Tag: Texas Department of Transportation: Page 9

Roadbuilding

Texas, You’re Going the Wrong Way!

Normally, when a gravel road starts seeing a lot of traffic, it earns enough street cred to be upgraded to asphalt. But Texas has this process a little backward. Instead of repairing an asphalt road in parts of South and West Texas, the state decided to revert it into a gravel road. The 80 miles […]

August 23, 2013

Roadbuilding

TxDOT delays gravel road plan

The Texas Department of Transportation has put on hold a plan to convert some rural asphalt roads to gravel, according to a report from The San Antonio Express-News. Senator Carlos Uresti (D-Texas) said Tuesday that TxDOT officials decided on a 60-day delay in some of the planned conversions after state lawmakers raised concerns about the […]

August 22, 2013

Roadbuilding

TxDOT kicks off “Drive Friendly. Drive Safe.” campaign

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) launched its “Drive Friendly. Drive Safe.” campaign on Monday, calling on drivers to work toward reduced crashes involving pedestrians and bicycles. The campaign’s launch coincides with many students returning to school, which increases vehicular, pedestrian and bicycle traffic. TxDOT Executive Director Phil Wilson noted that driving friendly and driving […]

August 20, 2013

Roadbuilding

Texas proposal could transfer road maintenance to cities

The Texas Transportation Commission next week will discuss a proposal that would transfer maintenance of nearly 1,900 miles of state highways to 59 cities, according to The Dallas Morning News. The proposal would cost the cities an additional $165 each year. The proposal, which the commission plans to discuss August 29, comes after the state […]

August 19, 2013

Roadbuilding

Texas adds TxDOT protection to Move Over/Slow Down law

Beginning September 1, drivers in Texas will be required to move over or slow down when approaching Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) workers and vehicles that are stopped with overhead flashing blue or amber lights. That’s because the state has expanded its Move Over/Slow Down law to provide protection to TxDOT workers. The law traditionally […]

August 9, 2013

Roadbuilding

Texas lawmakers pass transportation funding bill

The Texas Legislature ended its third special session Monday night when it passed a measure to fund state transportation projects, according to a report from CBS Dallas. During the special session, lawmakers approved a constitutional amendment that would increase transportation spending by about $1.2 billion each year and provide the funds by diverting a portion […]

August 6, 2013

Roadbuilding

Texas Two-Step: D.C. reauthorization first, then Austin

As we begin to close in on the fall 2014 date for the reauthorization of federal surface transportation legislation in Washington, keep in mind that states have to do their own transportation legislation. And like D.C. politicians, Austin politicians face the continuing dilemma of not having enough money coming down the pike. Take Texas for […]

July 30, 2013

Roadbuilding

Transportation spending bill passes Texas House, moves to Senate

The Texas House on Thursday voted to pass a bill that would raise about $800 million in transportation funding, moving the legislation to the state Senate, according to a report from the Texas Tribune. The bill, House Joint Resolution 2 (HJR2), would remove a constitutional requirement that a quarter of the state’s gasoline taxes go […]

July 19, 2013

Roadbuilding

Texas Senate, House propose differing transportation funding plans

The Texas Senate and House have radically different ideas about how to raise funds for highway spending, the Austin American-Statesman reported. The Texas Senate on Thursday passed Senate Joint Resolution 1 (SJR1), which proposes earmarking a portion of the severance taxes collected from the state’s oil and gas industry to fund transportation. The proposed constitutional […]

July 12, 2013

Safety

Texas DOT launches new tools for warning drivers about road construction zones

The Texas Department of Transportation has launched two new tools to warn drivers approaching road construction zones to slow down along with a new traffic signal to improve safety during left turns, according to a report from our sister site Better Roads. Being the guy holding the flags or signs to direct traffic on a […]

June 18, 2013

Roadbuilding

TxDOT implements three new road safety features

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has launched its latest road safety features, which include the use of Automated Flagger Assistance Devices (AFADs), temporary rumble strips and flashing-yellow, left-turn arrows. AFADs increase worker safety by allowing TxDOT crews to route traffic using various visual cues via remote control. The device involves the use of seven-foot-tall […]

June 17, 2013

Roadbuilding

Beware Premature Aging of Binder

Take care with liquid asphalt binder to avoid thermal crack failure.

June 6, 2013