08/03/07
Could It Happen Here? -
Categories:
Photo credit: Peter Matthews/Polaris
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After the bridge catastrophe this week in Minneapolis, I heard several people wonder aloud if the same could happen here. We don't know why that bridge collapsed but I heard today that TxDOT engineers are very confident it will not happen here. TxDOT's Dallas District Engineer Bill Hale told those of us at the Dallas Regional Mobility Coalition meeting today that we should not worry, that Texas bridges are in good shape. They are thoroughly inspected every two years. He also said that "structurally deficient" essentially meant that such a bridge would be designed and built differently today.
The situation is deteriorating though, according to Michael Morris of the North Central Texas Council of Governments and the Regional Transportation Council. Focusing on 2030, he said our greatest concern should be that we have unfunded needs of $32 billion for infrastructure rehabilitation. See table.
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Metropolitan Transportation System
Components |
Funded Needs
(Billions/2006 $) |
Unfunded Needs
(Billions/2006 $) |
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Operation & Maintenance
|
$16.7
|
|
|
Congestion Mitigation Strategies
|
$2.1
|
|
|
Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities and Transportation Enhancements
|
$1.1
|
|
|
Rail and Bus Transit System
|
$11.0 1
|
|
|
HOV and Managed Facilities
|
$3.3
|
|
|
Freeway and Toll Road System
|
$26.4
|
$12.7 2
|
|
Regional Arterial and Local Thoroughfare System
|
$5.7
|
$6.0
|
|
Additional Cost to Purchas Right-of-Way
|
|
$1.1
|
|
Rehabilitation Costs
|
$2.6
|
$32.1
|
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Goods Movement/Rail Freight Costs (Trans Tex Corridor)
|
|
$6.7
|
|
TOTAL ($129.5 Billion)
|
$70.9 (55%)
|
$58.6 (45%)
|
| 1 $3.4 billion obtained through Regional Transit Initiative |
| 2 Includes freeway-to-freeway interchanges |
