Bill Text: TX SR571 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Recognizing Texas Department of Transportation District 21 for its service to the people of South Texas.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)
Status: (Passed) 2017-04-04 - Reported enrolled [SR571 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-SR571-Enrolled.html
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| WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to | ||
| recognize District 21 of the Texas Department of Transportation, | ||
| also known as the Pharr District, as the agency celebrates a | ||
| century since its earliest incarnation in 1917 as the Texas | ||
| Highway Department and was tasked with the building and | ||
| maintenance of our state's roadways; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The first construction project under the | ||
| supervision of the Texas Highway Department was a 20-mile section | ||
| of untreated flexible base 16 feet wide between Falfurrias and | ||
| Encino; work began in October of 1918 and was completed in June of | ||
| 1920; the corridor that was built is in the same location as | ||
| present day U.S. Route 281; and | ||
| WHEREAS, District 21 of the Texas Department of | ||
| Transportation was organized on April 1, 1932, and encompassed | ||
| the 10 southernmost counties of the state; District 21 began | ||
| operations under the supervision of district engineer J. W. | ||
| Puckett; the first headquarters office for the district was | ||
| located in an upstairs bank building on South Cage and Caffery in | ||
| Pharr; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The earliest major challenge for the new district | ||
| occurred in September and October of 1932, when the Rio Grande | ||
| flooded twice, sending large amounts of water through the | ||
| floodway system for the first time; all county roads crossing the | ||
| floodway were blocked for several days, closing as the flood | ||
| moved downstream and opening as the flow subsided; levees were | ||
| built at low overflow areas to lead surplus water from the east | ||
| and northeast to a junction south of and between McAllen and | ||
| Pharr; the United States Section of the International Boundary | ||
| and Water Commission took over the responsibilities of the | ||
| floodway system in the early 1930s; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The principal objective of District 21 was to plan | ||
| and construct an adequate public road network system to serve | ||
| area residents; the first designation in Hidalgo County | ||
| following the organization of District 21 was an extension of | ||
| S.H. 66 from Pharr to the International Bridge in Hidalgo; Texas | ||
| Highway Department operations stopped at the river levee on the | ||
| approach to the bridge; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Today the Texas Department of Transportation | ||
| District 21 serves Brooks, Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo, Starr, Jim | ||
| Hogg, Zapata, and Kenedy Counties and is under the direction of | ||
| Toribio Garza, District Engineer; Hector Gonzalez, Deputy | ||
| District Engineer; Jesus Leal, Director of Traffic Operations; | ||
| Homer Bazan, Director of Transportation Planning and | ||
| Development; and Rex Costley, Director of Maintenance; now, | ||
| therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th | ||
| Legislature, hereby commend the Texas Department of | ||
| Transportation District 21 for its continued service to the | ||
| people of South Texas and congratulate the agency on its | ||
| centennial celebration; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for | ||
| the Texas Department of Transportation Pharr District as an | ||
| expression of esteem from the Texas Senate. | ||
| Lucio | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| President of the Senate | ||
| I hereby certify that the | ||
| above Resolution was adopted by | ||
| the Senate on April 4, 2017. | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| ________________________________ | ||
| Member, Texas Senate | ||
