This $2 billion highway expansion in Fort Worth among most wasteful in U.S.: report
With a $2 billion price tag, a Texas Department of Transportation project expected to transform 16 miles of Interstate 20, East Loop 820 and U.S. 287 in Tarrant County has earned the designation as one of the country’s most wasteful highway proposals, according to a report published Tuesday.
The Southeast Connector was among seven expansion projects highlighted in “Highway Boondoggles,” an annual report prepared by two watchdog organizations, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and Frontier Group. Construction on the connector is slated to begin in parts of Fort Worth and Arlington late next year and last through 2026, according to TxDOT plans made public in June.
To determine which projects qualified as the top boondoggles, researchers evaluated factors such as cost, the effect on local transportation systems and impacts on the environment and surrounding neighborhoods, said Bay Scoggin, the director of Texas Public Interest Research Group.
Ultimately, TxDOT’s plan to add up to six highway lanes in some areas and develop 126 acres along I-20, I-820 and U.S. 287 fit the report’s definition of a “boondoggle,” or work that is “pointless but gives the appearance of having value.” While TxDOT seeks to reduce traffic congestion by building more road space, the agency does not typically achieve that outcome, Scoggin said.
“Unfortunately, the sort of fundamental law of road congestion is if you build it, they will come,” Scoggin said in an interview. “By building these bigger and bigger highways, more people are attracted to drive on that new shiny highway, and it ends up clogging the streets up more than they were before.”
Homeowners living along the Southeast Connector’s construction zone previously expressed concerns about how the project would increase noise levels, cut down about 15 acres of trees and destroy at least 24 businesses and residential buildings in east Fort Worth. Rep. Nicole Collier, who represents the area in the state Legislature, said in July that TxDOT would compensate people whose homes or businesses are razed.
TxDOT spokesperson Val Lopez did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report, but told the Star-Telegram in July that the Southeast Connector will reduce congestion, improve mobility for drivers and enhance safety while minimizing its environmental impact.
“The removal of native vegetation, particularly mature native trees and shrubs, would be avoided to the greatest extent possible,” Lopez said.
Along with echoing concerns already voiced by Tarrant County residents, the Public Interest Research Group report argues that highway expansions contribute to the negative effects of urban sprawl, including air pollution, loss of natural habitat and strains on water resources.
Reducing the region’s reliance on cars is key to addressing issues like sprawl, street maintenance and Texans’ access to jobs, education and health care, said Rachel Albright, the president of the Tarrant Transit Alliance, which builds public support for regional transit development in Fort Worth.
“While the area that the Southeast Connector is intending to serve needs to be addressed, we encourage TxDOT and Fort Worth leadership to look into multi-modal transportation opportunities like express bus lanes, bus rapid transit, and light rail which would ease congestion while decreasing air quality issues,” Albright said in a statement.
Of the “boondoggles” highlighted in the report, Texas was the only state to have multiple projects make the list. The $1.36 billion expansion of Loop 1604 in San Antonio has raised concerns about potential damage to the Edwards Aquifer, a major source of drinking water in the area.
This story was originally published December 9, 2020 at 9:55 AM.
