San Antonio Highway Projects to Continue, Debut in 2025
Construction projects aplenty snarled San Antonio traffic in 2024, but construction work may be just as busy in 2025, according to mysantonio.com.
Here’s a look at some of the continuing and debuting projects in 2025.
The Expansion of Loop 1604
In December, The Texas Department of Transportation opened the first new flyover ramp that connects Interstate 10 and Loop 1604, a sign of tangible progress on the $1.4 billion project. The intersection of I-10 and Loop 1604 is among San Antonio’s busiest, according to mysantonio.com.
In 2025, the 23 mi. of highway expansion will be well under way, turning the Northside span of Loop 1604 into 10 lanes with overlapping ramps at I-10, mysanantonio.com reported.
The project’s first phase from Bandera Road
to I-10 is expected to finish this year, as will the distance of 1604 from I-10 to Highway 281. The rest of the project, however, will be under construction for the next few years, including the intersection at I-10.
Sprucing Up I-35
The Texas Department of Transportation is overhauling I-35 across county lines, going from North Walters Street past Loop 410 to Farm-to-Market Road 1103 in Cibolo. The project aims to upgrade aging infrastructure that can’t handle increasing traffic counts, mysantonio.com reported. Construction began in the summer of 2024, reaching from Loop 410 near Windcrest to Old Seguin Road just west of Kirby. The project is likely to take four years to finish.
In addition, I-35 from Loop 410, past Loop
Texas A&M Board Approves More Than $500M for Construction
The Texas A&M University System’s Board of Regents in November approved more than half-a-billion dollars in construction projects that will touch everything from space exploration to national defense to people’s beloved pets.
“This agenda not only underscores the great needs of the state and nation,” Chancellor John Sharp said. “It is only possible thanks to the foresight and commitment of our state leaders.”
The record-setting vote on construction items
reflects the A&M System’s legislative success in 2023 when a record $1.19 billion in new spending, including $775 million in new initiatives, was approved by the state.
The Legislature appropriated $200 million for the A&M System to build a one-of-a-kind research facility to assist in missions to the moon and Mars. The four-story building, to be constructed on 32 acres at the entrance of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, will include
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ROMCO Equipment Co., SMT Acquire Bee Equipment Sales
In a strategic move to strengthen its leadership in the Texas construction and paving equipment industry, ROMCO Equipment Co. and its parent company, SMT, have acquired Bee Equipment Sales, further expanding its footprint in the region.
“This acquisition bolsters ROMCO and SMT’s ability to deliver an expanded range of high-quality equipment and services,” the companies said in a release. “It enables us to better serve our growing customer base and offer unmatched solutions in the Texas market. Customers of both ROMCO and Bee Equipment Sales will benefit from expanded access to premium equipment brands, enhanced customer support and a broader range of solutions — all while continuing to experience the exceptional service they’ve come to trust.”
Community Impact in Lubbock
“This acquisition not only strengthens our presence in Texas but also creates new opportunities for growth in Lubbock, where Bee Equipment Sales has long been a cornerstone of the local economy,” the companies said. “We’re excited to continue supporting the community and contributing to its future growth.”
Bee Equipment Sales in Lubbock, Texas, has been a trusted name in the construction and
paving equipment industry since its founding in 1981. The company is renowned for its high-quality new and used heavy construction equipment, as well as its comprehensive service, replacement parts and rental solutions, according to the company
About Bee Equipment Sales
Bee Equipment Sales has been the go-to dealer for construction and paving equipment in West Texas and southeastern New Mexico. The company offers a wide range of machinery and parts from brands including Dynapac, LeeBoy and Broce. Serving clients throughout the greater West Texas area, Bee Equipment has built a strong reputation for reliability and excellence, according to the company.
“This acquisition marks a significant milestone in ROMCO’s ongoing commitment to becoming the leader in equipment solutions across Texas,” said Steve Passmore, president of ROMCO. “By welcoming Bee Equipment Sales into our family, we’re combining strengths to provide even more value to our customers. Together, we will continue to prioritize our commitment to excellence and customer satisfaction.”
“I am confident this new ownership will take Bee to the next level and will bring fresh opportunities and continued satisfaction,’
(L-R): Mike Kuehn, general manager of Bee Equipment Sales; Steve Passmore, president of ROMCO Equipment Co.; Jerome Barioz, CEO of SMT (ROMCO’s parent company); and Everett Monroe, former owner of Bee Equipment Sales.
added Everett Monroe, former owner of Bee Equipment Sales. “I want to take this moment to sincerely thank our dedicated employees for their hard work and
commitment, our loyal customers who have trusted us with their business throughout the years and our OEM partners with strong collaboration and support.”
About ROMCO
ROMCO Equipment Co. has been at the forefront of the Texas and New Mexico equipment markets since 1961. With 16 locations dedicated to providing high-quality equipment and exceptional product support, ROMCO is committed to delivering outstanding service to its customers, according to the company. For more information, visit www.romco.com.
About SMT
SMT, headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, is a leading distributor and after-sales partner in the equipment and transport industry. Since its establishment in 2010, SMT has expanded its dealership network across Africa, now operating in more than 18 countries with a comprehensive range of Volvo Equipment. The company’s European presence was bolstered by the acquisition of Kuiken Group in 2015 and the Volvo CE dealership in Great Britain in 2017.
SMT entered the U.S. market in 2022 with the acquisition of ROMCO Equipment Co., followed by Sierra Machinery in 2023. Renowned for its high standards and innovative solutions, SMT now operates in 31 countries and employs more than 2,200 people, according to the company. For more information, visit www.smt.network.
TxDOT Honored as Bridge Owner of the Year By NSBA
ByRyanLaFontaine
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
The National Steel Bridge Alliance (NSBA) recently honored TxDOT as its inaugural recipient of the Owner of the Year award for the agency’s trailblazing efforts in bridge design and construction.
The award — the first of its kind — recognizes extraordinary bridges and the builders whose vision and dedication to the public keep America moving.
TxDOT was recognized for its years of research and decades spent developing best practices for achieving economical and easily constructed steel bridges. These solutions were implemented in the Brazos River Bridge project, which was included in a larger project on State Highway 105 across the
Navasota and Brazos rivers and Coles Creek in Grimes, Brazos and Washington counties.
The Brazos River Bridge is a testament to TxDOT’s culture of innovation and continuous improvement. By integrating what’s known as lean-on bracing principles, TxDOT engineers were able to put research into practice, providing many long-term benefits.
Some of the things TxDOT has done to develop best practices for steel bridges include:
• Investing in steel bridge research
• Developing a joint owner-industry forum called the Texas Steel Quality Council
• Publishing a document, Preferred Practices for Steel Bridge Design, Fabrication, and Erection, that helps designers working on TxDOT projects achieve
optimal quality and value in steel bridges
• Developing steel bridge standards for steel rolled beams and steel plate girder bridges
• Developing an FHWA-approved steel twin tub analysis methodology for redundancy
“TxDOT isn’t just implementing best practices for designing and building steel bridges — it is defining how [a builder] can maximize the potential of steel,” NSBA Senior Director for Market Development Jeff Carlson said. “Recent projects like the remarkably economical Brazos River Bridge demonstrate how TxDOT’s longstanding investment in steel bridge research is paying dividends for Texans, today and tomorrow.”
TxDOT has spent decades developing
best practices for achieving economical and easily constructed steel bridges.
“This was a complex project for many reasons,” said Jamie Farris, director of TxDOT’s Bridge Division. “One of the first issues we faced was finding a new location for the replacement bridge. Because of the Brazos River’s slope-failure region, the new bridge couldn’t be placed adjacent to the existing structure.”
Other challenges would continue to pop up: Would steel girders work better than concrete? How would the river’s continued migration westward factor into the plan?
“This project is a testament to TxDOT’s culture of innovation and continuous improvement,” Farris said. “It also highlights our ability to adapt in order to meet the structural needs of any project.”
ROMCO Equipment Co. photo
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Children’s Health Breaks Ground On $5B Dallas Campus
Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center broke ground recently on a $5 billion pediatric health campus to replace the existing Children’s Medical Center Dallas.
The new campus will encompass more than 4.7 million sq. ft. of construction, including a new pediatric hospital as its centerpiece. The hospital, comprising two 12-story towers and one eight-story tower, along with the broader care site, will significantly expand inpatient, surgical and ambulatory capacity to meet the needs of one of the fastest-growing and largest metropolitan areas in the country.
The new Dallas pediatric campus will be located on the corner of Harry Hines Boulevard and Paul M. Bass Way, across from UTSW’s William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital.
McCarthy Vaughn Partnership (MVP) — a joint venture of McCarthy Building Companies Inc. and J.T. Vaughn Construction LLC — will serve as construction manager of the project.
HKS and Perkins&Will will serve as the integrated design team.
The hospital will potentially open in the next six to seven years.
The new hospital will house 552 beds, which will increase the inpatient capacity at Children’s Health by 38 percent. The hospital also will have 15 percent more emergency department (ED) space and 22 percent more operating room space, plus space
for future expansion.
The facility will include a Level I pediatric trauma center with 90 ED exam rooms and 24 observation rooms. A new fetal care center will provide the region's most advanced and accessible services for complex maternal and fetal health care.
Additional features include a connector bridge between the new campus and UT Southwestern's William P. Clements Jr. University Hospital. A new outpatient building on campus will contain 96 exam rooms.
“For more than 110 years, Children’s Health, together with our 60-year partners at UT Southwestern, have sought to provide the best care available to the families of North Texas,” said Children’s Health President and CEO Christopher Durovich.
“Today, as we prepare for the tremendous growth in the area’s pediatric population, through this new pediatric campus we are reaffirming our promise that every child in this community will have the opportunity to pursue their dreams, no matter the challenges they face.”
In addition, a $100 million gift from The Rees-Jones Foundation to support the construction of the new pediatric campus marks the first time in Texas that a not-forprofit construction project has received two individual leadership gifts of $100 million. A $100 million gift from the Jean and Mack Pogue family was announced in May. (Photos courtesy of McCarthy.)
A rendering of the campus.
Wyoming Springs Extension Project Under Construction
The Wyoming Springs extension project in Round Rock, Texas, is now under construction after five years of planning and design, the city of Round Rock announced.
The $25.9 million construction contract, awarded to Capital Excavation Co. of Buda, Texas, in September 2024, is funded by the city’s Transportation and Economic Development Corporation (Type B) sales tax revenues.
The new four-lane divided arterial roadway will include shared-use paths and extend over Brushy Creek from Creekbend Boulevard to Farm-to-Market 3406 (Old Settlers Boulevard). The project is expected to significantly reduce traffic congestion on Farm-to-Market 3406, Sam Bass Road and Creekbend Boulevard, offering another north-south route on the west side of the city.
The Wyoming Springs extension has been in the city’s Transportation Master Plan since 1999 to address anticipated growth in the area. City Council approved the design contract for the project in August 2019, just two years after the completion of the nearby Creekbend Boulevard extension over
A map of the Wyoming Springs extension project in Round Rock, Texas.
Brushy Creek.
Designed with future transportation needs in mind, the roadway incorporates measures to minimize environmental and community impacts along the unique Hairy Man corridor. Efforts to preserve the existing landscape included aligning the roadway to avoid tree removal where possible, using retaining walls and tree wells to limit embankment on root zones and following the existing ground
profile. Extensive coordination with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and community feedback during public meetings in 2020 and 2021 helped shape the final design.
The project was let for construction on Aug. 14, 2024. Construction began on Nov. 18, 2024, and is expected to last up to two years.
The city said the Wyoming Springs Extension provides a needed additional
north-south crossing of Brushy Creek. A limited number of crossings results in additional traffic on FM 3406, Sam Bass Road and Ranch-to-Market 620 as motorists travel those roads to access Interstate 35 to get north and south.
The most recent traffic counts on Wyoming Spring at Brightwater Boulevard are 2,277 vehicles per hour at peak travel times, with anticipated doubling by 2040.
The $5 billion project will include 552 beds and 4.5 million sq. ft. of construction.
City of Round Rock, Texas, photo
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$264M Contract Awarded for Port of Entry Modernization
The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced on Dec. 19, 2024, that it awarded a $263,906,507 design-build contract to Brasfield & Gorrie LLC for the Brownsville-Gateway Land Port of Entry modernization project.
The Birmingham, Ala.-based company will provide design-build services for a modernization project that will strengthen security, enhance trade and create jobs by replacing all existing buildings at the land port of entry with new modern facilities.
This critical infrastructure project includes $213.5 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to support increased port capacity while securely facilitating trade and travel between the United States and Mexico. This contract leverages more than $50 million in Inflation Reduction Act funds that are critical to its completion, including $48.3 million for American-made low-embodied carbon construction materials, including asphalt, concrete, glass and steel.
“This complete overhaul of the primary lanes and CBP administrative building infrastructure at Gateway is a vital, much-needed project…”
Peter Flores U.S. General Services Administration
Standards, and will feature water-saving fixtures and energy-efficient building systems. These material selections alone will avoid 200 to 300 metric tons of climate-warming carbon emissions that would otherwise be associated with the manufacture of equivalent “industry-average” building materials — this is equivalent to taking about 60 gaspowered cars off the road for a year.
The Brownsville-Gateway Land Port of Entry on 9 acres in downtown Brownsville, Texas, is a vital crossing point for approximately 92,000 passenger vehicles and 89,000 pedestrians each month, traveling across the Gateway International Bridge. In operation since the 1920s, the port of entry has seen limited renovations since the 1990s, making this project crucial to update and modernize the facility to enhance security and efficiency.
The modernization project will renovate the current land port of entry by demolishing existing facilities and expanding key areas.
“This modernized land port of entry stands as a testament to the Biden Administration’s commitment to transformative investments that enhance safety and security while driving economic growth,” GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan said. “These strategic upgrades are a triple win: generating high-quality jobs that fortify our economy and national security, reducing taxpayer expenses through energy efficiency, and paving the way for a more resilient and thriving future for our communities.”
A new 48,000-sq.-ft. administration building will replace the current 22,000-sq.-ft. space, providing a modern workspace for federal inspection agencies. The inspection area will expand to 10 primary lanes and 24 secondary inspection spaces with canopies, up from five lanes and 15 spaces, respectively. The 500-sq.-ft. headhouse will be upgraded to a new 6,000-sq,-ft. foot building.
Additional upgrades include a new 9,000sq.-ft. outbound inspection area and new parking lots to accommodate staff and visitors. Design will begin this February with construction scheduled to begin in summer 2026. Completion is scheduled for late 2029.
The new port of entry will be all-electric, meeting the Federal Building Performance
“This complete overhaul of the primary lanes and CBP administrative building infrastructure at Gateway is a vital, much-needed project that will provide our employees with the updated workspace essential to fulfilling our national and economic security mission,” Acting Deputy Commissioner Pete Flores said. “This critical infrastructure project will enable CBP to be able to process a much larger volume of passenger vehicle and pedestrian traffic while still upholding the agency’s priority border security mission through an effective deployment of CBP officers, canines and non-intrusive inspection system technology.”
Through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act, GSA is building and modernizing dozens of land ports of entry on the country’s northern and southern borders. The investments will improve commerce and trade, enhance security, create good-paying jobs and incorporate innovative cost-saving sustainability features.
Kiewit Picked for $757M Corpus Christi Desalination Plant
Corpus Christi, Texas, officials selected Kiewit Infrastructure South Co. to design and build the city’s planned Inner Harbor Desalination Plant, a project with an estimated cost of $757.6 million, enr.com reported.
The seawater desalination plant would be able to process 30 million gallons daily. Officials at Corpus Christi Water plan to build the plant at a site beside the Inner Harbor ship channel linking the Port of Corpus Christi to the Gulf of Mexico so the plant could draw from and discharge into the channel, according to enr.com.
Kiewit beat out two other shortlisted teams bidding for the work. The company employs more than 1,600 people nearby at a laydown yard in Ingleside, Texas, enr.com reported.
Caller-Times said Kiewit previously built a seawater desalination facility in Carlsbad, Calif.
Kiewit representative said in a statement that it expects to partner with “many local subcontractors and suppliers to safely deliver” the plant.
City officials anticipate for work to start on the project in
2025 and be completed by the end of 2027, according to enr.com.
In July, the Texas Water Development Board approved the city’s application for $535.1 million for the project through
the state’s State Water Implementation Fund for Texas program.
Corpus Christi Water supplies about 500,000 people, enr.com reported. It says the plant is needed to help secure the local water supply against drought.
“Much of our future depends on new water supplies,” Drew Molly, chief operating officer of Corpus Christi Water, said at an Aug. 7 city council meeting that outlined plans for various infrastructure projects including the desalination plant.
A preliminary $10 million contract for the first phase of the project would include facilities planning and conceptual design work, as well as a pilot program for the plant, Corpus Christi City Manager Peter Zanoni told the Caller-Times.
A second-phase contract of about $128 million would focus more on design work, allowing for an updated construction cost in mid- to late 2025, he said.
The project is not without some controversy. Opponents have mentioned possible environmental impacts and the site’s proximity to a neighborhood.
City of Corpus Christi photo A rendering of the planned Inner Harbor Desalination Plant.
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AECOM Named Delivery Partner for Austin Light Rail Phase 1
Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), the local government corporation charged with implementing Austin’s first all-electric light rail system, announced that it has selected AECOM as its delivery partner for Austin Light Rail Phase 1.
Austin’s first light rail system, a $7 billion project, will feature 15 stations and consist of electric-powered trains, miles of new walk and bike paths lined with shade trees and will be an engine for thousands of jobs for Texas.
ATP’s board of directors unanimously approved a resolution on Dec. 18 authorizing the agency to move forward with a multi-
year contract for a delivery partner to implement Austin Light Rail.
The value of the initial four-year contract as approved by the board is for an amount not to exceed $98.5 million.
The delivery partner serves as a project management/construction management team to have shared dedication to delivering Austin Light Rail, through full integration with ATP and collaborative engagement with ATP’s other contractors, as well as share a solutions-oriented approach to the work.
Serving as an extension of the ATP team, AECOM will provide a range of professional services to support Austin Light Rail during final design, construction and the launch of service. Those services include staff augmentation and technical assistance for program management and administration services, project controls, Federal Transit Administration support and advisory services, design and construction management, and post-construction management services.
“ATP will remain a lean organization throughout the completion of Austin Light Rail Phase 1, partnering closely with the private sector to attract top talent to successfully deliver one of the largest transit infrastructure projects underway in the nation today,” said ATP Executive Director Greg Canally. “ATP is excited to have AECOM join our team — providing global resources and deep expertise.”
AECOM has performed some of the most significant
light rail, commuter rail, intercity and heavy rail transit planning, design, construction management and program management projects in the world. Recent and current projects include the Crossrail system in London, Ontario Line South in Toronto and the Downtown Rail Extension project in San Francisco.
“We are the global leader in transportation, and we are proud of our partnership with ATP for Austin’s first light rail transit system,” said Lara Poloni, AECOM’s president. “Cities across the U.S. continue to make unprecedented investments in rail infrastructure, and Austin is no exception. This critical project will transform how Austinites navigate their city, with the promise of stimulating economic growth, protecting the existing environment and promoting a sustainable future for generations to come.”
As delivery partner, AECOM will lead a robust technical team of subconsultants, including disadvantaged business enterprise (DBE) firms. By collaborating with DBE firms, AECOM seeks to provide opportunities for socially and economically disadvantaged individuals to engage in and benefit from the project’s development.
AECOM is expected to begin work in January, the same month ATP will initiate procurement of final design and construction contracts valued at more than $4 billion. The contracts are expected to be awarded in 2026 with construction scheduled to begin in 2027.
Space Institute, Wind Tunnel Among New A&M Projects
landscapes that mimic the surfaces of the moon and Mars. Each is the size of Kyle Field.
The building will include secured research “garages” for experimental robots and vehicles, lab spaces, offices, classrooms and an auditorium. Construction will begin on the Texas A&M University Space Institute, as the project is to be called, in January.
Another legislative initiative, a $10 million Hypersonic Wind Tunnel will be built at Texas A&M-RELLIS in Bryan. Providing large-scale aerodynamic testing in the range of Mach 5 to 9, the Hypersonic Wind Tunnel will become the largest academic facility of its kind in the country.
The single-story facility will complement research at the adjacent Ballistics Aero-optics and Materials (BAM) Range and the Detonation Research Test Facility. Construction began in December.
Texas A&M University is one of the largest schools of veterinary medicine, but it has outgrown its Small Animal Teaching Hospital. Designed to support a caseload of 6,000, the teaching hospital sees about 24,000 cases annually.
The board approved $181 million to build a two-story facility at the corner of Raymond Stotzer Parkway and Agronomy Road. Construction begins in January.
The board also approved:
• A $25.3 million training facility for the Texas A&M Engineering Extension Service (TEEX), which is a provider of training and technical assistance in fire and rescue, infrastructure and safety, law enforcement, economic and workforce development, cybersecurity and homeland security. The 86-acre site at A&M-RELLIS will allow for the construction of an urban simulation grid, drive track, skills pad, props building and classrooms. The site also will eventually be the location of a future headquarters.
• A $21.69 million school for learners (ages six weeks through kindergarten) in San Antonio. The construction of Educare San Antonio will establish the first Educare school in Texas, joining a network of 25 birth-though-age 5 schools across the country. The lab-school will provide real-world experience for students at Texas A&M-San Antonio. Construction began in December.
• $10 million to support renovations to an existing softball facility and the construction of a multipurpose field and track at Texas A&M-San Antonio. Bexar County has agreed to reimburse the $10 million because the facilities will serve both the university and the community. Construction began in December.
• $7.4 million for a student dining facility at Texas A&M-Commerce. Construction began in December.
• $74.9 million for utility and HVAC upgrades on the College Station campus.
(All photos courtesy of Texas A&M University.)
ACEC Texas Joins ACEC Research Institute’s Founder Circle
The ACEC Research Institute announced a major donation from ACEC Texas, a state member organization within the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) federation. The contribution joins a growing list of donations to the Institute.
“With ACEC Texas stepping up to the Founder Circle level, we are one step closer to ensuring that the next generation of engineers and firm leaders have the tools, resources and knowledge they need to succeed,” said ACEC Research Institute Chair Michael J. Carragher, the chair and CEO of VHB.
The ACEC Research Institute is pioneering
solutions to attract and retain a new generation of engineers and leaders with its Future of Engineering Roundtable series and Diversity Roadmap tool.
“Founder Circle support makes it possible to undertake research to solve tomorrow’s challenges,” said Peyton McKnight, president of ACEC Texas. “By contributing, ACEC Texas is not just funding studies — it is driving the future of engineering forward in meaningful ways.”
The ACEC Research Institute’s data is often cited by the media and is available on the Bloomberg Terminal. Its sought-after
experts are also frequent contributors to industry podcasts.
ACEC Texas joins a growing list of donors that have stepped forward over the past three years to support the ACEC Research Institute at the highest level, Founder Circle, many of which were early contributors that helped launch the Institute.
The ACEC Research Institute plans to continue to expand its research activities. By harnessing the collective expertise of its members and stakeholders, the Institute aims to develop transformative solutions that address the pressing challenges of our time, ensuring a
safer, more sustainable and resilient built environment for future generations.
The ACEC Research Institute is the independent research arm of the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) — the business association of the nation’s engineering industry.
The ACEC Research Institute’s mission is to deliver knowledge and business strategies that guide and elevate the engineering industry and to be the leading source of knowledge and thought leadership for creating a more sustainable, safe, secure and technically advanced built environment.
A rendering of the Texas A&M University Space Institute, to be built near Johnson Space Center in Houston.
A rendering of the newly approved Clinical Veterinary Teaching & Research Complex
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San Antonio Highway Projects Include I-10, I-35 Bridges
PROJECTS from page 1
1604 and up to Selma are slated for 2027 completion. Future phases remain in the design stages, according to my santonio.com
Bridge Work On I-10, I-35
TxDOT will continue work in 2025 to repair and upgrade bridge joints on the highways, a process that has created traffic jams, especially on the upper level of I-10 before it meets I-35.
Bridge joints will be replaced along both I-10 and I-35 along stretches of highway that wrap around downtown San Antonio, according to TxDOT.
“Replacing them with new joints that meet current standards will reduce maintenance and extend the life of the bridges,” a TxDOT spokesperson told mysantonio.com. “A steel plate will be placed over the existing joints during replacement to allow traffic to utilize the main lanes until the contractor can remove and replace the existing joints and deck concrete.”
Project Debuts
Voters approved more than $20 million in bonds in 2022 to revamp a 5-mi. stretch of Culebra Road on the near northwest side of San Antonio, according to mysantonio.com. Although the main portion of the construction won’t begin until 2026, some residential street improvements in the area will be ongoing in 2025, mysantonio.com reported.
A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing shows that residential streets along Culebra Road could be
built with sidewalks to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Design work is expected to begin in March, meaning crews could be there in the early part of
2025, mysantonio.com reported.
(All photos courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation.)
Overspin
TxDOT Launches Strategic AI Plan
Amid a rapidly evolving digital landscape, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is leveraging the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to help make Texas roads safer and enhance mobility across the state.
TxDOT released its Artificial Intelligence Strategic Plan, marking a significant step toward enhancing processes, policies and the responsible management of Texas’ transportation investments through AI. The plan identifies key use cases and provides strategic recommendations to prepare TxDOT for the innovations that will reshape its operations.
“TxDOT is committed to staying at the forefront of technological advancements, and AI offers tremendous potential to improve safety and streamline operations,” TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams said. “By utilizing AI in a secure and responsible manner, we are revolutionizing the way we monitor and manage traffic, detect incidents in real time and streamline how we work to help get projects delivered more efficiently.”
The 230 potential AI-use cases identified will guide the department over the next three years. TxDOT engineers, IT experts, planners and multiple other employees across the state helped create these use cases.
The plan also lays out multiple recommendations to help enhance data quality and train employees on AI.
“These initiatives are a testament to our commitment to innovation and safety,” TxDOT Director of Strategy and Innovation Darran Anderson said. “By embracing AI and other advanced technologies, we are improving the efficiency of our operations while making Texas’ transportation system safer and more resilient.”
Key Focus Areas of the AI Strategic Plan
Optimizing infrastructure: AI will help improve the efficiency and resiliency of the state’s transportation network.
Data-driven decision making: AI-enabled analytics will enhance how staff can make decisions regarding roadway operations and maintenance.
Enhancing stakeholder experience: The agency will leverage AI for real-world solutions to help TxDOT employees and partners deliver better services to the traveling public. Unlocking workforce potential: AI will reduce demands on employees from routine and manual tasks, enabling them to focus on higher-value work and innovation.
Ensuring security: Incorporates security and data privacy safeguards to protect the agency while also keeping humans in the loop with all AI processes
The AI Implementation Roadmap in the Strategic Plan outlines an approach to adopting AI responsibly, emphasizing governance, transparency, human accountability and adherence to the highest ethical, security and data privacy standards.
TxDOT has developed an Acceptable Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy and established an AI Risk Management Workgroup that will identify, assess and manage the risks associated with AI systems and projects.
“Incorporating AI into our IT infrastructure allows us to not only drive innovation but also prioritize transparency, security and roadway safety,” Chief Information Officer Anh Selissen said. “By leveraging AI, we can enhance the efficiency of our business processes and transportation systems while ensuring that the solutions we deploy are secure, transparent and designed to increase the safety of the traveling public.”
Next Issue Closes January 29th
TEXAS STATE SUPPLEMENT
Texas State University Hosts Academic Building Ceremony
A rendering of Esperanza Hall at Texas State University.
Texas State University hosted a groundbreaking ceremony Dec. 4, 2024, for Esperanza Hall, the first new academic building to be constructed at the Round Rock Campus since Willow Hall opened in 2018.
The $52.4 million, 81,600-sq.-ft. facility will include a tiered lecture hall, general classrooms, study spaces, lounge areas, a conference room and vending. The initial construction will include the build-out of classrooms, study and lounge space on the first floor. The second and third floors will be shell space reserved for future build-out. University officials expect the building to be operational by fall 2026.
The project architects are BGK Architects and the contractor is Joeris Construction of San Antonio, Texas.
TXST President Kelly Damphousse and Vice President for Round Rock Julie Lessiter delivered remarks at the event.
“During the last legislative cycle, TXST
was given funds to help plan and build our newest academic building — Esperanza Hall,” Damphousse said. “With those funds, we are able to meet the increasing demands at our Round Rock Campus for quality higher education opportunities in Williamson County.”
Damphousse has set a goal of increasing enrollment on the Round Rock Campus to 10,000 students by 2030.
“We see unprecedented opportunity for the Round Rock Campus to host much of TXST’s future growth,” he said. “TXST Round Rock is poised to become the thirdlargest college campus in the Austin metropolitan area. However, to meet our enrollment goal, there is a need for additional space for classrooms, study areas and lounges so that our students can be successful here. With Esperanza Hall, we will meet those space demands.”
(All photos courtesy of Texas State University.)
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