Advancing projects through the UTP
Developing the UTP
Transportation projects are identified years in advance of their actual funding and construction. The UTP is focused on identifying and managing the volume of projects to be advanced from their planning phases through detailed project development to construction.
For a project to become reality, it must pass through many developmental steps, including establishing a need or problem, exploring alternatives, studying potential impacts and costs, gathering input from the public and local officials, acquiring right-of-way, designing structures and roadways and awarding construction contracts.
At any point along this path, TxDOT and its planning partners (MPOs and regional transportation authorities) may alter their decisions to implement projects due to changing conditions or expectations, or the project may evolve based on changing community needs, environmental findings or cost considerations.
Before a mobility or connectivity project reaches construction, it proceeds through TxDOT’s three major stages of project advancement:
- Plan Authority
- Develop Authority
- Construct Authority
In each of these stages, a project is authorized for specific progressive steps in the development and funding process.
- This is the staging area for proposed future projects with long-term preliminary development needs.
- Each Metropolitan Planning Organization creates Metropolitan Transportation Plans. These plans include local transportation priorities and descriptions of how metropolitan areas will meet their multi-modal transportation goals over the next 20 years.
- Projects may eventually be added to the UTP or reconsidered or eliminated based on changing transportation need-related priorities.
- Projects authorized to begin preliminary design, environmental review, cost estimates and other early development activities.
- TxDOT districts determine when projects are ready to move from the Plan Authority step to the Develop Authority step.
- To advance into Develop Authority, a project must be of regional or statewide significance and the project’s estimated construction cost must fit within the 10-year planning constraints.
- Projects are authorized to proceed to the final stages of pre-construction development.
- Estimated completion schedule must be on track to let for construction in UTP years 1-4 (based on development progress to date).
- The Statewide Transportation Improvement Program is TxDOT’s statewide program of projects expected to be ready for construction in the next four years.
- Must be fully funded for the estimated construction cost.
- Projects that will be ready for construction within years 1-2 of the UTP are listed in TxDOT’s two-year letting schedule.