To ensure funding for the LBJ East, Texas Transportation Commission officials might take three other major highway projects off the table.
"The anger and frustration of motorists stuck on LBJ Freeway may soon spread to users of a trio of other crowded North Texas roadways," reports Ray Lesczynski.
That's because "[f]unds to improve three highway logjams are being used as collateral to persuade the Texas Transportation Commission to build LBJ East, the 10.8 miles of Interstate 635 between Interstate 30 and Central Expressway that has been deemed the region's top transportation project."
The three projects being leveraged for the sake of the LBJ East: a bridge over Lake Ray Hubbard on Interstate 30, Interstate 35E between LBJ and the Denton County line, and U.S. Highway 80 east toward Kaufman County.
The article includes soundbites from politicians backing each of the projects, and the land use and development context driving the case for each project. "Most North Texas county officials don't dispute the need for LBJ East or the project's status as the region's top priority," explains Lesczynski. "But they resent state leaders for taking North Texas' funding solution — two tolled (managed) lanes in each direction — off the table."
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