East Texas

LONGVIEW - The Texas Department of Transportation plans to host the next public hearing about the Interstate 69/Trans Texas Corridor on Wednesday.

I-69/TCC is a proposed project that would span Texarkana and Houston along the current U.S. Highway 59 route, then turn southwest and link with the border between the United States and Mexico.

The meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. at the Maude Cobb Activity Center in Longview, 100 Grand Blvd. According to TxDOT, the meeting is designed to gather public comments on a draft environmental impact statement. TxDOT officials will be available to discuss the DEIS at 5 p.m., followed by a public comment period at 6:30 p.m. By law, TxDOT officials cannot answer questions or respond to public comments during the comment period.

"That aspect of the hearings has confused some people in the past, but it's required by federal law that we do it that way," said Larry Krantz, TxDOT spokesman.

Comments recorded during the public comment period will be added to the DEIS record and used to help determine the future of the project, officials said.

TxDOT said it's using a wide study area to take into account ways of reducing the impact of the proposed interstate on communities, historical sites and natural resources. The DEIS process is a means of narrowing the study area.

The DEIS will be modified once the public hearings are complete, and a final environmental impact statement will be produced. The EIS will undergo another round of public hearings before it's submitted to the Federal Highway Administration for approval. Only the FHWA can approve or cancel the project.

Officials said that, because of a lack of funding for the 600-mile-long project, it will be built in stages if it's approved. It's also likely to be turned into a toll road, they said, to help pay for further construction and maintenance.

People can also submit comments online at www.keeptexasmoving.com, or mail them to I-69/TCC, P.O. Box 14428, Austin, 78761. Comments must be received by March 19.

TxDOT officials said public comments will shape the final decisions regarding the proposed interstate. A complete listing of public hearing dates and locations is available at www.keeptexasmoving.com.