The Texas Transportation Commission awarded $955 million for 85 highway improvement projects, advanced a roughly $2.14 billion Houston design-build contract, and adopted new rail and aviation rules at its July 30 meeting, according to an Aug. 4 recap published by the Texas Department of Transportation.
The meeting drew a visit from Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster, who discussed the partnership between his agency and Texas and praised the state’s leadership in transportation innovation, project delivery, and emergency response, TxDOT said. McMaster called San Antonio’s Loop 1604 North Expansion, where he attended a groundbreaking a day earlier, one of the most important and impactful projects in the country, according to the agency.
TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams updated commissioners on the department’s flood response, reporting that crews, contractors, and personnel from 15 districts have been involved in emergency response and repairs, including emergency work on the SH 481 bridge over the Nueces River near Uvalde, the recap said.
Commissioners also reviewed the agency’s draft 2028-29 Legislative Appropriations Request, which outlines the funding TxDOT will seek from the Texas Legislature in 2027. Most of the request supports project development and delivery, and the agency is seeking additional full-time positions for emergency response, statewide traffic management, and flood mitigation, according to TxDOT. The final request goes before the commission in August.
In other action, the commission gave final approval to rules implementing the Short Line Railroad Improvement State Fund Program authorized by Senate Bill 2366 — a grant framework for short-line railroads that remains unfunded — and approved aviation rule changes under House Bill 4520 that cut the local match requirement for airport grants in economically disadvantaged counties from 10% to 5%, the agency said. Commissioners additionally awarded $52 million for 28 routine maintenance projects.
Looking ahead, the commission authorized TxDOT to issue a request for qualifications for Segment 3C-2 of the North Houston Highway Improvement Project, a roughly $2.14 billion effort that includes rebuilding the I-10/I-69 interchange and rerouting I-45 around downtown Houston. The agency said the project is expected to be substantially complete in spring 2036.