Valley's first toll road to open north of Brownsville

by Jonathan Weant

Valleycentral.com

Love them or hate them, toll roads are becoming the new trend across the nation.

Even here in the Rio Grande Valley with a new told road opening up at Paredes Line and FM 511 in Brownsville.

“The idea in using the overpass is to avoid the congestion at the intersection of FM 511 and Paredes line and to avoid the rail road tracks” said Pete Sepulveda with Cameron County's Regional Mobility Authority.

The toll for State Highway 550 will be all electronic.

Cameras just above the overpass will acted as a toll booth, taking pictures of who’s on the road.

Drivers will then get a bill in the mail.

Transportation authorities say this is only phase one of a much larger project.

They are hoping to have more toll roads up and running by summer of 2012.

“When it’s all complete, the idea is to take you from Highway 48 to 77 without having to stop at any traffic lights or major intersection” said Supulveda.

The public will still have the use ...

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McAllen MSA Continues to Outperform at the National Level

McAllen – Unemployment in the McAllen MSA area rose slightly to 12.8 percent in January, up from 12.2 percent in December; still above the Texas unemployment rate of 8.5 percent and U.S. unemployment rate of 9.8 percent, both of which also marked an increase from December. The McAllen MSA area also posted an increase of 1,100 in the Civilian Labor Force in January, increasing by 5,900 since January 2010.

According to a recent study by the Brookings Institute; which profiled 100 of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas – home to three-fourths of the U.S. economy, the McAllen MSA is one of only four metropolitan areas that were among the top 20 metropolitan areas during both the recession and the recovery period.

“The local labor market has consistently showed positive signs. In spite of the current local unemployment rate, the Rio Grande Valley continues to grow and create jobs. I am encouraged job seekers will find good paying jobs and employers will continue to find qualified employees,” said Yvonne ‘Bonnie’ Gonzalez, Chief Executive Officer of Workforce Solutions. “Staff at the Office for Business Partnerships, and six Career Centers in the tri-county region, remain committed to assisting employers and job seekers.”

Workforce Solutions / Lower RGV is one of 28 local workforce development boards located throughout the state. This Board serves Starr, Hidalgo and Willacy counties through a network of partners in the tri-county region. The primary goal of Workforce Solutions / Lower RGV is to respond to the needs of employers, workers and job seekers, and provide the resources needed to succeed in an ever-changing world. All eligible employers, workers and job seekers are encouraged to take advantage of these services.

For more information Contact:
Victor M. de Leon, Public Information Officer – Workforce Solutions
victor@wfsolutions.org