Free Republic

Not one of the 11 East Texans who approached the podium at Wednesday's hearing on Interstate 69 voiced support for the planned highway. "This is highway robbery, and we should not pursue this project," said David Simpson, a Longview resident and fifth-generation Texan. "This process has bypassed the Constitution. It has bypassed the U.S. Congress, and I'm opposed to it because of the unconstitutional way that it has been pushed through." The public hearing, held at Maude Cobb Convention and Activity Center, was a chance for residents to comment and ask questions about Interstate 69/Trans-Texas Corridor. The corridor would extend...

Gov. Rick Perry, in satellite interviews with TV stations around the state Monday, said the $184 billion Trans Texas Corridor project is the best solution to the growing congestion on Interstate 35, especially in urban areas."It will take that massive amount of congestion out of city centers," Perry said.Perry's Trans Texas Corridor Plan calls for a 4,000-mile network of transportation corridors that would crisscross the state with separate highway lanes for passenger vehicles and trucks, passenger rail, freight rain, commuter rail and dedicated utility zones for water, natural gas and broadband communications. Click Here For Interactive Map Of Proposed Corridor...

The beginning of the Trans-Texas Corridor took a giant leap forward this week when TxDOT and an international consortium signed a development agreement. The first corridor will parallel Interstate 35 from San Antonio to Oklahoma, although the exact route hasn't been determined, said TxDOT officials. "This agreement is a significant step toward a better, more reliable transportation system that will move commuters and cargo faster and more safely, and create greater economic opportunities for our families and employers," Texas Governor Rick Perry said in a press release. Under the agreement, Cintra-Zachry will create a master development plan that will include...