Interstate 14 Could Take 15-20 Years To Come To Fruition

BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) - TxDOT and the federal government are working on bringing a new 115 mile corridor through the area and businesses say it will be a huge economic boom. Last fall, Congress approved funding for the new Interstate 14 as part of $1.2 trillion infrastructure plan.

“I actually love the idea of having some type of interstate close by. I mean this town’s been needing it for a while,” said Clayton Rhoades, Co-owner of three Chicken Express locations in Bryan - College Station. “I feel like the size of this town is good for that and it brings industry to the area and that industry is going to bring jobs.”

Monday afternoon College Station Mayor Karl Mooney and the Bryan/College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization gave an update at the Intergovernmental Committee Meeting.

“It’s not just about transportation but it’s also about economics,” said Mooney.

But the plans will take time. TxDOT’s feasibility study started last fall and is expected to take seven years, with construction itself still 15 to 20 years away. The current plans for the new interstate tentatively follow along U.S. 190 and portions of Highway 6.

”The reason that we’re doing the feasibility study and the environmental studies is those are required by federal law and there will be federal dollars involved in the construction of I-14 so we have to follow the process,” said Dan Rudge, Bryan-College Station MPO Executive Director.

”But you’ve got to start. You’ve got to have a starting point and even though this may be 15 years, 20 years before it’s actually a viable route of any long distance. Here in Texas we’re looking at 115 miles that will be a lot of ways for folks to come here and to see who we are,” said Mooney.

Rhoades thinks a plan of this magnitude should be well thought out.

“I’m not so sure that speeding this up is the right thing to do. We need to take our time and make sure that we get it right so that it helps everybody,” said Rhoades.

The estimated cost for construction is around $4 million per lane mile, according to the MPO.

Mayor Karl Mooney said latest support of the new interstate would have it connect east through Huntsville instead of Madisonville.

We have more details from the I-14 Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition here.

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