TxDOT’s free towing initiative to start back up as soon as Thursday
TxDOT officials said the department’s free towing program is expected to resume Thursday. The program will also be expanded, officials said.
TxDOT launched the initiative back in October. Tow trucks were on stand-by on I-10 from Cotton to Thorn during peak rush hours: 6-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m. The contract ended on Jan. 12.
Officials said the new $100,000 contract will last six months. The initiative will also cover more ground.
El Paso Towing signed a three-month, $68,000 contract to provide its services. The money came from a grant awarded to El Paso’s Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). That contract expired on Jan. 12.
Under the expansion, tow trucks will now be towing stranded vehicles on I-10 from Redd Road to Viscount Blvd, during peak hours. Wright said the two main reasons for stalled vehicles were running out of gas and flat tires.
Wright also said TxDOT was towing an average of 30 vehicles per week.
Spotters at TxDOT’s TransVista operations center will advise the towing company when they see a stopped vehicle in the roadway. Once removed from I-10, it will be up to drivers to get the help they need, and not abandon their vehicles, at risk of having them towed and impounded by another entity.
