On Aug. 16, the Texas Transportation Commission approved changes to the Unified Transportation Program (UTP) for 2024. The program is the state’s 10-year plan for transportation infrastructure projects. Among other changes, two additions to the program in the Waco District are of particular interest.
The first added project is the replacement of the Twin Bridges over Lake Waco on Highway 6. The current structures are nearly 60 years old and don’t have shoulder lanes, calling their safety into question. The approved amount for this project currently stands at $60 million and construction is expected to begin sometime between 2024 and 2027. This project has been under consideration for five years but is now getting the green light.
The second Waco District plan added to the 2024 UTP is an expansion project on U.S. Highway 84. The scope of this project would be to reconstruct and expand the main lanes between Hewitt Drive and New Road. According to a Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) spokesperson, the project also includes work on new ramps, interchanges, frontage roads and direct