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MCALLEN, RGV - The Rio Grande Valley Partnership hosted a transportation forum at the Double Tree Suites in McAllen on Friday, Nov. 15, 2109.

The event came about after U.S. Sen. John Cornyn promised Valley leaders that he would bring Texas Transportation Commission Chairman J. Bruce Bugg, Jr., to the region to address flooding issues on I-2.\\xa0

Cornyn had visited the Valley last month to learn about the Valley\\u2019s drainage challenges. At a roundtable discussion in Weslaco, Cornyn learned that when the Valley experiences heavy storms, I-2 gets so badly flooded that it cannot be accessed in parts of the Mid Valley. Valley leaders told Cornyn that this makes a mockery of I-2 being one of the region\\u2019s evacuation routes.

True to his word, Cornyn brought Bugg to the Valley. In response, Bugg said the Texas Department of Transportation would own up to its responsibilities \\u201c100 percent.\\u201d

The transportation forum was significant because the six main speakers also brought up issues such as a second causeway for South Padre Island, the merger of the the Valley\\u2019s three metropolitan planning organizations, the impact on the region\\u2019s highways should the United States-Mexico-Canada trade agreement be ratified by Congress, and the potential of liquefied natural gas export terminals at the Port of Brownsville.\\xa0

The six main speakers were Cornyn, Bugg, RGV MPO Chairman Ambrosio Hernandez, Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevi\\xf1o, Jr., and TXDOT Pharr District Engineer Pete Alvarez. The emcee was RGVP President Sergio Contreras.

The above podcast features the remarks of all six speakers. Click on the link to learn about the additional highway infrastructure investment coming to the Valley as a result of the creation of the RGV MPO.\\xa0

To read the new stories and watch the news videos of the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service go to www.riograndeguardian.com.