State Highway 130 (SH 130), also known as the Pickle Parkway, is a
freeway
A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway and expressway. Other similar terms ...
from
Interstate 35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
(I-35) in
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
along
I-410
Interstate 410 (abbreviated I-410, and colloquially called Loop 410) is a loop route of I-10 around San Antonio, Texas. It is identified as Connally Loop in honor of former Texas Governor John Connally.
Route description
I-410 ci ...
and
I-10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
to east of
Seguin, then north as a
toll road
A toll road, also known as a turnpike or tollway, is a public or private road (almost always a controlled-access highway in the present day) for which a fee (or ''toll'') is assessed for passage. It is a form of road pricing typically implemented ...
from there to I-35 north of
Georgetown.
SH 130 runs in a corridor east and south of
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
. The route parallels I-35 and is intended to relieve the Interstate's traffic volume through the San Antonio–Austin corridor by serving as an alternate route.
The highway was developed in response to the tremendous surge in truck traffic on the I-35 corridor brought on by the
North American Free Trade Agreement
The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA ; es, Tratado de Libre Comercio de América del Norte, TLCAN; french: Accord de libre-échange nord-américain, ALÉNA) was an agreement signed by Canada, Mexico, and the United States that crea ...
during the late 1990s, especially truck traffic originating from
Laredo, where the
Texas Department of Transportation
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT ) is a government agency in the American state of Texas. Though the public face of the agency is generally associated with the construction and maintenance of the state's immense state highway system ...
(TxDOT) reported 150 trucks entering the United States every hour. A proponent of the highway's development, Capital Area Transportation Coalition, said that congestion along the I-35 corridor is costing businesses more than $194 million a year in higher operating costs and lost productivity.
The section of the toll road between
SH 45 and I-10 has a posted speed limit of , the highest posted speed limit in the Americas. As of September 2012, the only speed limits in the world higher than this are the limits of Poland, Bulgaria and
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area.
...
, though some jurisdictions like
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and
Isle of Man
)
, anthem = "O Land of Our Birth"
, image = Isle of Man by Sentinel-2.jpg
, image_map = Europe-Isle_of_Man.svg
, mapsize =
, map_alt = Location of the Isle of Man in Europe
, map_caption = Location of the Isle of Man (green)
in Europe ...
have roads without any posted maximum limit.
Route description
SH 130 begins while
running concurrently with
I-410
Interstate 410 (abbreviated I-410, and colloquially called Loop 410) is a loop route of I-10 around San Antonio, Texas. It is identified as Connally Loop in honor of former Texas Governor John Connally.
Route description
I-410 ci ...
at an interchange with
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
in southwestern
San Antonio
("Cradle of Freedom")
, image_map =
, mapsize = 220px
, map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name = United States
, subdivision_type1= U.S. state, State
, subdivision_name1 = Texas
, s ...
. SH 130 follows I-410 until an interchange with
I-10
Interstate 10 (I-10) is the southernmost cross-country highway in the American Interstate Highway System. I-10 is the fourth-longest Interstate in the United States at , following I-90, I-80, and I-40. This freeway is part of the originally pl ...
/
US 90 just east of
Downtown San Antonio, and then follows those two highways to
Seguin. SH 130 leaves I-10 in eastern Seguin, running north as a tollway. Near
Lockhart Lockhart may refer to:
*Lockhart (surname)
Places
Australia
*Lockhart, New South Wales
*Lockhart River, Queensland
*Lockhart River, Western Australia
United States
*Lockhart, Alabama
*Lockhart, Florida
*Lockhart, Minnesota
*Lockhart, Sout ...
, the tollway begins an overlap with
US 183; US 183 runs along the frontage roads. In the small community of
Mustang Ridge, US 183 leaves the frontage roads and an overlap with
SH 45 begins. The two highways run in a northeast direction passing through rural areas of
Travis County
Travis County is located in south central Texas. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,290,188. It is the fifth-most populous county in Texas. Its county seat is Austin, the capital of Texas. The county was established in 1840 and is na ...
. The tollway passes near
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at the interchange with
SH 71 and runs in extreme east
Austin
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas, as well as the seat and largest city of Travis County, with portions extending into Hays and Williamson counties. Incorporated on December 27, 1839, it is the 11th-most-populous city ...
. The tollway curves around
Lake Walter E. Long
Lake Walter E. Long (also known as Decker Lake) is a power plant cooling reservoir on Decker Creek in Austin, Texas. The reservoir was officially impounded in 1967 and serves to provide water for turbines used in the production of electricity ...
after the interchange with the
Manor Expressway near
Manor
Manor may refer to:
Land ownership
*Manorialism or "manor system", the method of land ownership (or "tenure") in parts of medieval Europe, notably England
*Lord of the manor, the owner of an agreed area of land (or "manor") under manorialism
*Man ...
. In the city of
Pflugerville
Pflugerville ( ) is a city in Travis County, Texas, United States, with a small portion in Williamson County. The population was 65,191 at the 2020 census. Pflugerville is a suburb of Austin and part of the Austin–Round Rock–San Mar ...
, there is slight development along the route near
Farm to Market Road 685
A farm (also called an agricultural holding) is an area of land that is devoted primarily to agricultural processes with the primary objective of producing food and other crops; it is the basic facility in food production. The name is used fo ...
(FM 685). SH 45 leaves the tollway in Pflugerville, and SH 130 runs through rural areas of
Williamson County. SH 130 runs in a slight northwest direction before ending at I-35 in northern
Georgetown.
History
Previous route
The SH 130 designation was previously used for a highway in far west Texas, between the city of
El Paso
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
and
SH 54 in
El Paso
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the U.S. Census Bureau was 678,815, making it the 23rd-largest city in the U.S., the s ...
,
Hudspeth, and
Culberson counties. That route was designated on January 18, 1928.
In 1932, the route was co-designated as a portion of
US 62.
On January 21, 1936, SH 130 was extended east to the
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
state line, replacing a portion of SH 54. The SH 130 designation was dropped as part of the general redescription of the state highway system on September 26, 1939. Since September 6, 1943, the previous route has also been designated as a portion of
US 180 along with US 62.
Current route
SH 130 was designated on May 22, 1985, along with
SH 45, as a route from I-35 to US 183 south of Austin. On January 30, 1989,
SH 297 was designated from US 183 in Mendoza to I-10 in Seguin. On December 8, 1993, SH 297 became part of SH 130. On October 27, 1994, the SH 130 sections were connected with part of the SH 130 tollway along US 183 added to the plans.
In June 2002,
Lone Star Infrastructure
Lone Star Infrastructure (LSI) is a consortium of major highway construction contractors and civil engineering firms that was awarded a Comprehensive Development Agreement by the Texas Department of Transportation to design and build State Highwa ...
, a consortium of major highway construction contractors and civil engineering firms, was awarded a Comprehensive Development Agreement by TxDOT to design and build the section from I-35 in Georgetown to US 183 southeast of Austin. The cost of this section was expected to be $1.5 billion, which included the costs of utility relocation, design, construction, and
right-of-way
Right of way is the legal right, established by grant from a landowner or long usage (i.e. by prescription), to pass along a specific route through property belonging to another.
A similar ''right of access'' also exists on land held by a gov ...
. Right-of-way costs alone were estimated at $389 million.
Groundbreaking for SH 130 took place on October 3, 2003. The first segment to open to the public was from
US 290 northbound to
US 79 on November 1, 2006. On December 13, the highway was extended northward to a junction with
I-35
Interstate 35 (I-35) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route. It stretches from Laredo, Texas, near the Mexican border ...
. On September 6, 2007, the route was extended southward from US 290 to
SH 71. Segment 4 opened on April 30, 2008, running from SH 71 to US 183.
On June 28, 2006, a partnership between
Cintra
Cintra, S.A. (Concesiones de Infraestructuras de Transporte, translated as Toll Transport Infrastructures) is one of the largest private developers of transport infrastructure in the world. Its assets are fundamentally toll roads and car parks, ...
and Zachry American Infrastructure, developers of the
Trans-Texas Corridor, reached a $1.3 billion agreement with the state to build segments 5 and 6 from US 183 southeast of Austin to I-10 in Seguin. Cintra-Zachry formed SH 130 Concession Company to manage the project. In exchange for the investment, the company received the right to collect tolls for 50 years in a revenue-sharing agreement with the state. The state owns the road while the company is responsible for financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance over the life of the agreement. Although substantially a
private sector
The private sector is the part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is owned by private groups, usually as a means of establishment for profit or non profit, rather than being owned by the government.
Employment
The ...
project, some costs for segments 5 and 6 were borne by TxDOT, including about 400 highway signs promoting SH 130 as an alternate route and a subsidized toll rate for truckers to use the highway instead of I-35.
In 2013,
Moody's downgraded the company's debt to junk status due to low traffic revenues, raising the possibility that TxDOT might terminate its toll contract with the group.
The company explored debt restructuring around December 2013, and was in danger of a payment default in June 2014, eventually filing for bankruptcy in March 2016. The Concession Company eventually exited bankruptcy in 2017 with a new owner in the form of investment firm Strategic Value Partners, who bought out Cintra's stake in the joint venture.
The
2007 session of the Texas Legislature passed HB 2296, designating SH 130 in
Williamson,
Travis,
Caldwell
Caldwell may refer to:
People
* Caldwell (surname)
* Caldwell (given name)
* Caldwell First Nation, a federally recognized Indian band in southern Ontario, Canada
Places
Great Britain
* Caldwell, Derbyshire, a hamlet
* Caldwell, East ...
, and
Guadalupe counties as the "Pickle Parkway" in honor of former United States Congressman
J.J. "Jake" Pickle. Construction began in early 2009 on the final sections of SH 130, from
Lockhart Lockhart may refer to:
*Lockhart (surname)
Places
Australia
*Lockhart, New South Wales
*Lockhart River, Queensland
*Lockhart River, Western Australia
United States
*Lockhart, Alabama
*Lockhart, Florida
*Lockhart, Minnesota
*Lockhart, Sout ...
through Caldwell and Guadalupe counties to I-10, which opened on October 24, 2012. On the first evening the roadway was open, three cars crashed into packs of wild hogs. US 183 runs parallel to SH 130 from southeast of Austin to Lockhart.
TxDOT announced on September 29, 2011, that the SH 130 designation had been extended westward, along I-10 to I-410, then southward and westward along I-410 to I-35 in southern San Antonio.
On March 2, 2016, the SH 130 Concession Company, who operates the toll road between Seguin and Mustang Ridge, filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code (Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, whe ...
. The concession's CEO, Alfonso Orol, stated that the highway will continue to operate during the bankruptcy proceedings.
Proposal for toll removal
In 2013, House Bill 3682 was filed by state Representative
Paul Workman with the goal of removing the tolls on SH 130 and re-designating the highway as an Interstate. The cost was estimated at $3 billion. $1.5 billion would come from the state's
rainy day fund
A rainy day or rainy day fund is a reserved amount of money to be used in times when regular income is disrupted or decreased in order for typical operations to continue. In the United States, the term is usually used to apply to the funds mainta ...
, with an equal amount being funded from federal sources.
Exit list
References
External links
State Highway 130 Concession Company, LLC developers of SH 130 segments 5 and 6.
(BicycleAustin.info)
{{Toll Roads in Texas
1985 establishments in Texas
Freeways in Texas
Interstate 35
130 130 may refer to:
*130 (number)
*AD 130
Year 130 ( CXXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Catullinus and Aper (or, l ...
130 130 may refer to:
*130 (number)
*AD 130
Year 130 ( CXXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Catullinus and Aper (or, l ...
Transportation in Bexar County, Texas
Transportation in Caldwell County, Texas
Transportation in Guadalupe County, Texas
Transportation in San Antonio
Transportation in Travis County, Texas
Transportation in Williamson County, Texas