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Top Stories: State Abandons Plan To Toll I-635 East

LBJ TEXpress

The top local stories this morning from KERA News: The Texas Transportation Commission hasdroppeda near $2 billion plan to rebuild, expand and add toll lanes to I-635E in Dallas, Garland and Mesquite.

The commission's vote to drop that project and the Austin I-35 project removes all toll projects from the commission's Unified Transportation Program.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick last month told commissioners toll roads were no longer an option. Voter-approved propositions last year called for highway expansions without toll roads.

The Regional Transportation Commission said it plans to send a letter of disappointment over the decision to the state commission. The group will also send a delegation to the Texas Transportation Commission's meeting next month to emphasize the need for the expansion. 

Other stories this morning: 

  • Today's the last day to sign up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. 
  • An advocate for the Muslim community in North Texas is turning her attention to sexual misconduct in the mosques. 

You can listen to North Texas weekdays at 8:22 a.m. and 6:20 p.m. on KERA 90.1 FM. 

Former KERA staffer Krystina Martinez was an assistant producer. She produced local content for Morning Edition and KERANews.org. She also produced The Friday Conversation, a weekly series of conversations with North Texas newsmakers. Krystina was also the backup newscaster for the Texas Standard.