Texas Border Business
Texas Transportation Commission Approves 2017 Unified Transportation Program
Austin, Texas – Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, M.D., continues to lead the charge and be a vocal advocate in Austin with our state leaders regarding the need for transportation infrastructure funding in the Rio Grande Valley, including the Pharr Interchange expansion, among others. Hernandez was invited by State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa to attend the Texas Transportation Commission (TTC) meeting in Austin today to testify in support of updates to the 2017 Unified Transportation Program (UTP) (Photo attached). Last month, Hernandez also attended the Commission meeting, after which Senator Hinojosa announced that the Commission had recommended $150 million in funding for the I-69/I-2 Interchange expansion project in Pharr (known locally as the Pharr Interchange Expansion).Â
“I am honored to have once again been invited by Senator Hinojosa to lend my support to this project and share with the Commission how critical this expansion is to help goods and products smoothly travel from our international port of entry to their final destinations into the hands of consumers across the state and throughout the nation,” said Hernandez. “The Pharr Interchange is a vital lifeline not only for commerce and trade, but also for commuter travel and as an evacuation route for our area; it has long overgrown its capacity due to the tremendous increase in population and vehicular traffic. “We are grateful that our state leaders in Austin have made this expansion a priority,” Hernandez continued.
Hernandez has been a longtime advocate of the project since taking office as Mayor in 2015. For nearly two years, the City of Pharr has regularly kept this project on the forefront of its priorities. Early into his tenure, Hernandez began meeting on multiple occasions with State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and State Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez, key transportation committee members in their respective chambers, to address the need for the Pharr Interchange Expansion, emphasizing the adverse effects that no expansion would have on our daily vehicular commutes, safety, and commercial cargo traveling north and south from our ports of entry.Â
The city continued advocating for the project with the entire Rio Grande Valley legislative delegation as early as Fall 2015 in order to gain full support of the submittal of the project to the Texas Freight Mobility Plan Advisory Committee through TxDOT. With the submittal, the project was approved and placed on the Texas Freight Mobility Plan, a necessary step for a project to be considered for any additional funding sources. During this time, preliminary discussions also began with TxDOT Pharr District Engineer Toribio Garza in regard to the potential funding options for the project.Â
Senator Hinojosa and Hernandez met with influential leaders in Austin to help continue moving the Interchange project along, including meeting with Chuy Gonzalez, TxDOT Chief of Staff and former Transportation Policy Advisor to Governor Greg Abbott, as well as with Jerry Haddican, Director of Government Affairs for TxDOT.Â
At the invitation of Senator Hinojosa, Pharr was a crucial player along with neighboring communities during the Rio Grande Valley visit with TTC Chairman Tyron Lewis and other significant officials from TxDOT’s leadership team. Mayor Hernandez expressed the need for infrastructure funding for Pharr Interchange Expansion and the significance in terms of increasing freight traffic due to the Pharr International Bridge and surrounding port of entry crossings.Â
This year, one of Pharr’s key legislative projects for the 85th Legislative Session was to continue advocating and aiding in the process to gain funding for the Pharr Interchange Expansion project, which has culminated in the approval of the project at today’s meeting.Â
“I want to express my appreciation to Governor Abbott, Chairman Tryon Lewis and the members of the Texas Transportation Commission, TxDOT Executive Director James Bass and the TxDOT staff, including the Pharr District, and the entire Rio Grande Valley Legislative Delegation for their unwavering support of this crucial expansion project that will help our city of Pharr, the entire South Texas Region, and the State of Texas as a whole, continue to flourish,” stated Hernandez.Â
After Mayor Hernandez delivered his remarks, Transportation Chairman Tryon Lewis thanked Mayor Hernandez for his work on behalf of transportation in the Rio Grande Valley, noting the astonishing growth in the Rio Grande Valley and its importance as a driving economic engine for Texas. “It’s big, and it’s going to grow, and to get there, it’s important to think regionally and to solve regional problems,” remarked Chairman Lewis. “You’ve been a great leader in that, and I appreciate that,” he ended.
At the meeting, the members of the Commission unanimously approved the 2017 Unified Transportation Program (UTP), including $150 million in funding for the Pharr Interchange Expansion.
