MPO policy committee adopts TIP and MTP amendments; adds Columbia International Bridge and revises Via Sierra Road description

The West County Laredo Metropolitan Planning Organization Policy Committee on Oct. 15 voted to adopt amendments to the 2025–2028 Transportation Improvement Program and corresponding revisions to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, approving changes the committee said were submitted in coordination with TxDOT and local project sponsors.

The amendments, captured in resolution MPO 2025-12 and MPO 2025-13, add projects to the TIP, revise project descriptions and update estimated letting or construction years. MPO staff said no public comments were filed during the public-review period and the committee closed the hearing before voting to adopt the resolutions.

Graciela Brionis, MPO staff, summarized the legal role of the TIP: “The Transportation Improvement Program, as per federal law, the MPOs are required to develop this program for their planning areas for a period of 4 years in collaboration with the state,” and noted that the MPO submits approved amendments quarterly to the state STIP and follows the MPO public participation plan.

Key highway changes approved include a description update for the Via Sierra Road project (CSJ 092233205). The project sponsor and engineer explained the change replaces the previously described continuous-turn-lane configuration with a raised median; Bartasar Avila of LJ Engineering said the raised median "is gonna improve. It's gonna reduce crashes in this section." MPO and RMA staff also told the committee the project recently received environmental clearance (a FONSI) and that the TIP entry’s fiscal-year label was revised administratively from FY2027 to FY2028 because of how TxDOT reports fiscal years. Melissa Montemayo of the Webb County/Laredo RMA clarified: “Fiscal year '28 is November 2027,” and that the calendar-year letting remains in 2027.

Committee members asked repeatedly for a clear line-item showing the median’s incremental cost. RMA and project staff said a final incremental figure for the raised median had not been shown in the TIP amendment but that the project remains within its previously programmed estimate; MPO staff offered to work with the RMA to provide a cost breakdown to the committee.

The committee also reprogrammed a set of larger highway projects whose updated proposed letting dates fall outside the current TIP window (including a US-59 airport interchange project moved to a later letting outside the 2025–2028 window). Two projects received administrative increases to their estimated construction costs (one increase shown on the presentation as about $41 million and another at about $20 million), and a separate overpass/widening project’s estimate presented on screen increased to roughly $295 million.

The Columbia International Bridge expansion was added to the TIP’s financially constrained list. MPO minutes and presenters show the RMA allocated $1 million of Category 12 strategic partnership funds for that bridge project; the committee was told those dollars are 80% federalized and therefore require TxDOT oversight and TIP listing so the federal review (NEPA) process can proceed. MPO staff said adding federal funds as shown triggers federal oversight and environmental review by FHWA.

Transit amendments for El Metro were also included: several apportionment-year reprogrammings roll federal transit funds into FY2025 and the presentation showed federal transit funding increasing from $80 million to $83 million for the set of projects presented.

Formal action: the committee closed the public hearing, a motion to adopt the TIP amendments and the MTP revisions was seconded and the chair stated the motion carried. The record does not show member-level roll-call votes for the motion in the transcript excerpted to staff; the committee recorded the motion and the adoption in committee minutes.

What happens next: MPO staff said approved amendments will be submitted to TxDOT for inclusion in the state STIP on the quarterly schedule; staff also offered to supply committee members with the requested cost breakdowns for the Via Sierra raised median.

Details and context the committee recorded include that the Via Sierra project has environmental clearance (a FONSI), that TxDOT had advised the safety-based change, and that the Columbia Bridge project’s federalized funds require listing on the TIP to initiate federal NEPA review and FHWA oversight.

Votes at a glance

- Resolution MPO 2025-12 (TIP amendments): motion to adopt the TIP amendments and close the hearing; seconded; outcome: adopted (motion carries). No roll-call vote shown in transcript. - Resolution MPO 2025-13 (MTP revisions): motion to adopt; seconded; outcome: adopted (motion carries). No roll-call vote shown in transcript.