Improvements to 281-83 interchange still on the drawing board

Texas Department of Transportation engineers have developed plans to widen ramps and modify lanes at the U.S. 281 and U.S. 83 interchange that could drastically cut peak-hour traffic delays.

Funding those solutions at the county’s most heavily congested point is another matter altogether.

TxDOT officials proposed eight different scenarios to improve rush hour traffic flow at the interchange, where the one-lane overpasses cause vehicles to slow to a crawl. But although the project’s total cost is less than $10 million, a small sum in transportation dollars, TxDOT district engineer Mario Jorge said the interchange improvements won’t happen soon with no money available for state highways.

"In the engineering profession, one thing you try to do is solve problems," Jorge said. "Here we have a problem we solved, but we can’t implement the solution. It’s very frustrating."

TxDOT proposed a combination of ramp changes and two-lane direct connectors to relieve congestion along each approach and departure from the interchange. Proposals include a combination of lane restriping and bridge widening to expand the connectors to U.S. 281 and U.S. 83 to two lanes.

The most expensive solution would cost $8.9 million but could reduce traffic delays by 35 percent.

However, due to funding cutbacks related to reductions in fuel tax projections, the local TxDOT district has zero dollars allocated to improvements for state projects like the expressway, Military Highway and Ware Road. Even the pot of money allocated for city and county streets this year is limited, with only $8 million available — and it’s already committed to other projects.

PRELIMINARY DISCUSSIONS

Jorge made a presentation on the interchange last month to the elected officials who make up the Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization, a federally-funded body that works with TxDOT to plan the county’s transportation needs. But he said it was just a preliminary presentation to show options to relieve congestion at the interchange that carries almost 200,000 cars a day.

"It’s a very densely-used interchange, and you’re going to have those peak hour congestion problems," Jorge said. "The question is at what point do we spend to fix it, but first we’ve got to find the funds."

And that may not happen soon.

Andrew Canon, who runs the planning organization, said state legislators are unlikely to consider addressing transportation this session as they handle a $27 billion budget shortfall.

On the federal side, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood said this week that a new highway bill could be passed by Congress this summer. The last transportation bill expired in September 2009, and Congress has yet to pass a multi-year reauthorization.

STILL PLANNING

But Canon said a grim outlook for transportation funding shouldn’t keep TxDOT or municipalities from planning highway improvements. In 2009, the federal economic stimulus package was a boon for completed plans that were stuck on the drawing board due to a lack of funds.

"We’re going to have to do something to address transportation funding sooner rather than later," Canon said. "Until then, what we need to drive home the most to everyone is that they need to continue developing projects in case funding becomes available."

Planning for the future could prevent the congestion that happens daily at the U.S. 281 and U.S. 83 overpasses from happening elsewhere, said Pharr Mayor Polo Palacios, who sits on the planning organization’s board and contends that TxDOT should find funds to address the interchange.

"The interchange was built just for the time being. If you go to Austin, you see that they’re building more lanes around the area to alleviate the traffic," Palacios said. "I’m not an engineer, but if they want to fix the interchange, they need to add another lane (in each direction)."

Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and general assignments for The Monitor. He can be reached at (956) 683-4424.