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RMA and TxDOT give project updates; US 59 expansion 22% complete, multiple projects due 2027
Summary
Regional Mobility Authority and Texas Department of Transportation staff updated the MPO Policy Committee Feb. 19 on active Webb County projects, with US 59 expansion at roughly 22% completion and several large projects projecting 2027 milestones.
Committee members heard a series of status reports Feb. 19 from the Regional Mobility Authority and the Texas Department of Transportation covering current construction, interlocal agreements and upcoming outreach.
RMA report: An RMA representative summarized recent actions at City Council and county coordination. The RMA said the North Laredo TRZ and South Laredo TRZ approvals will move forward as interlocal agreements (ILAs). The RMA also reported Springfield Phase 4 funding had been allocated to the city to complete the final north-end segment to connect to Loop 20 and said construction plans are complete.
TxDOT update: Chris Vargas, a Texas Department of Transportation engineer, presented project status slides and drone footage. Vargas said the district manages projects across Webb and Duval counties with roughly $837,000,000 in active projects and 23 active projects in the Laredo area. Key updates Vargas reported included:
- US 59 expansion (airport to International Boulevard): about 22% complete; total investment reported at $344,000,000. Vargas described frontage-road work, utility relocations and an eventual shift of traffic to newly constructed frontage lanes.
- SH 84 (8.4 miles): about 15% complete; total investment reported at $122,000,000; expected completion April 20, 2027 (reported in presentation).
- SH 359 widening: about 50% complete; reported investment $50,000,000; contractor working on drainage and reconstruction of the westbound side.
- Lomas and Sur: contractor start date reported as April 1; total investment reported at $100,000,000; expected completion late 2027. TxDOT indicated a coordinated public ground-breaking/dignitary event is being scheduled for March.
- SH 255 reconstruction (8 miles west from I-35): about 3.5% complete; reported investment $25,000,000; expected completion March 2027.
Vargas and other speakers emphasized coordination among TxDOT, the city and RMA, and asked the public to drive slowly in work zones. The RMA representative said some projects were delayed by design changes (for example, an overpass redesign) but described the overall program as "productive" and moving forward.
Public outreach and meetings: MPO staff announced a public micro-transit feasibility meeting on Feb. 28 at the Metro Transit Center from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to collect input from riders. The MPO director also announced the MPO directors' quarterly meeting in March in Austin and that Laredo will host the meeting in September. A stakeholder meeting for FM 1472 is scheduled for Feb. 25 at the Faskins Recreational Center, 9:30 a.m.
These reports were informational only; no committee action was required.
