and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to allocate $150 million in the Unified Transportation Program to support construction of the International Bridge Trade Corridor (IBTC) project in Hidalgo County. The IBTC is a proposed non-tolled, four-lane divided roadway that would provide direct interstate access for several international ports of entry and expedite the movement of goods and freight through the border region.
The draft Unified Transportation Program will be released this week by the Texas Transportation Commission, and it is anticipated to include $150 million for IBTC. The project is an important component of the long-term infrastructure plan in the Rio Grande Valley, and it will serve a critical role in diverting commercial truck traffic from local neighborhoods onto the state highway system.
“Fully funding IBTC has been a priority for me for many years, and I am proud that our countless meetings and correspondence with the Governor’s office, Texas Transportation Commission, and the Texas Department of Transportation is leading to this funding,” Chairman Canales said. “It’s a challenge to overstate just how important IBTC is to the Rio Grande Valley. Our region has over one million commercial motor vehicles driving on our roads every year, and an enormous percentage are trucks funneled from our ports of entry delivering goods to the U.S.,” Canales continued. “Right now, many of these trucks have to drive many miles on local, city roads to get onto our state highway system, causing serious safety issues for our residents and discouraging some businesses from using our ports of entry,” said Canales. “Once the IBTC is finally constructed, it will better streamline international traffic in our region, incentivize businesses to invest more in our region, and provide solutions to some of our current safety issues,” Canales stated. “ “I would like to thank Governor Greg Abbott, newly appointed Transportation Commissioner Alex Meade, Edinburg Mayor Ramiro Garza, Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, McAllen Mayor Javier Villalobos, and Mission Mayor Norie Gonzalez Garza for their work to get this funding secured”, Chairman Canales said.
Texas law requires TxDOT to create a statewide infrastructure program each year to forecast transportation infrastructure developments across the state. This program is referred to as the UTP. The draft UTP will be viewable on the TxDOT website later this week.
Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, is the Chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and a member of the Sunset Advisory Commission. Rep. Canales represents House District 40 in Hidalgo County, which includes portions or all of Edinburg, Elsa, Faysville, La Blanca, Linn, Lópezville, McAllen, Pharr and Weslaco. He may be reached at his House District Office in Edinburg at (956) 383-0860 or at the Capitol at (512) 463-0426.
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