Texas State Highway 130

State Highway 130 marker

State Highway 130
Pickle Parkway
Route information
Length: 130.6 mi[1] (210.2 km)
Existed: 1985[1] – present
Major junctions
South end: I-35 / I-410 in San Antonio
  I-10 / I-410 / US 90 in San Antonio
I-10 in Seguin
US 90 in Seguin
US 183 in Lockhart
SH 45 Toll in Mustang Ridge
US 290 west of Manor
US 79 in Hutto
North end: I-35 in Georgetown
Highway system
← SH 128SH 131 →

Texas State Highway 130 (SH 130), also known as the Pickle Parkway, is a highway from Interstate 35 in San Antonio along Interstate 410 and Interstate 10 to east of Seguin, then north as tollway from there to Interstate 35 north of Georgetown.[1] SH 130 runs in a 131-mile (211 km) corridor east and south of Austin. The route parallels I-35 and is intended to relieve the Interstate's traffic volume through the San Antonio-Austin corridor by serving as an alternate route.

The highway was developed in response to the tremendous surge in truck traffic on the I-35 corridor brought on by the North American Free Trade Agreement during the late 1990s, especially truck traffic originating from Laredo, where the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) reported 150 trucks entering the United States every hour. A proponent of the highway's development, Capital Area Transportation Coalition, said that congestion along the I-35 corridor is costing businesses more than $194 million a year in higher operating costs and lost productivity.

The highway is noted for having a speed limit of at least 80 mph (130 km/h) along its tolled section. The 41-mile (66 km) section of the toll road between Mustang Ridge and Seguin has a posted speed limit of 85 mph (137 km/h), the highest posted speed limit in the United States.

Route description

SH 130 begins co-signed with I-410 at an interchange with I-35 in southwestern San Antonio. Hwy 130 follows 410 until an interchange with I-10/US 90, just east of Downtown San Antonio, following those two highways to Seguin. SH 130 leaves I-10 in eastern Seguin, running north as a tollway. Near Lockhart, the tollway begins an "overlap" with US 183, with US 183 running along the frontage roads. In the small community of Mustang Ridge, US 183 leaves the frontage roads and an overlap with SH 45 begins. The two highways run in a northeast direction passing through rural areas of Travis County. The tollway passes near Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at the interchange with SH 71 and runs in extreme east Austin. The tollway curves around Lake Walter E. Long after the interchange with the Manor Expressway near Manor. In the city of Pflugerville, there's slight development along the route near RM 620. SH 45 leaves the tollway in Pflugerville with SH 130 running through rural areas of Williamson County. SH 130 runs in a slight northwest direction before ending at I-35 in northern Georgetown.

History

Previous route

SH 130 was originally designated in far west Texas, between the city of El Paso and SH 54 in El Paso, Hudspeth, and Culberson counties. That route was constructed in 1928.[2] In 1932, the route was co-designated as a portion of US 62.[3] The SH 130 designation was dropped with the general re-description of the state highway system in 1939. Since 1943, the previous route has also been designated as a portion of US 180 along with US 62.[4]

Current route

SH 130 northbound near Kingsbury, July 2013
SH 130 northbound in Pflugerville, May 2008

In June 2002, Lone Star Infrastructure, a consortium of major highway construction contractors and civil engineering firms, was awarded a Comprehensive Development Agreement by the Texas Department of Transportation to design and build the section from I-35 in Georgetown to US 183 southeast of Austin.[5] The cost of this section was expected to be $1.5 billion, which included the costs of utility relocation, design, construction, and right of way. Right-of-way costs alone were estimated at $389 million.

Groundbreaking for SH 130 took place on October 3, 2003. The first segment of SH 130 to open to the public was from US 290 northbound to US 79 on November 1, 2006. On December 13, the highway was extended northward to a junction with I-35. On September 6, 2007, the route was extended southward from US 290 to SH 71. Segment 4 opened on April 30, 2008, running 8.7-mile (14.0 km) from SH 71 to US 183.[6]

On June 28, 2006, a partnership between Cintra and Zachry American Infrastructure, developers of the Trans-Texas Corridor, reached a $1.3 billion agreement with the state to build segments 5 and 6 from US 183 southeast of Austin to I-10 in Seguin. Cintra-Zachry formed SH 130 Concession Company to manage the project. In exchange for the investment, the company received the right to collect tolls for 50 years in a revenue-sharing agreement with the state. The state owns the road while the company is responsible for financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance over the life of the agreement.[7] Although substantially a private sector project, some costs for segments 5 and 6 were borne by TxDOT, including about 400 highway signs promoting SH 130 as an alternate route and a subsidized toll rate for truckers to use the highway instead of I-35.[8] In 2013, Moody's downgraded the company's debt to junk status due to low traffic revenues, raising the possibility that TxDOT might terminate its toll contract with the group.[8] The company explored debt restructuring around December 2013,[9] and was in danger of a payment default in June 2014,[10] eventually filing for bankruptcy in March 2016.[11]

The 2007 session of the Texas Legislature passed HB 2296, designating SH 130 in Williamson, Travis, Caldwell, and Guadalupe counties as the "Pickle Parkway" in honor of former United States Congressman J.J. "Jake" Pickle.[12] Construction began in early 2009 on the final sections of SH 130, from Lockhart through Caldwell and Guadalupe counties to Interstate 10, which opened on October 24, 2012.[13] On the first evening the roadway was open, three cars crashed into packs of wild hogs.[14] US 183 runs parallel to SH 130 from southeast of Austin to Lockhart.

TxDOT announced in September 2011 that the SH 130 designation had been extended westward, along I-10 to I-410, then southward and westward along I-410 to I-35 in southern San Antonio.[15] On March 2, 2016, the SH 130 Concession Company, who operates the toll road between Seguin and Mustang Ridge, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The concession's CEO, Alfonso Orol, stated that the highway will continue to operate during the bankruptcy proceedings.[16]

Proposal for open access

It has been proposed that access to SH-130 be made open.[17] The cost is estimated at $3 billion.[18]

Exit list

CountyLocationmikmExitDestinationsNotes
BexarSan Antonio53 I-35 / I-410 north / SH 16 north – San Antonio, LaredoSouth end of I-410 / SH 16 overlap
see I-410
I-10 west / I-410 north / US 90 west – San AntonioNorth end of I-410 overlap; south end of I-10 / US 90 overlap; SH 130 north follows exit 33; SH 130 south follows exit 581
see I-10
GuadalupeSeguin I-10 east – HoustonNorth end of I-10 overlap; SH 130 north follows exit 614
496 US 90 – SeguinSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
​491 FM 20
​484 FM 621
Caldwell​482 SH 80 – San Marcos, Luling
Lockhart475Maple Streetno direct southbound exit (signed at exit 474)
474
471		 SH 142 / FM 2001 / Boggy Creek Roadsigned as exit 474 northbound and 471 southbound; no direct southbound exit to FM 2001 (signed at exit 466)
470 US 183 – Lockhartno direct access from SH 130 south to US 183 north or US 183 south to SH 130 north
​469
466		 FM 1185signed as exit 469 northbound and 466 southbound
​464Schuelke Roadno direct northbound exit (signed at exit 469)
Mendoza465Briarpatch Road / Homannville Trailno direct southbound exit (signed at exit 461)
Mustang Ridge463
461		 SH 21 / Laws Roadsigned as exit 463 northbound and 461 southbound
Travis460Old Lockhart Roadno direct northbound exit (signed at exit 463)
460
457		 US 183 north – Austin, Airportsigned as exit 460 northbound and 457 southbound
458 SH 45 Toll west – Budasouth end of SH 45 overlap
455Moore Road
​453 FM 812
Austin451Elroy Road
450Pearce Lane
​449 SH 71 – Austin, Houston, Airport
​446Harold Green Road
​444 FM 969
​441 FM 973
​439Blue Bluff RoadNo northbound exit
Austin437 US 290 / 290 Toll Road (Manor Expressway) – Austin, Houston
​436 FM 734 (Parmer Lane)
​435Gregg Manor RoadNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
​432Cameron Road
Pflugerville431Pecan Street
429Pflugerville Parkwayno direct southbound exit (signed at exit 428A)
428A FM 685 south / Kelly Lane
428B SH 45 Toll west – Round RockNorth end of SH 45 overlap
Williamson​426
425		 FM 685 north / Gattis School Roadsigned as exit 426 northbound and 425 southbound
​423 US 79 – Taylor, Round Rock
​421Limmer LoopSouthbound exit and northbound entrance
​419Chandler Road / University Boulevard
Georgetown417County Road 104
415 SH 29 – Georgetown
413 FM 971 – GrangerNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
411 I-35 south – AustinNorthbound exit and southbound entrance
I-35 north / SH 195 north – Waco, Florence, KilleenNorthbound exit and southbound entrance; northern terminus; I-35 exit 265
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

References

Route map: Bing / Google

KML is from Wikidata
  1. 1 2 3 Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "State Highway No. 130". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2013-08-04.
  2. ↑ Official Map of the Highway System of Texas (Map) (1928 ed.). Texas State Highway Department. § M6-7. Retrieved 2012-08-26.
  3. ↑ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "U.S. Highway No. 62". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
  4. ↑ Transportation Planning and Programming Division (n.d.). "U.S. Highway No. 180". Highway Designation Files. Texas Department of Transportation. Retrieved 2009-12-25.
  5. ↑ Adapting To A Mega Project Associated Construction Publications June 18, 2007 Archived August 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine.
  6. ↑ Harris, Tom. "Final leg of SH 130 opens". Texas Cable News.
  7. ↑ State reaches $1.3 billion deal to finish toll road Associated Press June 28, 2006.
  8. 1 2 Aman Batheja (October 23, 2013). "Debt Issues Tied to SH 130 Could Impact Toll Projects". Texas Tribune. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  9. ↑ Nathan Koppel and Emily Glazer (January 2, 2014). "Fast Texas Toll Road Struggles to Pick Up Drivers". Retrieved July 7, 2014. line feed character in |author= at position 18 (help)
  10. ↑ "Issuer Comment: SH 130 Payment default looms as senior lenders evaluate waiving a part of the June 30th debt service and swap payments to allow time to restructure debt". Moody's. June 18, 2014. Retrieved July 7, 2014.
  11. ↑ "SH 130 Toll Road Operator Files for Bankruptcy". The Texas Tribune. March 2, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Texas Legislature Online - 80(R) History for HB 2296".
  13. ↑ Sadeghi, Chris (September 6, 2012). "Part of SH 130 to get 85 mph limit". Austin, TX: KXAN-TV. Retrieved September 8, 2012.
  14. ↑ DeLong, Katie (Oct 28, 2012). "Wild hogs cause three crashes on first night fastest highway is open". Fox News.
  15. ↑ Texas Transportation Commission, Minute Order 112863 (September 29, 2011).
  16. ↑ Lovegrove, Jamie (March 2, 2016). "SH 130 Toll Road Operator Files for Bankruptcy". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  17. ↑ "Legislator proposes removing tolls from Texas 130". San Antonio Express-News.
  18. ↑ "$3 billion plan would end tolls on Texas 130".
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Texas State Highway 130.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.