Trans-Texas Corridor
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The Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) is a transportation network in the planning and early construction stages in the U.S. state of Texas. The supercorridor, as planned, would use swaths of land up to 1,200 feet (365 m) wide to carry parallel links of expressways, rails, and utility lines. The expressway portion would be divided into two separate elements: truck lanes and lanes for passenger vehicles. Similarly, the rail lines in the corridor would be divided among freight, commuter, and high-speed rail. Services expected to be carried in the utility corridor include water, electricity, natural gas, petroleum, fiber optic lines, and other telecommunications services.
There are two initial TTC corridors under consideration: One would parallel Interstate 35, from Gainesville to Laredo and passing Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. The other would be an extension of Interstate 69, from Texarkana past Houston to either Laredo or the Rio Grande Valley.
The system has been criticized for a number of reasons. Among the most significant is the fact that the TTC will be extremely expensive. Additionally the system will require about 9,000 square miles (23,300 km²) of land to be purchased or acquired through the state's assertion of eminent domain. Environmentalists are concerned about the effects of such wide corridors, and private land owners have expressed disgust at the idea that their land may be seized and in turn be sold in exclusive agreements to other developers in order to help pay for the transit links.Cathy Booth and Thomas Hutto (December 6, 2004). [The Next Wave in Superhighways, or A Big, Fat Texas Boondoggle?] TIME. Accessed December 3, 2004.Governor Rick Perry [Statement of Gov. Rick Perry on Trans Texas Corridor]
To help pay for building the roads and rails, the highways will be partially financed through private investment. The investors will then operate the highways as toll roads. The current 4,000 mile (6,400 km) plan has a projected cost of about US$183 billion.
The legislation enabling the Trans-Texas Corridor allows vehicular speed limits of up to 85 mph (140 km/h).[AUTHORITY OF TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO ESTABLISH SPEED LIMITS ON TRANS-TEXAS CORRIDOR.]
On June 28, 2006, Cintra-Zachry, the TTC developer, reached a $1.3 billion agreement with the state to build segments 5 and 6 of SH 130. SH 130 is widely expected to serve as the TTC segment through the Austin area.
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