TEXARKANA -- Projects large and small are improving local transportation infrastructure for years to come.
Whether on foot, on the road or in the air, the ways that Texarkana visitors and residents get around are some of the most visible indicators of our progress. State and local officials have turned long-term transportation planning into long-term investment.
INTERSTATE 30
At the top of the list is the ongoing Texas Department of Transportation effort to widen a segment of Interstate 30 west of Texarkana, along with related projects.
The highway will be widened from four to six 12-foot wide travel lanes, with 10-foot wide inside and outside shoulders and a continuous concrete median barrier. The project also includes replacing the existing mainlane bridges over the Kansas City Southern Railroad and reconstructing existing asphalt pavement with continuously reinforced concrete pavement.
Related projects include construction of continuous one-way frontage roads from FM 3419 to FM 989, aka Kings Highway, construction of turnaround bridges on the east side of FM 3419 and west side of FM 989, and construction of turnarounds under the I-30 Overpass of FM 2148.
A bridge over I-30 at FM 989 will be replaced and widened, and another over I-30 at FM 3419 will also be replaced.
TEXARKANA REGIONAL AIRPORT
After years of planning, acquiring financing and construction, the new Jim E. Yates Terminal at Texarkana Regional Airport is near completion -- and long-term planning continues.
The airport plans to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. June 28. About 500 commemorative challenge coins are being created to distribute to guests and passengers on "the very last flight going out of the old terminal and the very first flight going out of the new terminal," Executive Director Paul Mehrlich said.
Earlier this year, airport officials finalized a 20-year master plan study for the facility.
The study is helping Texarkana Regional assess potential demands -- including a projected increase in enplanements from 35,699 in 2002 to 39,080 in 2027 -- general aviation needs, new facilities and funding for various projects, said Eric Pfeifer, principal for Coffman Associates, the airport's consultant. The study also will include an environmental evaluation of such things as noise levels.
"Ultimately, we'll put together an airport layout plan drawing set, which is more or less the blueprint for the airport to develop over time," Pfeifer said. "The FAA will review and approve the ALP set, not necessarily the master plan as a whole."
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION
The citywide T-Line bus system recently added a stop that expands its reach to northern Texarkana, Texas, and that part of town's most prominent institution.
In August 2023, the Texas A&M University-Texarkana community celebrated the opening of the T-Line's newest stop, on campus.
"This is a much-needed addition to our campus community," school Communications Director John Bunch said. "The university has a significant number of students without access to transportation. Having a T-Line stop on campus will better enable them to experience the Greater Texarkana area at a very affordable rate."
Darryl Brown II, a college student from Florida who recently spent time in Japan, said the route will be useful.
"Being able to ride the bus and be able to go from the campus to go get food, mall or different parts of the city is amazing," Brown said.
CITY STREETS AND SIDEWALKS
Alongside the usual paving repairs and replacements, city public works projects are focusing on accommodating pedestrians and bicyclists, not just motor vehicles.
The city of Texarkana, Texas, has received grant awards from TxDOT for five projects that were a priority to residents in a study conducted by the Metropolitan Planning Organization. The MPO is a federally mandated organization that facilitates cooperation between Miller County, Arkansas, and Bowie County, Texas, in order plan for the region's transportation systems.
These sidewalk and bicycle project improvements include a Summerhill Road sidewalk project completed in 2021, a College Drive sidewalk and bike lane project funded and currently in design, a Cowhorn Creek trail funded and currently in design, Robison Road sidewalk improvements funded and currently in design, and Kennedy Lane sidewalk improvements funded and currently in design.
The city has also used federal funding, including Community Development Block Grants, for sidewalk improvements along New Boston Road, which were completed in 2018.
"When constructing new streets or full reconstruction of existing roads, the city now requires sidewalks and/or shared use paths to be constructed as well. This was recently added to our code of ordinances and adopted by the City Council," said a City Hall spokesperson. "When performing repaving projects, these are maintenance projects and typically just replacing what is currently there."