* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [Press Conference: “I-45 Groundbreaking Ceremony”] [00:00:35] GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME . AFTER, UH, MORE THAN 20 YEARS IN PLANNING, INCLUDING A TWO YEAR PAUSE, THIS DAY HAS FINALLY ARRIVED. WE ARE HERE. WE ARE HERE TO BREAK GROUND ON T OS I 45 NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, A TRANSFORMATIVE ONCE IN A LIFETIME GAME CHANGER FOR THE HOUSTON REGION. MY NAME IS VARUNA SINGH AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE DEPUTY DISTRICT ENGINEER FOR THE HOUSTON DISTRICT. THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN CLOSE TO MY HEART FOR MANY YEARS, AND I CANNOT BE MORE THRILLED TO KICK OFF CONSTRUCTION WITH ALL OF YOU. BEFORE WE BEGIN THE FESTIVITIES, WE'LL HAVE THE POSTING OF THE COLORS BY THE ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR, ROTC MARINE CORPS, FOLLOWED BY THE NATIONAL ANTHEM, PERFORMED BY ALIANA KING BENFORD SHOOT. GARY COACH. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE RISE FOR THE PRESENTATION OF CODE REMAIN FOR THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND A PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. MARK, LOOK, LOOK, LOOK. RIGHT. TURN MARK. LOOK, LOOK, LOOK RIGHT, LOOK FORWARD. MARK. LOOK. LOOK, LOOK RIGHT UP. RIGHT TURN. ARCH LOOK. LOOK RIGHT, LOOK, LOOK, LOOK GOOD. OH, THREE SECOND CUT. OH, SAY, CAN YOU SEE BY THE DAWNS EARLY LIGHT WHAT'S SO PROUDLY WE HELD, HAD THE TWILIGHTS LAST LEAVING WHO'S BROUGHT STRIPES AND BRIGHT STARS THROUGH THE FIGHT FOR THE RED POT WE WATCHED WERE SO GATHERED STREAMING AND THE ROCK GETS THE BUMPS BURST IN THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT I FLAG STEAL THE WHOA. SAY, DOES THAT STAR SPAN THE OF THE FREE BRAVE. THE BRAVE. ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THE PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE. PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. PUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL [00:05:01] UNDER THE TEXAS FLAG PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE TEXAS ONE STATE UNDER GOD. ONE INDIVISIBLE. OKAY. CUT. READY? CUT. CUT. MARK. LOOK, LOOK, LOOK RIGHT UP, UP, UP, UP. RIGHT UP. TURN MARCH. UP, UP, UP. RIGHT UP, UP. FORWARD. MARK. UP. RIGHT UP, UP. MARK. UP, UP, UP. RIGHT UP. LOWER. READY? CUT. ALL RIGHT. PLEASE BE SEATED. SPECIAL THANKS AGAIN TO THE ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL JUNIOR, ROTC MARINE CORPS AND OUR TALENTED SOLOIST, ALIANA, KING BENFORD. I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO ENJOY OUR PRE-GAME WARMUP WITH PERFORMANCES FROM THE YOUNG WOMEN'S COLLEGE PREPARATORY ACADEMY, CHEERLEADERS, TSU, MARCHING BAND, AND A FEW OF OUR LOCAL SPORTS MASCOTS. WE CHOSE. PITCH 25 IS A LOCATION BECAUSE IT'S RIGHT ACROSS FROM WHERE SEGMENT THREE B ONE DRAINAGE CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN. MAKE SURE TO STICK AROUND FOR A POST GAME CELEBRATION ONCE THE FORMAL PROGRAM WRAPS UP. THIS PROJECT IS TRULY A GAME CHANGER FOR THE HOUSTON REGION. AS YOU ALL KNOW, I 45 IS KNOWN FOR BEING ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL STRETCHES OF HIGHWAY IN THE NATION IN NEED OF MODERN DAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS. AND YOU ALL KNOW SAFETY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY. THINK OF IT AS IMPROVING THE OFFENSIVE LINE FULL WITH SHOULDERS, SAFER EXIT DESIGNS, BETTER SIGHT LINES TO GIVE DRIVERS MORE TIME AND SPACE TO REACT. AS ANYONE WHO'S PLAYED ON THIS FIELD, MEANING DRIVEN THROUGH DOWNTOWN HOUSTON KNOWS I 45 IS CONGESTED. BUT TEX CALL A TIMEOUT. STUDY THE PLAYBOOK, LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY AND BUSINESSES, AND DESIGN A NEW STRATEGY TO TACKLE THE PROBLEM HEAD ON. WE'RE RUNNING A NEW ROUTE AROUND DOWNTOWN MOVING I 45 TO FOLLOW I 69 AND I 10 SKIRTING THE BALLPARK AND THE GEORGE R. BROWN CONVENTION CENTER AND AVOIDING THE CONGESTED PIERCE ELEVATED. THIS ENSURES SMOOTHER MOVEMENTS AND BETTER DRAINAGE, WHICH IS LIKE PUTTING UP A STRONG DEFENSIVE BLOCKERS TO KEEP STORM WATERS AT BAY. BY PARTNERING WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND FLOOD CONTROL DISTRICT, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT NORTH CANAL WILL REDIRECT FLOOD WATERS, KEEPING THE FIELD OUR ROADWAYS CLEAR. THIS PROJECT ISN'T JUST ABOUT EASING CONGESTION, IT'S ABOUT CREATING A MULTIMODAL SYSTEM THAT'S READY FOR THE FUTURE BY ADDING FOUR MANAGED LANES, NON TOLD IN EACH DI TWO IN EACH DIRECTION. WE'RE SETTING UP I 45 TO SCORE BIG, TO OPTIMIZE, OPTIMIZE A ROADWAY'S CAPACITY THROUGHPUT FOR TRANSIT RIDERS, CARPOOLERS, AND EVERYDAY COMMUTERS ALIKE. LEADING THIS EFFORT REQUIRES VISIONARY LEADERSHIP. MARK WILLIAMS, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TXDOT, HAS DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP AND DEDICATION TO MAINTAINING AND IMPROVING OUR STATE'S INFRASTRUCTURE. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING MARK WILLIAMS. THANK YOU VERUNA FOR THAT GREAT INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW OF WHAT IS REALLY A ONE OF A KIND PROJECT. IT SEEMS LIKE I'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME HERE IN HOUSTON OVER THE PAST, UH, SEVERAL WEEKS, UH, BE IT, UH, CUTTING THE RIBBON ON AN IMPORTANT PROJECT LIKE THE WORK WE'VE DONE AT THE SIX 10 I 69 INTERCHANGE, OR LIKE TODAY BREAKING GROUND ON A PROJECT AS EXCEPTIONAL AS THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. NOTHING COULD MAKE ME HAPPIER THAN TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL AS PART OF THIS DAY. THIS IS A MONUMENTAL DAY FOR [00:10:01] HOUSTON, FOR THE HOUSTON REGION. IT'S A MONUMENTAL DAY FOR TXDOT, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS FI THIS PROJECT FINALLY BEGIN TO MOVE FORWARD. IT'S MY HONOR NOW TO INTRODUCE TWO VERY IMPORTANT AND SPECIAL GUESTS, UH, AND IMPORTANT PEOPLE WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND VERY HONORED TO HAVE THEM HERE WITH US FOR THIS GROUNDBREAKING BECAUSE BOTH OF THEM HAVE PLAYED A VERY INSTRUMENTAL ROLE IN HELPING US GET TO THIS POINT TODAY. FIRST, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME CHAIRMAN JAY BRUCE BUG AS CHAIRMAN OF THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. SINCE 2017, CHAIRMAN BUG HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN ACCELERATING CRUCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. HIS STEADFAST COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING SAFETY, MOBILITY AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY THROUGH TRANSPORTATION HAS DRIVEN THE SUCCESS OF COUNTLESS INITIATIVES, INCLUDING THIS ONE. CHAIRMAN'S BUG LEADERSHIP HAS ENSURED THAT PROJECTS LIKE THE I 45 NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT HAVE THE SUPPORT AND RESOURCES NEEDED TO MOVE FROM VISION TO REALITY. IT'S THROUGH HIS DEDICATION THAT TEXAS REMAINS AT THE FOREFRONT OF TRANSPORTATION INNOVATION AND TRANSPORTATION DELIVERY. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING CHAIRMAN BRUCE BUG TO THE STAGE. THAT'S THE CLOSEST I'M EVER GONNA GET TO, UH, BEING A CROWD WHERE THERE'S THAT SPORTS MUSIC IN THE BACKGROUND. SO IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE WITH Y'ALL TODAY. IT REALLY IS A, A WONDERFUL DAY, AND I JUST CAN'T THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR BEING HERE. THERE ARE A FEW FOLKS THAT I WANNA ESPECIALLY WELCOME AND I WANNA START WITH MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER. MAYOR WHITMEYER. THANK YOU. MAYOR WHITMEYER HAS GONE OUT OF HIS WAY TO WELCOME THE T FOLKS TODAY AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, I KNOW YOU UNDERSTAND AND APPRECIATE AND ARE SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING WITH THIS HUGE N-H-H-I-P PROJECT. TODAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND YOU ARE THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR SHOWING YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS MAJOR PROJECT. WE ALSO HAVE HOUSTON COUNCIL MEMBER JOAQUIN MARTINEZ. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AS WELL. WE HAVE HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. MR. DAVIS, WE HAVE POLK COUNTY JUDGE SIDNEY MURPHY. THANK YOU. WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE OFFICE OF STATE SENATOR CAROL ALVARADO. THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE OFFICE OF CONGRESSWOMAN SYLVIA GARCIA, AND WE HAVE THE CHAIR OF THE METRO BOARD. ELIZABETH GONZALEZ. BROCK, THANK YOU. GOOD TO MEET YOU. WE HAVE A BOARD MEMBER OF THE METRO BOARD, UH, BOB FRY. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, BOB. AND WE HAVE ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER, REVEREND PRESTON. WE CAN, WE CAN ALL ALWAYS USE A LITTLE HELP FROM ABOVE. THANK YOU, REVEREND. WELL, IT'S, IT'S MY TRUE HONOR TO BE HERE AS CHAIRMAN OF THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, BUT FOR SHORT, WE JUST CALL IT, UH, TDOT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS LIKE TO START OFF DOING, AND THAT IS TO THANK THE MORE THAN 13,000 EMPLOYEES OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, AND MANY OF THEM ARE HERE IN THE HOUSTON DISTRICT. SO THANK YOU ALL. THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WITH TDOT AND HERE IN THE ROOM, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. WE'RE GONNA KICK OFF A HUGE PROJECT TODAY, AND IT'S GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH MEANING FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AS WE GO FORWARD. BUT YOU START WITH HOW DID WE COME UP WITH THE FACT THAT THIS IS GONNA BE THE LARGEST PROJECT THAT TXDOT HAS GOING IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS? AND WHAT, HOW WE LOOK AT THIS IS POPULATION TRENDS REALLY DRIVE A LOT OF OUR POLICY DECISIONS. AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK ANY FURTHER THAN LOOKING AT THE POPULATION TRENDS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU, BUT THE CITY OF HOUSTON HAS GROWN BY 200% SINCE 1970. THE CITY OF HOUSTON TODAY IS 7.3 MILLION IN TOTAL POPULATION. MAYOR WHITMEYER [00:15:01] REMINDED ME THAT THERE'S OVER 700,000 PEOPLE THAT COMMUTE INTO THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AND THAT ALSO DRIVES MORE TRAFFIC. BUT WE ALSO KNOW FROM THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER THAT THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT GROWTH CONTINUING, AND IT'S GOING TO BASICALLY GROW TO ABOUT 10 MILLION CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON BY 2050. SO THOSE KINDS OF POPULATION TRENDS DRIVE OUR THINKING ON THE COMMISSION, AND I'M ESPECIALLY GRATEFUL TO BE JOINED BY COMMISSIONER STEVE ALVIS. THANK YOU, STEVE, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. WE WORK TOGETHER VERY WELL ON THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND I KNOW THAT, UH, MAYOR WHITMEYER AND OTHERS HAVE SAID HOW MUCH THEY ENJOY WORKING WITH STEVE. AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT 'CAUSE I ENJOY WORKING WITH STEVE, BUT REPRESENTING THE HOUSTON AREA AND WE, WE NEED THAT REPRESENTATION. SO THANK YOU STEVE FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. BUT AS WE, AS WE LOOK AT THE POPULATION OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE BROADER, UH, SCOPE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND AS WE ALL KNOW, THE STATE OF TEXAS IS ONE OF THE, IS THE FASTEST GROWING STATE IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. AND WE KNOW THAT IN THE DECADE BETWEEN 2010 AND 2020, THAT THE POPULATION OF THE STATE OF TEXAS GREW SO MUCH THAT IT WOULD INCLUDE THE ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA HAVING MOVED FROM OKLAHOMA INTO THE STATE OF TEXAS, THAT'S OVER 4 MILLION FOLKS THAT IN ONE DECADE GREW THE STATE OF TEXAS POPULATION BY OVER 4 MILLION. SO, UM, AND IT'S NOT STOPPING. AND HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY I THINK IT'S NOT STOPPING. AND THE REASONS ARE, NUMBER ONE, THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS TODAY, IF IT WERE ITS OWN COUNTRY, WOULD BE THE EIGHTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. AND IT IS THE EIGHTH LARGEST ECONOMY IN THE ENTIRE WORLD, EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE STATE. THE OTHER THING THAT WE ALL KNOW IS THAT WE HAVE, WE ARE BLESSED WITH HAVING THE PERMIAN BASIN AND THE PERMIAN BASIN IS SUCH A PROLIFIC PRODUCER OF ENERGY THAT IF THE PERMIAN BASIN ALONE WAS ITS OWN COUNTRY, IT WOULD BE THE THIRD LARGEST OIL PRODUCER IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. SO YOU TAKE THOSE STATISTICS AND WE LOOK AT, OKAY, WHAT'S GONNA CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS ABSOLUTELY GOING TO BE KEY AND ESSENTIAL. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. NOW, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE OVER $53 BILLION OF PROJECTS THAT ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN REAL TIME THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS TODAY. BUT WHEN WE DO THE GROUNDBREAKING TODAY AND WE'LL ALL BE INVOLVED IN IT, WE'RE GONNA ADD $11 BILLION TO THAT 53 BILLION BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA START TODAY. WHAT WE'RE GONNA FINISH IN THE DAYS AND THE MONTHS IN THE YEARS TO COME, THAT WILL END UP BEING A $13 BILLION PROJECT THAT WILL ENHANCE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AND WE ARE SO PROUD TO BE DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. THE OTHER, THIS PROJECT COMES ALSO AGAINST A BACKDROP OF WE, STEVE ALVIS MYSELF AND JOINED BY OUR OTHER THREE COMMISSIONERS. WE ADOPTED AN ABSOLUTE HISTORIC RECORD BREAKING TOTAL INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS IN AUSTIN OF THIS YEAR, JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. AND WHAT WE DID WAS WE ADOPTED A $148 BILLION COMMITMENT TO MORE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN THE 10 YEARS TO COME. A LOT OF PEOPLE CALL IT THE UTP, BUT WE GATHERED ALL THE MONEY THAT WE DO, THE DEVELOPMENT COSTS, WHEN YOU COUNT EVERYTHING, THAT'S A HISTORIC $148 BILLION INVESTMENT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS. THAT JUST SHOWS HOW MUCH COMMITMENT WE HAVE TO THE FUTURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND THERE IS NO BETTER GOVERNOR THAN GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT THAT UNDERSTANDS HOW IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION IS FOR A GROWING STATE LIKE THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO I WANT TO THANK GOVERNOR ABBOTT FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND HIS SUPPORT OF WHAT WE DO AT THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. [00:20:01] THE OTHER THING I WANT TO THANK IS, I WANT TO THANK YOU BECAUSE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF TEXAS CAME TO THE POLLS IN NOVEMBER OF 2014 AND VOTED IN FAVOR BY 80% OF PROPOSITION OF PROPOSITION ONE THAT WOULD ALLOW CONSTITUTIONALLY DEDICATED FUNDS GOING INTO TRANSPORTATION. BUT YOU DIDN'T STOP THERE. YOU CAME BACK A YEAR LATER IN NOVEMBER OF 2015, AND BY EVEN A HIGHER VOTE, 83%, YOU PASSED THE PASSAGE OF PROPOSITION SEVEN. THOSE TWO PROPOSITIONS HAVE INCREASED FUNDING FOR TRANSPORTATION IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. SO THAT, THAT 148 BILLION THAT I JUST MENTIONED, 40% OF THAT IS GOING TO COME FROM THOSE TWO SOURCES OF FUNDING THAT YOU ALL IN THIS ROOM AND OTHER TEXANS THAT JOINED YOU DURING THOSE TWO VERY CRUCIAL ELECTIONS HAVE SUPPORTED TRANSPORTATION. SO IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY, STEVE AND MYSELF AND THE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION WORKING WITH MARK WILLIAMS, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AND BRANDY HENDRICKSON, OUR DEPUTY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THAT ARE HERE TODAY, AND ALL THE OTHER 13,000 MEN AND WOMEN OF TDOT, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO GET THESE FUNDS THERE AND THE RESPONSIBILITY TO EVERY TEXAS TAXPAYER TO USE THESE FUNDS WISELY. I CAN'T THINK OF A MORE WISE USE OF THESE FUNDS THAN FINALLY GETTING THIS MAJOR PROJECT IN HOUSTON UNDERWAY. BUT I'M, BUT I DO HAVE TO SAY THAT THIS PROJECT ALMOST NEVER HAPPENED. AND MANY OF YOU IN THIS ROOM KNOW WHAT I'M REFERRING TO, BUT IN THE, I BELIEVE IT WAS THE SPRING OF 2021, THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION SENT TDOT A PAUSE LETTER. I NEVER HEARD OF A PAUSE LETTER. WE HAD JUST GOTTEN ALL THE APPROVALS FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEY SENT A PAUSE LETTER AND ASKED US TO PAUSE N-H-H-I-P. WE WERE READY TO GO IN 2021. AT THAT TIME, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A $9 BILLION PROJECT, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN HISTORIC IN SIZE IN AND OF ITSELF. BUT THE GRIT OF TEAM TXDOT REALLY LED BY BRANDY AND MARK. WE WORKED WITH OUR COUNTERPARTS IN WASHINGTON DC AND WE FINALLY GOT THAT PAUSE LETTER LIFTED. UNFORTUNATELY, IT COST THE TAXPAYERS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS FOR THE INTERIM PERIOD FROM MARCH OF 2021 TO TODAY AN ADDITIONAL $4 BILLION. BUT IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO GET N-H-H-I-P UNDERWAY THAT WE WENT AHEAD AND ADDED THE OTHER $4 BILLION TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS PROJECT GOING AND WE'RE GONNA GET IT GOING TODAY. THE OTHER THING THAT I'M ESPECIALLY PROUD OF IS THAT THIS PROJECT WILL BE ONE OF MANY OF THE TEXAS CLEAR LANES PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS. WE NOW HAVE, BECAUSE GOVERNOR ABBOTT CALLED ON THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO COME UP WITH A PLAN FOR RELIEVING CONGESTION IN THE FIVE MAJOR METROPOLITAN AREAS OF THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND OF COURSE, HOUSTON IS RIGHT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST WITH DALLAS FORT WORTH, AUSTIN AND SAN ANTONIO. WE LOOK AT THE 100 WORST CHOKE POINTS IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WE DEVELOPED A PLAN AT GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S REQUEST IN 2015, AND WE BASICALLY HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE PLAN. WE NOW HAVE OVER $80 BILLION OF TEXAS CLEAR LANES PROJECTS THAT ARE EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THEY'VE BEEN COMPLETED, OR THEY'RE ON THE BOOKS GETTING READY FOR CONSTRUCTION, $80 BILLION. AND TEXAS CLEAR LANES PROJECTS ARE 100% TOLL FREE. SO THIS 14 OR $13 BILLION PROJECT WE'RE GONNA BREAK GROUND ON TODAY WILL BE A TOLL FREE PROJECT FOR THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE ARE HONORED TO BE HERE. I'M HONORED TO BE HERE AS THE CHAIRMAN OF TDOT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS VERY SPECIAL MOMENT TODAY WHEN WE DO THE GROUNDBREAKING AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, WE [00:25:01] ARE PROUD TO BE HERE WITH YOU. WE ARE PROUD TO BE HERE OPENING THIS HUGE BENEFIT FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, NOT ONLY FOR TODAY, BUT FOR THE DAYS AND THE YEARS AHEAD. THANK YOU LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CHAIRMAN BUG. APPRECIATE THOSE, THOSE COMMENTS. UM, BEFORE I INTRODUCE THE, THE SECOND COMMISSIONER THAT, UH, IS JOINING US HERE TODAY, I DID WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND CHAIRMAN BUGGY TALKED ABOUT THE, THE IMPORTANT WORK AND PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAD WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION. AL ALONSO WITH, UH, FHWA HAS JOINED US HERE TODAY. AL THANK YOU, UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AL IS OUR DIVISION ADMINISTRATOR HERE IN TEXAS WITH FHWA AND, AND IS A, UH, JUST A FANTASTIC PARTNER, NOT ONLY ON ON THIS PROJECT, BUT ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS IN DELIVERING THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE RELY UPON. NEXT, IT'S MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE COMMISSIONER STEVE ALVIS. COMMISSIONER ALVIS, AS MANY OF YOU ALL KNOW, BRINGS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE IN THE BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY HERE IN HOUSTON. HE BRINGS THAT TO HIS ROLE ON THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WHERE WE ARE SO HONORED TO HAVE HIM SERVING. HE'S BEEN A VOCAL ADVOCATE FOR MAKING OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE RESILIENT. HE WAS APPOINTED IN MARCH OF 2023 BY GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT, AND HIS FOCUS HAS BEEN ON FOSTERING ECONOMIC GROWTH THROUGH SMART INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. AND IT ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH THE GOALS AND THE OBJECT OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT. COMMISSIONER AL'S GUIDANCE HAS BEEN PIVOTAL IN HELPING TXDOT TO ENSURE THAT PROJECTS LIKE THIS ONE MEET THE LONG-TERM NEEDS OF TEXANS WHILE ADDRESSING TODAY'S IMMEDIATE TRANSPORTATION, MOBILITY, CONGESTION, AND SAFETY CHALLENGES. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING COMMISSIONER STEVE ALVIS TO THE STAGE. WELL, THANK YOU MARTIN FOR THOSE KIND WORDS AND INTRODUCTION AND, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GAME CHANGER PROJECT, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, WHEN GOVERNOR ABBOTT ASKED ME TO JOIN TEAM TDOT AND TEAM CHAIRMAN BUG, UH, I WAS REALLY HONORED. AND, UH, I'LL TELL YOU THAT THE CHOICE OF CHAIRMAN BUG IN 2017 BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT, WHO IS THE BEST CHAMPION OF INFRASTRUCTURE I'VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFETIME, BUT CHOOSING CHAIRMAN BUG, HE SAID, PUT SHOVELS IN THE GROUND. AND BY GOLLY, HE DID THAT. AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU TO F 53 BILLION UNDER CONSTRUCTION. AND NOW, NOW THIS IS, IS JUST UNHEARD OF. SO I WANNA THANK CHAIRMAN BUG, I APPRECIATE YOUR KIND REMARKS. UH, CERTAINLY WANT SAY, UH, MARK WILLIAMS ING LIZA PAUL, WHO JUST RECENTLY RETIRED, WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS PROJECT. I KNOW SHE'S HERE TODAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR EFFORTS. BUT YOU KNOW, THE COMMON THEME TODAY IS COLLABORATION. AND WE HAVE THAT. NOW. I TELL YOU WHAT, WE'VE GOT IT AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, AND I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT A JOY IT'S BEEN TO WORK WITH THE MAYOR AND TO THINK LIKE OUR TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION AND UNDERSTAND WHAT INFRASTRUCTURE'S REALLY ABOUT. YOU SEE, TXDOT, WHEN IT WAS FORMED, WAS FORMED UNDER THE UMBRELLA AT THE STATE LEGISLATURE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. SO THIS ROAD IS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE CLYDE WARREN DECK IN DALLAS, I DUNNO IF MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THAT IT'S FIVE ACRES, BUT WHAT HAPPENED AROUND IT WHEN IT GOT COMPLETED? 6 BILLION OF NEW PROJECTS AND THEY'RE FINISHED AND IT'S BEAUTIFUL. SO YOU TALK ABOUT JOINING TWO SIDES OF DOWNTOWN, HAVING WHAT WILL BE IN THE FUTURE, AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR CITY. THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE FACT IT MOVES FREIGHT, IT SAVES TIME. YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT, THAT I ACCEPTED BEING ON THE COMMISSION IS I WANTED TO GIVE PEOPLE BACK THEIR TIME. YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN SAVE SOMEBODY 20 MINUTES, TWICE A DAY, THINK OF WHAT THAT DOES TO YOUR FAMILY. THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TIME, QUALITY OF LIFE AND SAFETY. AND MAYOR WHITMEYER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND, UH, TURNING HOUSTON AROUND. I KNOW YOU GOT BIG PLANS FOR HOUSTON. I'M REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. SO I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS PROJECT. IT, IT, IT IS MONUMENTAL, IT'S TRANSFORMATIONAL. $13 BILLION PROJECT. NOW, I WANT YOU TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE FOR JUST A MINUTE. CALIFORNIA, THE NEAREST STATE, THE TOTAL, WE HAVE 54 BILLION UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE, IN THE TOTAL STATE OF CALIFORNIA. THEY HAVE 13 BILLION UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN [00:30:01] THE WHOLE STATE. THIS IS JUST ONE PROJECT HERE IN TEXAS. DOES THAT, DOES THAT TELL YOU THAT IT'S A GAME CHANGER. IT'S REALLY BIG. THE TEXAS MIRACLE IS ALIVE. IT TAKES COLLABORATION WITH ALL OF YOU, THE COUNTY, ALL, ALL OF THE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS, THE COMMISSION, GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP, STEVE KA, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE ALL YOUR SUPPORT AND UH, BUT I'LL KEEP MY COMMENTS SHORT. CLEARLY THIS PROJECT ALONE TACKLES FIVE OF THE TOP 10 CONGESTED, UH, FROM CHAIRMAN BUGS TASK FORCE. NOW, JUST RECENTLY WE HAD THE RIBBON CUTTING ON NUMBER ONE AND AS CHAIRMAN POINTED OUT, NUMBER ONE GOES AWAY. WE HAVE A NEW NUMBER ONE . SO ANYWAY, THIS IS IN THE TOP FIVE. IT'LL GET FIVE CHOKE POINTS, UH, DONE. SO WITH THAT, UH, I WANNA FINISH THANKING THE GOVERNOR AGAIN FOR GIVING US THE RESOURCES THAT HE HAS THE VISION TO KEEP THE TEXAS MIRACLE ALIVE, AND IT TAKES ALL OF US IN THE ROOM TO DO THAT. THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY. I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR ATTENDANCE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU CHAIRMAN BUG AND COMMISSIONER ALVIS. IT IS NOW MY GREAT PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE A LEADER THAT HAS BEEN A STEADFAST SUPPORTER OF TXO TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE EFFORTS IN THE HOUSTON REGION FOR MANY YEARS. AS A LONG SUMMARY SENATOR, HE'S CHAMPIONED MANY INITIATIVES THAT'S IMPROVED OUR STATE'S ROADWAYS AND TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS, ALWAYS RECOGNIZING THE VITAL ROLE THEY PLAY IN OUR COMMUNITY'S GROWTH AND PROSPERITY. NOW, AS MAYOR OF HOUSTON, HE CONTINUES TO PARTNER WITH TXDOT TO ENSURE THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE MEETS THE NEEDS OF A RAPIDLY GROWING POPULATION. HIS COMMITMENT TO ENHANCING MOBILITY, SAFETY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HOUSTON HAS BEEN UNWAVERING. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER. GOOD AFTERNOON. IT'S AN EXCITING DAY TO BE THE MAYOR OF CITY OF HOUSTON. I WANT TO ALL PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND CELEBRATE OUR GREATNESS. NOT JUST WITH A BEAUTIFUL SKYLINE, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT OCCUPY, THE PEOPLE THAT VISIT US ON A DAILY BASIS. I COULD SPEND THE AFTERNOON TALKING ABOUT THOSE THAT MADE THIS POSSIBLE. I WANT TO THANK THE TXDOT EMPLOYEES. AS A FORMER STATE SENATOR, I KNOW OUR STATE EMPLOYEES ARE OFTEN OVERWORKED, UNDERPAID AND UNRECOGNIZED. BUT TODAY I WANT TO GIVE YOU THAT RECOGNITION, MS. PAUL. I COULD GO THROUGH A LIST AND CERTAINLY IT STARTS AT THE TOP. LEADERSHIP STARTS AT THE TOP. WE ALL KNOW THAT. AND THAT'S WHY SO MANY OF YOU'RE GATHERED HERE TODAY. CHAIRMAN BUG, WE'RE HONORED BY YOUR PRESIDENT, YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU'RE A GREAT TEXAN AND UH, YOU'RE ONE OF THE REASONS WHY PEOPLE ARE COMING TO THIS STATE IN RECORD NUMBERS. COMMISSIONER ALVIS IS SO NEAT WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE THAT IS ANOTHER PUBLIC SERVANT AND YOU BECOME FRIENDS BECAUSE YOU BOND OVER THAT PUBLIC SERVICE. THEN YOU LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER'S FAMILY, THEN YOU GET IN A CAR. IF WE CAN GET AWAY FROM OUR SECURITY ONE SATURDAY MORNING, HE AND I DROVE THE STREETS AND HIGHWAYS OF HOUSTON FOR TWO HOURS. THAT'S WHAT IS ENJOYABLE ABOUT BEING A PUBLIC SERVANT. TO SHARE THAT, THAT JOY, THE RUSH THAT YOU GET BY SAYING, WE CAN DO BETTER. WE CAN DO BETTER. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW I COULD BE AT A HUNDRED PLACES THIS AFTERNOON AS A MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON. THIS IS WHERE I WANTED TO BE. THIS IS WHERE I NEEDED TO BE TO SHARE THIS MOMENT. AND THERE AGAIN, I WANT YOU TO KNOW I'M SPEAKING FOR HOUSTONIANS. WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF MOBILITY, WHICH WE'RE IMPROVING TODAY, NOT ONLY FOR FOLKS THAT LIVE HERE, CERTAINLY THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES. THINK ABOUT THE INSTITUTIONS THAT THIS PROJECT WILL SUPPORT. WE'RE WIDENING THE PORT 'CAUSE WE'RE FIXING TO HAVE THE GREATEST PORT IN THE WORLD WITH THE DEPTH AND WIDENING. WHERE DO YOU THINK THOSE TRUCKS, HOW THEY GONNA GET TO THE PORT, THEY'RE GONNA GET ON THIS EXPANSION. OUR MED CENTER, OUR RETAIL, OUR SPORTS VENUE. WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. AND THAT'S, THIS IS WHY THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. YES, WE GOT CRITICS. I HEARD SOME OF MY FANS ACROSS THE STREET A WHILE AGO, , BUT BOB BULLOCK, TOUGH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR IN THE NINETIES, SHAPE AND MOLD AT THIS YOUNG SENATOR AT THE TIME. [00:35:01] IF YOU'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE, IF YOU WANT, NO CRITICS JUST COME TO WORK, BE A PIECE OF FURNITURE. BUT IF YOU'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, IF YOU'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE CRITICS. SO LET ME JUST ACKNOWLEDGE IT'S A GREAT DAY TO BE HOUSTON. WE HAVE A GREAT DAY, A GREAT CITY, GREAT PEOPLE. AND SOME DAYS WHEN I GO HOME FROM WORK, AFTER WORKING ALL DAY ON SOME OF OUR CHALLENGES, ALL GREAT CITIES HAVE CHALLENGES. WE JUST ARE ADDRESSING OURS. WE'RE NOT KICKING TRANSPORTATION DOWN THE ROAD ANYMORE. BUT I WONDER SOMETIME AS I LEAVE AND I RECOGNIZE THE NEGLECT THAT CITY HALL IS GIVEN TO THIS GREAT CITY, I WONDER HOW'S IT SO GREAT? IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR INSTITUTIONS, OBVIOUSLY OUR PEOPLE, BUT TECH STOCK AND SO MANY OF YOU IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THE PARTNERSHIP CITY COUNCIL, I'M GOING ON, WE'RE GREAT BECAUSE ON A DAILY BASIS, THOUSANDS IF NOT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ACROSS THIS GREAT REGION GO ABOUT DOING THEIR JOB TO IMPROVE PEOPLE'S LIVES. I'M FIRED UP, I'M LEAVING HERE. A BETTER MAYOR THAN THE ONE THAT GOT HERE. SO LET'S ENJOY THIS MOMENT AND THEN LET'S GO TO WORK. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU MAYOR WHITMEYER. THIS TECH TOS DOESN'T DO ITS WORK IN A VACUUM. WE RELY ON INPUT FROM A VARIETY OF STAKEHOLDERS. ONE OF THE GROUPS WE WORK CLOSELY WITH IS A TRANSPORTATION ADVOCACY GROUP OR TAG. TAG IS A BROAD BASED COALITION OF BUSINESSES, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT DEMONSTRATE PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR FULL AND ADEQUATE FUNDING OR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE BY LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS. WHEN ONGOING FUNDING WAS QUESTIONED, TAG PLAYED A PIVOTAL ROLE IN RALLYING A CHEERLEADING SQUAD TO HELP LOCAL SUPPORT FOR THIS PROJECT THAT SUPPORT AND ADVOCACY TRULY MADE A DIFFERENCE. WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE TAG'S CO-CHAIR GREG REYES WITH US TODAY. GREG, THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THANK YOU VARUN. TRULY AN HONOR TO BE HERE. MAYOR, CHAIRMAN, BUG COMMISSIONER ELVIS, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. WELL, SOMETIMES, UH, CHANGE TAKES LONGER THAN EXPECTED AND THIS PROJECT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. UH, THE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN WHAT WE CREATE ARE WELL WORTH, UH, THE WEIGHT. UH, AT TAG, WE'RE DEVOTED TO CREATE A HEALTHY STATE OF MOBILITY IN THE HOUSTON REGION TO PROTECT OUR FUTURE GROWTH, ECONOMIC VITALITY AND OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE. IMPROVE MOBILITY, BENEFITS EVERYONE AND INTERACTS WITH THE HOUSTON TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. WHETHER THEY LIVE, WORK OR TRAVEL HERE, WE BELIEVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS AFFECT MORE THAN JUST INDUSTRY REAL RESULTS AND CONGESTION RELIEF, EFFICIENCY AND ADAPTABILITY CONTRIBUTE TO WELLBEING TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY IN A PLACE THAT THRIVES ON DOING BUSINESS. HOUSTON'S MOBILITY DEMANDS THAT WE CONSTANTLY LOOK AHEAD, MAKE RIGHT GAME PLANS AND FIGHT TO WIN. I 45 IS A CRITICAL NORTH AND SOUTH ARTERY CONNECTING THE STATE'S TWO LARGEST MARKETS FROM FREIGHT FROM THE PORT OF HOUSTON. AND NUMEROUS MANUFACTURING FACILITIES AND DISTRIBUTION CENTERS IN THE REGION RELY ON I 45 MORE THAN EVER. TAGS COMMITTED TO BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE IN HOUSTON AND RAPIDLY GROWING SURROUNDING REGIONS. THIS PROJECT INCLUDES MULTI MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, SUCH AS FOUR NONT TOLD MANAGED LANES, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATH ALONG FRONTAGE ROADS AND CROSS STREETS AND TRAILS. PARALLEL TO THE BAYOU WITHIN THE DRIVEWAY, TAG HAS PROUDLY SUPPORTED THE I 45 NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT FROM THE BEGINNING. WE CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE HOW SIGNIFICANTLY THIS CITY WILL IMPROVE BY REALIGNING I 45 OUT OF DOWNTOWN HOUSTON DURING THE FIRST PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION. ON BEHALF OF MY CO-CHAIR, JIM RU AND OUR BOARD DIRECTORS, WE WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO'VE SUPPORTED THIS SIGNIFICANT PROJECT FOR OUR GREAT CITY AND WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL THE FINE FOLKS AT TDO. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. THANK YOU. GREG. HOUSTON HAS A LONG HISTORY OF BUSINESS LEADERS WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE THE CITY DATING BACK TO 1840 LONG BEFORE THE DISCOVERY OF OIL TRANSFORMED THE REGION. TODAY, THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP CONTINUES THAT LEGACY AS THE GATHERING [00:40:01] PLACE FOR COMMUNITY-MINDED BUSINESS LEADERS DEDICATED TO HOUSTON'S GROWTH AND SUCCESS THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF ITS MEMBERS, THE PARTNERSHIP ADDRESSES HOUSTON'S UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND CHAMPIONS, ITS POSITIVE ECONOMIC TRAJECTORY. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING STEVE KAIN, PRESIDENT OF THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP. GOTTA WAIT FOR THAT WALK UP. MUSIC TO FINISH RIGHT. UM, GREAT TO BE HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP HERE. I'M PROUD TO REPRESENT US. THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT. IT HELPS US ALL IN OUR SHARED MISSION OF MAKING THIS CITY THE PLACE TO COME TO LIVE, WORK, AND BUILD A BUSINESS. THROUGH THIS PROJECT, WE'RE GONNA FULLY CONNECT NEIGHBORHOODS THAT HAVE BEEN SEPARATED FOR TOO LONG. IT'S GONNA OPEN UP NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR DEVELOPMENT. AS STEVE ALVIS SAID, NEW AMENITIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL HOUSTONIANS. THIS PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN CRITICAL FLOOD MITIGATION INFRASTRUCTURE. EVERY GREAT CITY SHOULD HAVE A BEAUTIFUL, SAFE AND FUNCTIONAL DOWNTOWN. THIS PROJECT WILL ENHANCE DOWNTOWN HOUSTON ON ALL OF THOSE DIMENSIONS. THE MAYOR HAS CHALLENGED HOUSTON LEADERS TO COME TOGETHER TO TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY. AND THE PARTNERSHIP IS COM COMMITTED TO BEING PART OF THAT WORK. WE WILL COME TOGETHER. THIS IS A PLACE THAT COMES TOGETHER TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS. AS YOU SAID, WE DON'T IGNORE 'EM, WE FIX 'EM. A LOT OF GREAT CITIES HAVE GREAT PROBLEMS, BIG PROBLEMS, BUT WE FIX 'EM HERE. AND SO I'M HAPPY TO BE WORKING WITH EVERYONE WHO'S HERE, UH, DOWN HERE, BUT ALSO CHRIS LARSON, WHEREVER HE IS, CENTRAL HOUSTON, MICHAEL HECKMAN, AND THE WORK THAT'S GONNA BE DONE AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN, ANOTHER TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECT. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU. I ALSO WANT TO THANK REAL QUICKLY MARK WATTS, WHO I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY OF THIS. THE PARTNERSHIP WAS VERY INVOLVED IN THIS THROUGH MARK WATTS, UH, PRESIDENT OF FRIEDKIN GROUP, BUT ALSO FORMER CHAIR OF THE GREATER HOUSTON PARTNERSHIP AND STILL BOARD MEMBER. AND THEN MY PREDECESSOR, UH, BOB HARVEY. I JUST GOT HERE. BOB WAS ON THIS PROJECT AND WHEN HE HANDED OFF TO ME, HE SAID, THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT. YOU NEED TO DEVOTE SOME TIME ON IT. SO WHILE I WASN'T ALL THE WAY HERE UNTIL NOW, I'M HERE GOING FORWARD. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU. STEVE TEXAS IS HOME TO THE MOST EXTENSIVE AND HEAVILY USED STATE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN THE NATION. WITH OVER 80,700 CENTER LINE MILES OF HIGHWAYS, 55,000 BRIDGES AND 500 MILLION DAILY VEHICLE MILES OF TRAVEL. WE LOVE OUR NUMBERS. NOW I'M GONNA PASS THE BALL TO MO BURR. OUR INTERIM HOUSTON DISTRICT ENGINEER. MO HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN DRIVING MAJOR PROJECTS ACROSS TEXAS AND IS A KEY PLAYER IN ENSURING OUR VISION BECOMES A REALITY. PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING MO TO THE STAGE. ALRIGHT, GOOD AFTERNOON. UM, UNA, THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS. UH, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. MY NAME IS MO BURR. SO, UM, UH, ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO I HAD NO IDEA I WAS GONNA BE THE INTERIM DISTRICT ENGINEER IN HOUSTON. UM, AND THEN LAST WEEK I KNEW ABOUT THIS EVENT, RIGHT? BUT I DID NOT KNOW THAT I WAS GONNA BE WEARING A REFEREE JERSEY. SO THAT'S NEW. THEN I COME HERE AND THEY GIVE ME A WHISTLE, WHICH IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS, BUT I FEEL LIKE A KID IN A CANDY STORE THAT I'M REALLY ITCHING TO USE THIS WHISTLE RIGHT NOW. REALLY, REALLY BAD. THEN I WALK IN HERE AND I SEE VINCE YOUNG AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS JUST NOT, THIS IS, THIS IS UNREAL, RIGHT? REFEREE. I LOVE SPORTS. WATCH VINCE YOUNG WIN THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2005 WITH THE TEXAS LONGHORNS. GOT A WHISTLE FOOTBALL THEME. CAN I DO IT ? CAN I DO IT? ALRIGHT, HERE WE GO. DUTCH DOWN. VINCE YOUNG. NO THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. THIS MEANS A LOT. UM, CHAIRMAN BUG HOSTS A MONTHLY MEETING CONGESTION TASK FORCE MEETING WHERE WE TALK ABOUT THE MOST CONGESTED, UH, CHOKE POINTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, HE CHALLENGED THE HOUSTON DISTRICT AND ELIZA'S TEAM. UH, THIS PROJECT, THE FIRST PROJECT THAT WE'RE CELEBRATING THE GROUNDBREAKING AND IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO LET TILL 2025. HIS CHALLENGE IS TO SEE IF WE CAN LET THIS PROJECT AS EARLY AS POSSIBLE. SO OUR OVER 1100 EMPLOYEES IN THE HOUSTON DISTRICT, [00:45:01] THEY DELIVERED, RIGHT? AND WE LET THIS PROJECT A FEW MONTHS EARLY IN SEPTEMBER. SO I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD OF OUR 1100 EMPLOYEES OF MAKING THAT HAPPEN. OUR MISSION ATTOC IS CONNECTING YOU WITH TEXAS. WHAT MATTERS IS YOU, YOUR PEOPLE, CONNECTING YOU WITH YOUR COMMUNITIES, CONNECTING YOU WITH YOUR FAMILIES, CONNECTING YOU WITH THE OPPORTUNITIES AND JOBS THAT YOU HAVE. UM, AND THIS IS A GREAT JEWEL IN THE, IN THE CROWN OF TECH STOCK. SO ONCE AGAIN, I'M GONNA USE THIS WHISTLE, BUT I'M GONNA SAY TOUCHDOWN HOUSTON. THANK Y'ALL. APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU MO. I FIGURED HE WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO USE A MISSILE. BEFORE WE WRAP UP TODAY'S PROGRAM, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EXPRESS MY DEEP GRATITUDE TO THE TDO STAFF AND CONSULTANTS, AND NOW OUR TWO CONTRACTORS, HARPER'S BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION AND WILLIAMS BROTHERS CONSTRUCTION FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION IN GETTING THIS PROJECT ACROSS THE GOAL LINE. I WOULD LIKE TO ALSO TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE AND THANK OUR FORMER DISTRICT ENGINEERS THAT I SEE HERE TODAY. JOINING US TODAY IS DELVIN DENNIS QUINCY ALLEN AND ELIZA PAUL. EACH WORK TIRELESSLY THROUGH THE YEARS TO HELP THIS PROJECT COME TO FRUITION. A SPECIAL THANKS GOES OUT TO RAQUEL LEWIS AND THE PUBLIC INFORMATION TEAM, ALONG WITH ALL THE ENGINEERS, ALONG WITH ALL THE ENGINEERS, PLANNERS AND CONTRACTORS AND PARTNERS WHO MAY TODAY POSSIBLE. YOUR COMMITMENT AND TEAMWORK HAS BEEN NOTHING SHORT OF REMARKABLE, AND NOW WE ARE OFFICIALLY READY TO KICK OFF CONSTRUCTION IN STYLE. TO HELP US DO THAT, I'M GONNA ASK RAQUEL TO COME UP AND TAKE THE LEADING, KICKING OFF OUR CEREMONY ACTIVITIES. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE ARE GONNA GET THIS KICKOFF STARTED BY SHOWING A HIGHLIGHT REEL OF HOW TRANSFORMATIVE I 45 N-H-H-I-P IS GONNA BE FOR HOUSTON. CUE THE VIDEO. HOUSTON, ARE YOU READY FOR A GAME CHANGER? THE NORTH HOUSTON HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT PROVIDING MOBILITY, SAFETY, RESILIENCY, CONNECTIVITY, QUALITY OF LIFE AND ECONOMIC IMPACT, A $13 BILLION INVESTMENT IN HOUSTON'S FUTURE. LET'S WELCOME THE N-H-H-I-P STARTING LINEUP. THE MVPS IMPROVED SAFETY WITH $29 BILLION IN SAVINGS DUE TO BETTER, SAFER, AND MORE RELIABLE ROADS. ENHANCED MOBILITY WITH $3 BILLION IN BENEFITS DUE TO LESS IDLING AND IMPROVED AIR ECONOMIC VIABILITY, INCLUDING 10 BILLION IN BUSINESS BENEFITS AND MORE THAN 90,000 NEW JOBS. QUALITY OF LIFE WITH 1 BILLION IN RETURN INVESTMENT FOR MORE COMMUNITY CONNECTIVITY. STORM WATER RESILIENCY, PULLING 1,309 ACRE FEET OF STORM WATER OFF HOUSTON ROADS WITH MORE THAN 10 MILLION NEW HOUSTONIANS EXPECTED BY 2050. THE N-H-H-I-P IS WHAT HOUSTON NEEDS RIGHT NOW. THE N-H-H-I-P. IT'S A GAME CHANGER. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.