You might want to read up on what the Trans Texas Corridor project really is (and not just how some of the anti-toll road groups spin and falsely portray it.) The ROW will be owned by the state and condemned by the state. No route will be taken unless the state approves and deems it in the interests of the state. The private company is only being awarded a construction, operations, and maintenance contract, which can be canceled at any time by TXDOT (subject to a formula for paying back the company's investment in the road that hasn't yet been recouped by toll revenue.) The road is simply an expansion of the existing I-35 corridor, but through rural areas instead of widening I-35 because the former would be cheaper and affect fewer property owners than the latter.
Basically it is just TXDOT contracting out construction, operation, and maintenance of a road to a private firm, while maintaining ownership. They already do that for many aspects of construction, so what's the problem?
so what's the problem?The taking of private property.
The private company is only being awarded a construction, operations, and maintenance contract, which can be canceled at any time by TXDOTThis would be the same "private company", at such great risk of being cancelled, finding it somehow beneficial to put up it's own money to have the state take private property ?