TxDOT-Statewide Podcast

From May 2009: Any project to expand the interstate in a heavily populated area such as the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex is by its very nature going to be a massive undertaking. And while driving through such a project can be an inconvenience, especially on a daily commute, such projects have an untold upside that can last for generations. In Arlington, where TxDOT is widening Interstate 30, one such benefit has been the billion-dollar construction of Cowboy Stadium. For more on what expanding Interstate 30 has meant - and will mean - to the city of Arlington, the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex and the State of Texas, I spoke with Jay Burress, President and CEO of the Arlington Convention and Visitor's Bureau.

For the host city, planning for a Super Bowl begins years in advance of the game itself. But the Super Bowl is more than just a game. It's a week-long event with over 200 attractions across the host region that brings tens of thousands of people to the area on top of those who plan to attend the game - and those visitors are in addition to the hundreds of thousands of residents who use those same roads and venues every day. Effective transportation, therefore, is crucial to the overall success of any Super Bowl event. With that in mind, I spoke with Michael Morris, Director of Transportation for the North Central Texas Council of Governments, who was a key leader in the creation of the transportation plan that helped bring Super Bowl XLV to Texas.

It's been called many names, including Loop 49 and the 'Road to Nowhere,' but the first phase of Toll 49, the centerpiece project of the North East Texas Regional Mobility Authority is about to take one step closer to another term: done. Thanks to a first-of-its kind financing agreement between TxDOT and the NETRMA, the largest and perhaps the keystone segment of the project is scheduled to break ground today. For more on the project and how it came into being, I spoke with NETRMA Chairman Jeff Austin III.

El Paso Mayor John Cook, who received a Texas Road Hand Award at this year's forum, was recognized by the department for his work in bringing a variety of transportation projects and improvements to El Paso. But, as the mayor told me, bringing transportation projects to El Paso can mean jobs on both sides of the U.S. - Mexico border.

Most of the discussion surrounding international trade, particularly when it involves borders, makes reference to the U.S. - Mexican Border. But what about our Canadian neighbors to the north? The Ports to Plains Alliance, which is based in Lubbock, is an advocacy group focused on streamlining United States trade with both Canada and Mexico. For more on what the coalition means to Canada, I spoke with Len Mitzel, member of the legislative assembly for the Province of Alberta.