Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) in the US has announced plans to invest $1.3bn on road projects in the state’s most congested areas.

This investment would help reduce travel times and costs to drivers.

On average, drivers in five of the largest metropolitan areas of the state lose approximately 52 hours and $1,200 a year due to high traffic rate, according to the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI).

"TxDOT is focusing on using this funding to provide Texas drivers relief in an expedited manner."

The $1.3bn programme is focused on commencing construction in the metro areas to ensure quick solutions to congestion-related issues on the state highway system.

The construction work will add more than 67.6km of roads that would include flyovers, interchanges, and congestion relief efforts at some of the worst traffic-hit areas of Texas.

Texas transportation commissioner J Bruce Bugg, Jr said: "The major metro areas of Texas, Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and San Antonio, represent more than two-thirds of the state’s population and 97% of the state’s most congested roads."

The areas to be part of the investment programme include I-35E and US 67 in Dallas ($364m); I-35 around Austin ($158.6m), including traffic management system upgrades; I-45, I-610 and I-10 surrounding Houston ($447.4m); I-410 and SR 281 in San Antonio ($171.4m); and SR 999, SR 121 and I-820 around Fort Worth ($163.8m), reported Traffictechnologytoday.com.

The commission will cast vote on all these projects when it considers the quarterly Unified Transportation Plan at a meeting to be held this month.

Bugg added: "TxDOT is focusing on using this funding to provide Texas drivers relief in an expedited manner.

"By making these improvements on an accelerated schedule, TxDOT will save $457m versus building those roads in future years."