Overview                                                             
	The Galveston Causeway Railroad Bridge (GCRB) is the most 
dangerous place on the entire Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, from 
Brownsville to Florida. In 2001, the Coast Guard has declared it an 
unreasonable obstruction to navigation and set in motion plans to 
replace it with a wider bridge offering over 300' of clearance. The 
new bridge is under design and the best case estimate for completion 
of the new bridge is approximately 2011.
	TXDOT plans to remove the fenderworks that protect all three 
bridges and facilitate barge transits through this tricky area as 
soon as the highway bridges are complete in late 2007, even though 
the GCRB will not be widened. This will greatly increase the risk to 
marine traffic, all the bridges, the general public and the 
environment pending completion of the new GCRB.
	This rider continues the current maintenance by TXDOT of the 
fenderworks of the Galveston Causeway Bridge.

Required Action                                                        
	(1) On page ___ of the Department of Transportation's bill 
pattern, State Highway Funds in Strategy C.1.31, Gulf Waterway 
Contracted Maintenance.
	(2) On page ___ of the Department of Transportation's bill 
pattern, add the following rider:
	____. Galveston Causeway. Out of funds appropriated above in 
Strategy C.1.31, Gulf Waterway Contracted Maintenance. State 
Highway Funds shall be used for the maintenance and preservation of 
the fenderworks at the Galveston Causeway. Any unexpended balances 
from this appropriation remaining as of August 31, 2007, are hereby 
appropriated in the fiscal year beginning September 1, 2008, for 
the same purpose.