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SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 571
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WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased to |
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recognize District 21 of the Texas Department of Transportation, |
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also known as the Pharr District, as the agency celebrates a |
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century since its earliest incarnation in 1917 as the Texas |
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Highway Department and was tasked with the building and |
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maintenance of our state's roadways; and |
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WHEREAS, The first construction project under the |
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supervision of the Texas Highway Department was a 20-mile section |
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of untreated flexible base 16 feet wide between Falfurrias and |
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Encino; work began in October of 1918 and was completed in June of |
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1920; the corridor that was built is in the same location as |
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present day U.S. Route 281; and |
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WHEREAS, District 21 of the Texas Department of |
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Transportation was organized on April 1, 1932, and encompassed |
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the 10 southernmost counties of the state; District 21 began |
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operations under the supervision of district engineer J. W. |
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Puckett; the first headquarters office for the district was |
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located in an upstairs bank building on South Cage and Caffery in |
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Pharr; and |
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WHEREAS, The earliest major challenge for the new district |
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occurred in September and October of 1932, when the Rio Grande |
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flooded twice, sending large amounts of water through the |
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floodway system for the first time; all county roads crossing the |
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floodway were blocked for several days, closing as the flood |
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moved downstream and opening as the flow subsided; levees were |
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built at low overflow areas to lead surplus water from the east |
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and northeast to a junction south of and between McAllen and |
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Pharr; the United States Section of the International Boundary |
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and Water Commission took over the responsibilities of the |
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floodway system in the early 1930s; and |
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WHEREAS, The principal objective of District 21 was to plan |
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and construct an adequate public road network system to serve |
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area residents; the first designation in Hidalgo County |
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following the organization of District 21 was an extension of |
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S.H. 66 from Pharr to the International Bridge in Hidalgo; Texas |
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Highway Department operations stopped at the river levee on the |
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approach to the bridge; and |
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WHEREAS, Today the Texas Department of Transportation |
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District 21 serves Brooks, Cameron, Willacy, Hidalgo, Starr, Jim |
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Hogg, Zapata, and Kenedy Counties and is under the direction of |
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Toribio Garza, District Engineer; Hector Gonzalez, Deputy |
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District Engineer; Jesus Leal, Director of Traffic Operations; |
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Homer Bazan, Director of Transportation Planning and |
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Development; and Rex Costley, Director of Maintenance; now, |
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therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 85th |
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Legislature, hereby commend the Texas Department of |
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Transportation District 21 for its continued service to the |
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people of South Texas and congratulate the agency on its |
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centennial celebration; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared for |
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the Texas Department of Transportation Pharr District as an |
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expression of esteem from the Texas Senate. |
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Lucio |
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________________________________ |
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President of the Senate |
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I hereby certify that the |
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above Resolution was adopted by |
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the Senate on April 4, 2017. |
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________________________________ |
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Secretary of the Senate |
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________________________________ |
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Member, Texas Senate |