Austin, TX
Industry leaders to meet this week to address issues plaguing Texas infrastructure
As Texas’ industry and economy grow, so too do its infrastructure needs. This week, industry leaders are convening to discuss the state’s pressing transportation, energy, water, and digital infrastructure issues.
Infraday Texas is returning to Austin on Wednesday, where industry leaders, lawmakers and engineers will address how Texas’ unprecedented growth is impacting the state’s infrastructure systems and explore sustainable solutions to these challenges.
Texas recently received a “C” grade on its 2025 infrastructure report card from the nation’s premier society of civil engineers. The report rated Texas’ overall infrastructure as better than the national average but urged lawmakers to increase investment in water, wastewater and transit systems.
The increasing need for investment in infrastructure across the state comes as Texas experiences exponential population growth and rising resource demands, particularly for water and energy.
According to the 2022 State Water Plan, Texas’ population is expected to increase by more than 22 million people by 2070, raising water demand by 9%. However, water supply is projected to drop by 18% over the same period. Texas lawmakers are addressing the state’s looming water crisis this session, with bills aiming to invest billions of dollars into upgrading and repairing aging infrastructure or developing entirely new water projects.
Along with increased population, businesses — particularly technology and artificial intelligence companies — have turned to Texas to build large data centers that require massive amounts of energy and water to operate.
This, coupled with necessary transportation needs and digital protection, has created an urgent need for investment in the state’s infrastructure industry.
“Texas is at a pivotal moment where bold investments, smart planning and technological innovation must come together to modernize our infrastructure,” Infraday CEO Ken Bauco said.
Infraday will feature over 75 speakers to discuss leveraging AI to solve infrastructure problems, climate resilient policies and planning, water conservation and grid reliability from Texas municipal leaders, state lawmakers and industry experts including from CapMetro, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin Energy and Accenture.
“We provide a platform for public sector agencies to talk about new technologies, new capital programs, new initiatives and what’s coming down the pipeline in terms of growth and new projects that their cities are involved with,” Bauco told the American-Statesman.
Infraday Texas is all day Wednesday at the AT&T Hotel and Conference Center in Austin. Those who are interested can register for the event online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas’ highway system dropped two spots since 2025, and now ranks at No. 27 in the country for its cost-effectiveness and overall conditions, according to the Reason Foundation’s 2026 Highway Report.
The report assessed pavement conditions, fatalities, deficient bridges, infrastructure costs and congestion levels across the United States. Texas earned the following rankings:
- 33rd in urban interstate pavement conditions
- 21st in rural interstate pavement conditions
- 39th in urban arterial pavement conditions
- 12th in rural arterial pavement conditions
- 3rd in structurally deficient bridges
- 26th in urban fatality rate
- 42nd in rural fatality rate
- 41st in traffic congestion
“More than 42,000 of the nation’s 618,923 highway bridges, nearly 7%, are still structurally deficient. Arizona, Nevada, and Texas reported the lowest percentages of deficient bridges,” the report said.
The full report can be found online.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Small hail peppered the Austin area as strong thunderstorms moved through Saturday.
A few of the storms dropped rain and up to pea-sized hail in San Marcos, Dripping Springs and the Austin metro area.
A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for Williamson County around 8:15 p.m., and then canceled shortly after. However, it was enough for the Two Step Inn music festival in Georgetown to cancel shows for the rest of the evening. Event organizers say the festival will run as planned Sunday.
KXAN’s First Warning Weather team is monitoring the storms. We will update this post as the evening continues.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Governor Greg Abbott and the Texas Society Sons of the American Revolution unveiled a new monument at the Texas State Cemetery on Saturday, dedicated to Texas Revolutionary War soldiers.
“We must educate every generation about why it is that America grew from a tenuous 13 colonies into the most powerful country in the history of the world,” said Governor Abbott. “This monument here is an enduring testament to the heroes who fought for the freedom that is unique to America.”
The monument was dedicated to 69 soldiers who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later settled in Texas, according to a press release.
Among those that were honored, Abbott recognized:
- José Santiago Seguín, grandfather of Texas Revolutionary hero Juan Seguín.
- Peter Sides, who fought in the 2nd Battalion of the North Carolina Regiment of the Colonial Army, and was later killed in the 1813 Battle of Medina, fighting for Mexican independence against Spain.
- Antonio Gil Y’Barbo, the founder of Nacogdoches.
- William Sparks, who fought as a mounted rifleman in the American Revolution and later settled in Texas. He had two sons and two grandsons who fought in the Texas Revolution.
“This year marks the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, which not only gave freedom to the British colonies of North America, but inspired movements for freedom and liberty all over the world,” said TSSAR President Mel Oller. “Texans played a role in the war too, and it’s important to recognize them, and the sacrifices they made for our freedom.”
At the monument unveiling, Abbott was also inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution and received its Silver Good Citizenship Medal.
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