- Arkansas And Tennessee Jointly Receive $400M Bridge Investment Program Grant
- Harris County, TX, Closes Toll Road Segment To Facilitate Hurricane Recovery Work
- Commercial Truck Fire Threatens To "Cook Off" Handgun Bullets
- These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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Arkansas And Tennessee Jointly Receive $400M Bridge Investment Program Grant
On Friday, the Arkansas and Tennessee Departments of Transportation announced their joint receipt of a nearly $400 million Bridge Investment Program-Large Bridge Project grant to support replacement of an I-55 Mississippi River span known as the America’s River Crossing Bridge. The new funding will allow the $800 million bistate project to move forward. Each state is also dedicating up to $250 million to the construction effort. According to the news release, “The new I-55 bridge will provide redundancy, improve resiliency, meet modern seismic code, and improve connectivity and economic vitality along this major freight corridor.” A significant repair project is underway on the existing bridge, which is not tolled. Tolling of the replacement span is not contemplated. Environmental studies are currently ongoing and public hearings are scheduled for next month.
WATN notes that Tennessee Governor Bill Lee (R) said the project represents the single-largest transportation investment in his state’s history.
WREG also covers this story.
Arkansas Arkansas Department of Transportation (ArDOT) Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Maintenance Tennessee Tennessee DOT US Department of Transportation (USDOT) US Gov't Transportation Funding US Infrastructure Funding And Financing InitiativesHarris County, TX, Closes Toll Road Segment To Facilitate Hurricane Recovery Work
Houston Public Media reports, on Friday, the Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) announced that a three-mile segment of the of the Hardy Toll Road will be closed indefinitely during daylight hours while CenterPoint Energy works to restore electric power to part of the Houston metro area damaged by last week’s Hurricane Beryl. HCTRA “did not immediately say when the lanes would open back up.” The closure was made “[o]ut of an abundance of caution for drivers and workers.”
Today, the Houston City Council voted to extend the city’s disaster declaration to help expedite recovery efforts. According to another Houston Pubic Media article, “More than 200,000 homes and businesses remained without electricity as of [this afternoon] – a week after the storm hit the region and caused at least 13 deaths along with widespread flooding and power outages.”
Economic & Social Considerations Affecting Transportation Harris County Toll Road Authority (HCTRA) Houston Metro Area TexasCommercial Truck Fire Threatens To "Cook Off" Handgun Bullets
The Oklahoman reports, an “interstate segment in northeastern Oklahoma” was closed for almost two hours on Friday because of a commercial truck fire. “While the semi was hauling 40,000 pounds of shingles, troopers reported that there was approximately 100 pounds” — that’s pounds, not rounds– “of handgun bullets being kept in the cab.” Fortunately, none of the ammunition discharged during the blaze.
According to an early KTUL report, the incident occurred on the eastbound Will Rogers Turnpike near mile marker 279.
Highway-Tunnel-Bridge Safety (Includes COVID-19 Impacts) Oklahoma Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA)These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.
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