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Follow TURFFederal money for local road projects unused and collecting dust
Reported by: Mireya Villarreal
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Last Update: 2/19 12:38 pm
SAN ANTONIO - Millions of your tax dollars are set aside to help the Texas Department of Transportation (TXDOT) fix one of the most chaotic intersections in San Antonio.
But the News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters have uncovered, for nearly five years, that money has just been sitting around, collecting dust.
We all know - Someone's life could depend on how fast an ambulance gets to the hospital. So, you'd like to think people would follow the law and pull over when they hear the sirens.
But on more than one occasion, our camera caught ambulances fighting through medical center traffic just to get to the emergency room.
In one case, drivers don’t even attempt to move over because there’s just not enough room.
"When the traffic backs up at the lights, there's no real way for ambulances to get around," Dave Hearst, a San Antonio driver, told us.
Gabe Ramirez, who works nearby, agreed, "Ambulances - I've had them behind us trying to make their way through. Coming this way down Medical and it's just not happening."
In 2006, the News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters first uncovered there is a plan to fix all this. Back then, TXDOT had just announced they were going to buy up businesses near Fredericksburg and Medical Drive. After that was done, they were going to widen the road.
To help start the project the federal government gave TXDOT $3.5 million. Fast forward five years and it doesn’t look like much has changed in the area.
"These were funds approved back in 2005. It's 2011 and construction won't even start till next year. Why take so long,” News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooter Mireya Villarreal asked.
“Well, just like I said, it's a long process," Darla Laughter, TXDOT project spokesperson, told us.
The Fredericksburg/Medical Drive project has been in the works for more than 10 years. And that's because, on top of the federal funds, TXDOT needed another $16 million to make it happen.
"The environmental, the planning, the designing, just buying property from people, it's very time consuming," Laughter explained.
The News 4 WOAI Trouble Shooters also found out what other projects have stalled out around San Antonio.
Mission Trails, phases 4 & 5 - $3.8 million
Kelly Parkway Corridor - $400,590
Transportation improvements at Fort Sam - $427,500
These are all city and TXDOT projects given federal funds years ago; but for some reason they haven't been used.
"These earmarks, this money is just sitting there. You know, collecting dust. Is that the case here," Mireya Villarreal questioned Laughter with TXDOT.
“Absolutely not," Laughter stated.
TXDOT has already started to buy out businesses for this project and they expect to start construction in the spring of 2012. The plan is for Medical Drive to go underneath Fredericksburg. Drivers say the change can't come fast enough.