Trans Texas Corridor: Is It Really Dead?

EAST TEXAS—TXDOT officials say they have hit the breaks on the Trans Texas Corridor project.

The plan for a network of toll roads to run through many acres of property belonging to east texans faced heavy opposition. As a result, TXDOT was forced to kill the program, releasing the following statement:

"In response to citizen comments... TXDOT will effectively end efforts to develop TTC-35 through the Trans Texas Corridor concept."

TTC-35 roughly follows the route of interstate 35 through central Texas. However, a second corridor concept, TTC-69, runs through hundreds of miles of east Texas.

TXDOT spokesman, Larry Krantz and Whitehouse rancher and gubernatorial candidate, Hank Gilbert, disagree on the status of the project.

"The environmental impact study which was announced (Wednesday) for what was formerly known as the I-35 TTC has some Trans Texas Corridor language in it. But as we announced in January, the Trans Texas Corridor project is dead," says Krantz.

"For the last four to six years, the people of this state have been treated like second class citizens by this agency (and) by this governor when it comes to their private property rights...And the fact that this road and future corridor projects like this could abuse the eminent domain process so drastically," says Gilbert.