When you think of Texas roadways, you often think of TxDOT, but that immediate connection actually has a 100-year history.
In a corner of the Texas Capitol in 1917, the earliest incarnation of the Texas Department of Transportation was born as the Texas Highway Department. We not only had the responsibility of building and maintaining our state's roadways, but also were tasked with licensing drivers and registering automobiles (a responsibility now shared by our sister state agencies, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.) By the end of our first year, we had signed up nearly 200,000 Texas drivers!
It was October 1918, however, that marked the historical event that would forever define TxDOT's mission: The first official highway project began, creating a 20-mile road between Falfurrias and Encino, now known as US 281.
While our name, appearance and some responsibilities have evolved, one challenge has remained the same – there's a lot of ground to cover in Texas.
In the early 1900s, the goal was connecting farms and ranches to market; today, it's connecting Texans to what matters most – the people they love and the places they need to be – even in the midst of the worst congestion our state has ever seen. As monumental as the task may seem, TxDOT has built a century-long foundation to ensure our citizens and commerce get to their destinations.
To honor the past while anticipating the future, TxDOT will spend 2017 celebrating its century of service with a traveling exhibit, events and social media to highlight this ongoing milestone. Visit this page to see a timeline of our history; past and present photos; and a schedule of Centennial events that welcome your participation.
TxDOT looks forward to another 100 years of safety and service to Texans. Together, we've made our transportation system the envy of the nation. And together, we'll continue moving the people and goods that make Texas a great place to live, work and play.
Because even after 100 years, nothing is more important to TxDOT than connecting Texans to what matters most – the people they love and the places they need to be.
In 1917, the first Texas Highway Commission planned a network of highways that would span 8,865 miles.
Palm trees line U.S. Highway 281 south of Pharr in the 1950s.
Construction of Interstate 35 in Austin, looking south at the former intersection of East Avenue and 15th Street, in December 1959.
In 1957, Texas Highway Department employees Virgil Ingram and Harold Ringer repainted the Rainbow Bridge.
In 1974, President Richard Nixon enacted a national 55 mph speed limit due to the energy crisis.
The Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge on US 181, shown here in 1966, opened in 1959. The bridge is 235 feet high and the main span is 640 feet long.
Light traffic on the section of Interstate 35E known as the Stemmons Freeway, looking south on Sept. 1, 1960, in Dallas.
A flood washed away this 1923 Pecos River Bridge on US 90 in 1954.
In the 1890s and early 1900s, a mule-powered rapid transit system hauled people around downtown Seguin. Courtesy Seguin Public Library
Opened in 1982, the Pennybacker Bridge crosses Lake Austin on Loop 360.
Rivet inspector D.A. Talbert during construction of the Neches River High Bridge (now known as the Rainbow Bridge) on Texas 87.
In the early 1930s, the Texas Highway Patrol was part of the Texas Highway Department.
The first public Commission meeting was held June 21, 1917, in Mineral Wells.
In 1977, after 20 years, the Dallas-Fort Worth Turnpike toll booths came down and Interstate 30 signs went up.
Andy Anderson outside the warehouse at Roby when he retired in 1958. He recalled living on $10 for half a month during the Great Depression. "It was worth it," he said.
In 1956, the U.S. Congress passed a bill to build the interstate highway system. This is the first sign installed on I-30, near Greenville, on Dec. 16, 1958.
In the 1960s, before Don't mess with Texas, there was the Litter Critter.
Construction of the Interstate 10 bridge across the Llano River in Kimble County in May 1970.
Key punch machine operators perforating cards in 1962. These cards supplied data to TxDOT's IBM computer.
A portion of Route 66, known as the "Main Street of America," crossed the Texas Panhandle. It was replaced by Interstate 40.
Copyright 2017 • Texas Department of Transportation • All Rights Reserved