The August Texas Department of Transportation's highway letting is scheduled for Aug. 5 and 6. According to a June 10 report, 110 projects are approved to be let with an estimated total of $583,987,678.

The report also cited that projects could be added, advanced or delayed as deemed necessary.

Administration Proposes
Successor To TEA-21

The Bush Administration in mid-May sent to Congress its proposal to reauthorize federal highway, transit and safety programs. The bill provides $247 billion, an increase of 19 percent over current levels, but officials from the transportation construction industry criticized that figure, telling Texas Construction it falls "way short."

"Their proposal was way short in terms of meeting the needs of the program," said Mike Acott, president of the National Asphalt Pavement Association. "Our basic position is to urge the Bush Administration and Congress to fund a six-year reauthorization bill at a $375 billion investment."

NAPA and other similar organizations are recommending several ways to boost the dollar figure, including changes in the federal gas tax. But U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta indicated that President Bush would not be in favor of such an approval.

"(The president) did want us to put the program together based on no new taxes or no new indexing of taxes," Mineta said.

The transportation secretary also downplayed a proposal to offset revenue the Federal Highway Trust Fund loses because of the 5.2-cent-per-gallon spread between taxes on gasohol and gasoline.

"I'm sure that there would be objections to that approach because it comes from the general treasury," Mineta said.

Archer-Western Awarded
Initial SH 45 Contract

The Arlington office of Chicago-based Archer-Western Contractors Ltd. was recently awarded the contract to build an initial section of State Highway 45, which includes a new multi-level interchange with Interstate 35.

Archer-Western submitted a bid of $103 million for the project, the lowest of four bids received by the Texas Department of Transportation. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the bid in late May and construction is expected to begin by late this summer.

The contract will be for a two-mile segment of SH 45 North from County Road 172 (Quick Hill Road) to County Road 170. Construction will include a six-lane roadway and multi-level interchange at IH 35 and SH 45 North, which is the current location of Farm-to-Market Road 1325 and IH 35. The eastbound frontage roads will also be extended to CR 170.

The SH 45 North is part of the Central Texas Turnpike Project, which also includes the extension of Loop 1 and the northern 49 miles of SH 130.

Construction of the CTTP already is under way at the interchange of SH 45 and Loop 1. The entire turnpike project is scheduled for completion by December 2007.

Austin Set To Launch
Ambitious Sewer Project

The City of Austin is ready to embark upon its largest construction project ever, a $150 million sewer project to comply with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency mandates.
According to a report in the Austin Business Journal, the EPA has ordered the city to eliminate sewer overflows from its wastewater collection system. As a result, the Austin Water and Wastewater Utility plans to sell revenue bonds to finance construction.

Additionally, the utility recommended the Austin City Council approve a rate increase of 5 to 10 percent for all water and wastewater bills.

The project, called the Austin Clean Water Program, may involve as many as 200 separate construction projects involving dozens of contractors and subcontractors. The Austin office of environmental engineer Earth Tech Inc. has already been hired as program manager while 25 area engineering firms have been tapped to design improvements in more than 120 areas throughout the city sewer system.

Corps Issues Permit
For New Texas Terminal

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recently issued a permit to the Port of Texas City, paving the way for construction of the $450 million Shoal Point Container Terminal on 400 acres in Galveston Bay.
The project will create six 1,000-ft. berths and have an annual capacity of 1 million containers, according to Texas City chief of staff Doug Hoover.
The city will partner with Stevedoring Services of America on the project. A construction contract is expected to be awarded by this fall.

U.S. House Panel Clears
Increase for Airport Grants

The U.S. House aviation subcommittee in mid-May approved legislation to increase the federal Aviation Improvement Program to $4 billion in fiscal 2007, from less than $3.4 billion this year.

The bill would succeed AIR-21, the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, and is titled "Flight 100 - The Century of Aviation Reauthorization Act."

It would set funding for the AIP, which provides construction grants at $3.4 billion for 2004, $3.6 billion for 2005, $3.8 billion for 2006 and $4 billion for 2007. The Senate's Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee earlier approved a three-year bill, providing $3.4 billion in 2004, $3.5 billion in 2005 and $3.6 billion in 2006.

The Senate measure also included an annual $500 million airport security fund. The House subcommittee approved the security fund at the same annual level, but as part of a separate aviation security bill. Both measures were expected to be merged into a single bill on the House floor.