Republican Highways

HoustonChronicle.com - Audit: Katy Freeway costing $300 million more

Auditor John Keel's report notes TxDOT's latest cost estimate is $2.67 billion, up 78 percent from the October 2001 estimate of $1.5 billion. The last estimate released by TxDOT was $2.4 billion.

"TxDOT faces a significant risk that costs will continue to rise above the $2.67 billion March 2005 estimate for total projects costs." Keel warns in his Tuesday report to Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, which was publicly released Wednesday. "The Legislature may wish to require TxDOT to design a standard model so that it could estimate project costs more accurately."

Pitts, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, had requested Keel's office review the Katy Freeway project, whose ever-escalating cost estimates have raised eyebrows among fiscal conservatives and opponents of freeway widening. Pitts did not return a phone call seeking comment Wednesday.

Back when I was first diving into working on campaigns, I had the good fortune to be working on the ill-chosen campaign of Eleanor Tinsley for County Commissioner. Eleanor often made the quip that there was no difference between a Democratic or Republican bridge or road. The eventual winner and still Commissioner Jerry Eversole responded that, of course there was: the Democratic bridges and roads came in over budget and later than promised.

Turns out it was the other way around. Quick show of hands of those who are really shocked?