'La Entrada' truck traffic meeting March 13 in Alpine

Key to the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance's (MOTRAN) goal of developing a transportation hub is completion of "La Entrada al Pacifico," a through truck-route from a privately developed deep-water port at Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico, through to the two cities.

The intended route requires building a new highway from Topolobampo through the Sierra Madres to Chihuahua, and use of the existing highway system between Chihuahua and I-10. This would run through Presidio, Marfa, Alpine and Fort Stockton.

Although neither the port, nor the connecting highway to Chihuahua are completed, there are signs that the project is moving toward reality. Coupled with new regulations that allow Mexican long-haul truckers to cross the border into the United States, several local residents have become concerned about the Big Bend's future as a result of these projects.

Fran Sage of Alpine, speaking for an informal group composed mostly of Sierra Club members, said the number of trucks passing through the area will jump from today's 49 per day to 55 per day by 2010 and 965 per day by 2015 under the MOTRAN plan. Furthermore, the group claims, Mexican drivers may not meet U.S. qualifications.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is already upgrading these roads, and is holding the first of two rounds of "Feasibility Study Public Meetings" about the project beginning next week. In Alpine, the meeting will be at Alpine High School from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 13.

Sage said she suspects the present signs marking the route as La Entrada al Pacifico are a marketing device to both steer truckers through Midland-Odessa and to sell the MOTRAN project to the public.

"Midland-Odessa wants to be a distribution center," she said

Sage said there are safety, health and economic issues at stake. Besides concerns about the drivers and "wear and tear" to the roadways, she said the trucks will increase air pollution.

"Tourists come here to get out of traffic. Scenery is our business," she said, noting that much of the local economy is based on tourism, art and scientific studies, incompatible with a location on a major traffic route.

If goods are going to be shipped from Topolobampo to Odessa, her group argues that there are several alternatives besides increased truck traffic through the area communities on two-lane highways.

"A railroad line runs from Presidio through Alpine and on to Fort Stockton that is capable of carrying goods, included loaded truck trailers. Major portions of the track would need to be upgraded to allow faster travel. TxDOT allocated enough resources for this rail line," she said.

Using the railway was not included in the original plans, something Sage and her group hope to bring up at the feasibility study meeting, In addition to possibly upgrading the rail lines, other alternatives her group would like the public, and TxDOT, to consider include highway by-passes around regional communities, and an alternate route, which would turn west on route 90 at Marfa and intersect I-10 at Van Horn.

At their Tuesday meeting, the Alpine City Council passed a formal resolution stating they preferred the rail alternative, which will be presented to TxDOT at the March 13 meeting.

Comments? E-mail editor@alpineavalanche.com

Rec center, future library site burn Sunday morning

Alpine firefighters responded to a 911 call around 1:15 a.m. Sunday when party-goers at the Alpine Civic Center called emergency dispatch after seeing that the former Alpine Recreation Center building was on fire.

'La Entrada' truck traffic meeting March 13 in Alpine

Key to the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance's (MOTRAN) goal of developing a transportation hub is completion of "La Entrada al Pacifico," a through truck-route from a privately developed deep-water port at Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico, through to the two cities.

City to invest with TexSTAR

City Manager Chuy Garcia made a recommendation to the Alpine City Council at their Tuesday meeting that they use a new financial instrument for investments.