A century of growth and innovation marks the centennial celebration of the two oldest divisions within the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Maintenance and Construction Divisions. Reflecting on a history that began with primitive roads and has since evolved to accommodate high-speed highways and autonomous vehicles, these divisions commemorate their enduring contributions to Texas's infrastructure.
The Maintenance Division, founded in 1923, has been integral to the upkeep of Texas's roadways, a journey from dirt tracks to over 200,000 lane miles of pavement. "In 1928, the division had 18,000 highway miles and 10,000 of those miles were just plain dirt," said Maintenance Division Director James Stevenson. Stevenson's division, which now boasts over 100 employees, has adapted over the years to support the maintenance needs across the ever-expanding state of Texas, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.
The Construction Division, established a few months after its Maintenance counterpart, has seen a surge from under 20 staff members in 1955 to 46 today. In the fiscal year 2023, the division hit record numbers, approving an unprecedented amount of new projects in both quantity and dollar value. "We don't use horses on our projects anymore or as much manual labor," Duane Milligan, the Construction Division Director, as per the Texas Department of Transportation.
