Driving on some Texas roads is a test of patience. Most drivers have felt the bone rattle of one too many potholes on their commute, and Dallas has its fair share of streets in disrepair. Texas roads have deteriorated in the last 10 years, with just under 77% in acceptable condition in 2022 compared to nearly 92% in 2012.
Of course, the only way to fix those bad roads is to embark on an equally trying process: road construction.
The disruptions to our driving routines might not be so frustrating – they’re for a good cause, after all — if there was an end in sight. Yet most road projects seem to stretch on for, well, ever.
What could possibly be taking so long? We asked an expert for insight.
It’s an involved process — for a reason
There are generally five steps to every road construction project, whether on a local or state road: planning, preliminary design and environmental review, final design, purchasing of right-of-way and finally construction.
Planning is complex. Most cities, regions and the state have a long-term transportation plan for prioritizing projects (like the Connect Dallas Strategic Mobility Plan). Those tend to lead to a shorter-term improvement program that outlines which projects to tackle with available funding. That’s when projects get budgets and start dates.
Creating both involves a lot of data mining and public involvement, according to Bill Eisele, a senior research engineer at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Eisele lays out what’s behind the process in a July episode of the institute’s Thinking Transportation podcast.
A 1962 federal law requires urban planners to go through a thorough planning process to get federal funding. That often means involving federal, state and local transportation professionals, transit agencies, community and interest groups and nearby property owners. Planners also look at traffic patterns and volumes to determine what projects to prioritize.
The type of project plays a role in how long it takes to complete.
“Microsurfacing or slurry seal projects, which involve preventative maintenance work that extends the life of streets in ‘good’ condition, may take only a few days or less to fully complete a street section or area,” a City of Dallas spokesperson said in an email. “Full reconstruction projects, which completely remove and replace the existing street materials and underlying damaged drainage utilities, can take years to complete because of engineering needs and the complexity of the work.”
Public feedback is important to avoid hiccups later in the process.
“I would never advise anybody, even if you didn’t have to collect public comment, to just not do it,” Eisele said. “I think you get a better product at the end when you bring the stakeholders along.”
Things go wrong
Like most endeavors, road construction projects can encounter obstacles no matter how well they are planned.
The discovery of a rare plant or animal habitat during the environmental review process can lead to delays as mitigation plans are developed. If a project requires a lot of right-of-way acquisitions, that can take time, too, as the planning agency negotiates with property owners.
Once a project actually gets to the construction phase, logistics can bring further delays. Utility relocations can slow things down. Planning construction on busy stretches could mean moving to night work, and work can get halted altogether for big events or bad weather. Texas’ sweltering summers can be dangerous for workers, while heavy spring rains can delay projects.
“We’ve got to keep the transportation system flowing, so there’s a lot that has to happen sort of in real-time moving traffic,” Eisele said. “It’s balancing what you’re seeing as a driver going through that work zone and a lot of other roads that we’re also having to consider on some of these large projects.”
Local road projects can also include adjacent work like sidewalk repair, a city spokesperson said, and if several streets in a neighborhood need repair they are typically scheduled for work in groups to improve efficiency.
Trust the process
As frustrating as it is for drivers to contend with seemingly endless road construction, the process has improved. Prior to 1962, many projects moved forward without much public input. Road projects in that period often led to inequities that communities are trying to address today through things like deck parks.
Though it’s often slow, the construction process can be sped up for critical projects. Things like contract incentives and states taking on environmental review work rather than going through the Environmental Protection Agency can help expedite when necessary.
There seems to be more public interest in road projects today, and although that can mean more time, Eisele said, it’s critical to executing well-thought-out projects.
“I know it can be frustrating when we’re sitting through that traffic and those work zones week after week, month after month, year after year in some cases, but I think it beats the alternative of plowing forward without having a meaningful thought process for these kinds of things,” Eisele said.