The Texas Transportation Commission approved $278 million in Proposition 1 funding at the end of February for 12 projects in the Greater Houston area, including the previously unfunded expansion of Hwy. 290 from Bauer Road to FM 2920.

Texas voters passed Prop. 1 with 80 percent approval, which amended the state constitution to authorize the redirection of half of the revenue generated from severance taxes levied on oil and gas extraction—ordinarily deposited into the Economic Stabilization Fund, or Rainy Day Fund—to the State Highway Fund. A total of $1.7 billion was deposited for use in 2015.

The Houston-Galveston Area Council worked with local governments, metro planning organizations and the Texas Department of Transportation to identify priority projects in the Houston region, which spans across Harris, Montgomery, Fort Bend, Galveston and Brazoria counties. Officials made a formal recommendation to TxDOT on Feb. 26, H-GAC Director of Transportation Alan Clark said.

The Texas Transportation Commission approved a total 201 road projects across the state. TxDOT will begin awarding projects to contractors throughout March with construction kicking off soon after.

"Citizens sent a clear message in November and TxDOT is carrying out its responsibility quickly, effectively and with a great deal of local input," Texas Transportation Commission Chairman Ted Houghton said.

Priority projects were broken down into three categories: interchange and highway reconstruction, highway rehabilitation and major freeway reconstruction. The Hwy. 290 project falls into the latter group and uses $98 million to widen the 10-mile stretch from four to six lanes with auxiliary lanes and frontage roads.

The effort to widen Hwy. 290 had already been launched, but funding had only been secured for the portion from Loop 610 to the Grand Parkway, officials said. The Prop 1-funded segments are listed as ready to be let as early as June 2015, pending funding availability.

"Some of the priority projects identified were advanced by two or three years, and one of the projects was sped up by 20 years," Clark said. "In every case, the Prop. 1 funds are enabling us to do these projects sooner and in some cases, at all."

The 12 projects picked have all been on H-GAC's radar for considerable time and are viewed as some of the most critical when it comes to addressing connectivity or congestion issues, H-GAC program manager David Wurdlow said.

"These are projects that are ready to go," Wurdlow said. "The designs are ready, the environmental reviews are mostly completed or nearing completion and they meet all the requirements for any project receiving Prop 1 funding."

Among the projects slated to begin work statewide are more than 800 miles of rehabilitated highways, nearly 500 miles of new highway lanes, 64 bridge replacements and 18 lane-widening enhancements that will add 159 miles of passing lanes to rural highways.

Over the past five years, there were 248 fatalities and more than 23,000 crashes on the highway segments where Prop 1 funds will be used. The work planned in these areas is intended to help reduce the number of crashes, resulting in fewer fatalities and injuries, TTC officials said.

"Safety is our top priority and the money we are putting toward enhancing safety in the energy sector is proof of this," Texas Transportation Commissioner Fred Underwood said.

Even with Prop. 1 adding $1.7 billion to the highway fund in 2015, transportation experts said state transportation funding still falls short of the projected $5 billion needed annually to keep up with a rapidly escalating population and aging infrastructure. Solutions being explored by the state legislature this year include ending the diversion of funds from the State Highway Fund and allocating more money from the motor vehicle tax to the State Highway Fund.

For more information about each priority project in TxDOT's Houston region, visit H-GAC's website or contact TxDOT at 512-463-8700.