The Texas Transportation Commission approved $85.4 million in state funds for rail grade separation projects at its September meeting, according to a Sept. 29 news story published by the Texas Department of Transportation.
The money comes through Senate Bill 1555 and is part of a major award of federal funding, TxDOT said. The funding was used to leverage more than $756 million from the Federal Railroad Administration, which the agency described as the highest collective award of any state in the nation. It will fully fund 12 rail grade separation projects across Texas.
According to TxDOT, the projects are intended to minimize the chance of crashes at railroad crossings by reducing interactions between vehicles and railroad operations. The commission also rescinded a previously approved $5 million award for the City of San Antonio’s Zarzamora Street/Frio City Road project after the city and district jointly elected not to move forward, the agency said. Combined with funding approved in March 2026, TxDOT will deliver 17 rail grade separation projects totaling $1.3 billion.
The commission also announced senior leadership appointments, according to TxDOT. Katelyn Dwyer was named chief of staff after working as a policy analyst for the late Commission Chairman Bruce Bugg and heading the commission support office. Cathy Kratz, previously deputy director of the Traffic Safety Division, was named San Angelo District Engineer. Stephen Kasberg, formerly the Waco District’s director of maintenance, was named Brownwood District Engineer. Ryan Jackson, previously the Bryan District’s deputy district engineer, was named Bryan District Engineer.
Commissioners praised recent project milestones, including the groundbreaking of the Sergio Ivan Rodriguez Memorial Pedestrian Bridge in Houston, the completion of the I-635 East corridor in Dallas and the launch of Project Nexus, an air taxi pilot program, in Fort Worth, the agency said.
The commission awarded low-bid amounts of $218 million for 48 highway improvement projects, $25 million for 13 routine maintenance contracts and $4.7 million for the construction and rehabilitation of three buildings, according to TxDOT. It also awarded $32.4 million in state and federal grant funding for capital improvement projects at 13 airports.
In public transportation, up to $26.7 million in state and Federal Transit Administration program funds was awarded to El Paso Area Transportation Services, the agency said. The funds were previously awarded to El Paso County, which has since formally transferred its rural transit district responsibilities to the transit service.
Commissioners also granted a State Infrastructure Bank loan of up to $1.2 million to the City of Magnolia for utility relocation as part of the FM 1488 widening in Montgomery County, TxDOT said.