LBJ Express Spokesman Gives 411 on 635

LBJ Express mouthpiece Andy Rittler was the much-anticipated guest speaker at today's lunch meeting.  Mr. Rittler, whose company was awarded the $2.7 billion contract to overhaul the notoriously congested 13-mile stretch from I-35E to I-635 to US-75, presented an animated rendering of the finished product, and also fielded a barrage of questions about the Project.  The massive untertaking, which Mr. Rittler noted is currently 40% finished and slightly ahead of schedule, is slated for completion in December 2015.

Club members in attendance had a myriad of questions related to the seemingly never-ending construction zone, ranging from completion timetables, speed limits and enforcement -- even the decision to use asphalt as the final surface for the super-highway.  However, most of the questions were - not surprisingly - on the new managed toll lanes, the price of which will adjust upward if the average speed of traffic falls below 50 mph.  The idea is to deter those drivers unwilling to pay the higher toll rates, thus reducing the amount of traffic on those lanes.

Mr. Rittler acknowledged that the Project has plans to roll-out an educational campaign soon on how all of this will work, though he did not specify exactly when.  While, still, many questions today probably went unanswered, Members now have a clearer understanding of the breadth of the Project, and when they can expect some sign of normalcy again on the dreaded I-635.

To view an animated flyover rendering of the LBJ Express Project, please click 'More' below.