Road & Bridge

After a review of state and federal regulations governing the release of infrastructure data, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently released a list of the state's 2,024 structurally deficient bridges. TxDOT's decision was reached after examining rules that strictly limit the release of bridge information collected for federal reports and additional homeland … [Read more...] about TxDOT Releases List of State

In a report released Sept. 26, the U.S. Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General concluded that the recent growth of highway construction and maintenance costs "reflect structural, not transitory, economic changes," thereby significantly reducing the purchasing power of current highway funding well into the foreseeable future. This is an issue Texas is … [Read more...] about Increased Cost of Construction, Maintenance Appear Permanent

Amadeo Saenz, a transportation engineer with 29 years of state experience, including leadership roles in Pharr and Austin, is the new executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), becoming the first Hispanic to head the agency in its 90-year history. Saenz, 51, was recently named to the state's top transportation position by the Texas Transportation … [Read more...] about TxDOT Selects Executive Director

Michael W. Behrens, executive director of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), retired from the agency Aug. 31. Behrens, a 37-year TxDOT veteran, has served six years as head of the state's transportation agency. He said he will remain a vocal supporter of meeting the state's transportation needs amidst shrinking funding and growing demand. "I will always be an … [Read more...] about TxDOT Executive Director Retires

In 1993 the voters approved a constitutional amendment (Prop. 2) to authorize the Legislature to exempt from ad valorem taxation any property used to meet environmental pollution regulations. Section 11.31, Tax Code, instructs the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to determine applications for this exemption. Since 1994, counties and appraisal districts have … [Read more...] about TCEQ to Consider Pollution Control Equipment Tax Exemption Rules