With the Minnesota bridge disaster fresh in everyone’s mind, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst seems to be joining the calls to check on the state of Texas bridges. In a letter to Ric Williamson, chair of the Texas Department of Transportation, there’s the beginnings of a hardened line on the thorny issue of paying for upgrades to at least some of the Texas road system.
“Dear Ric,” he begins affably enough, “I read with relief your statement that ‘all the bridges on Texas public roads are safe’.” But then the bite: “The Minnesota highway department, I assume, thought the same was true for their state too.” Dewhurst then requests a detailed record of all structurally deficient bridges in Texas and their maintenance contracts, to be provided by August 17.
Of course, all the reports in the world won’t do a lick of good unless there are funds available for the three r’s: reconstruction, renovation and replacement. Since the feds have already started repeating the whole “it’s a state issue” line about road and bridge construction (ignoring the fact that it’s actually mostly the states spending federal money) he’ll have to rustle up some Texas cash. Would Dewhurst, or any other candidate, dare to dip into that seeming holy of holies, the $14 billion property tax refund fund that he spent all last Lege session defending? Or will the option be a new era of toll bridges?
This article appears in August 3 • 2007.
