Yesterday, our House Transportation Committee Chairman Terry Canales had a press conference regarding the State Highway (SH) 68 project in Hidalgo County.
State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa issued the following statement:
“I have received numerous inquiries from constituents regarding comments made by Chairman Terry Canales during his press conference yesterday about the SH 68 project. While I agree with many of the points made by my friend, Chairman Canales, I want to make clear that TxDOT has been very cooperative throughout this process. A project of this magnitude requires years of planning and development. I have met with local public officials, impacted stakeholders, local TxDOT staff, and TxDOT leadership to listen to concerns and work to address them. This is an ongoing process, and it is important that the public has access to as much information as possible.
I have reviewed reports and information provided by TxDOT and have confirmed with TxDOT leadership that there will be no traffic light at the proposed intersection of US 281/IH-69 and SH 68. Instead, there will be a seamless connection that will not cause backups for commercial vehicles. Trucks headed to the airport will have a separate exit to facilitate access. As it relates to concerns about an interchange with a flyover that would exceed the FAA’s height limitations, TxDOT has recommended an underpass, which has been done in other regions of the state. Additionally, there will be no loss of funding for the SH 68 project, as it is already fully funded. According to TXDOT administration, this proposed connector at US 281/IH-69 and SH 68 is expected to meet our needs for another 50 years. To this point, Chairman Canales and I, along with other stakeholders, will be meeting with Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr., and TxDOT engineers, to discuss the various options and finalize a decision based on what is best for the region.
Completing a project of this size is a lengthy process. We will continue to work with TxDOT to take care of the transportation needs of our region and deliver projects that make our roads safer for our families, improve connectivity, reduce congestion, and help grow our economy.”