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NTTA Dedicates Sam Rayburn Tollway The NTTA formally dedicated the Sam Rayburn Tollway on June 5 with help from several generations of the public servant’s descendants.
Sam Rayburn’s niece, Martha Rayburn Dye, and members of the extended Rayburn family unveiled a plaque that commemorates the corridor’s name change from the 121 Tollway and celebrates the namesake’s devoted service.
The plaque reads, “The North Texas Tollway Authority bestows the name Sam Rayburn Tollway on this vital corridor in Collin, Dallas and Denton counties to honor 54 years of dedicated public service by Sam Rayburn, distinguished Texan and statesman.” It will be placed into a wall on the corridor at Exchange Parkway, where the formal dedication ceremony was held.
“Speaker Sam,” as the iconic Texan was affectionately known, served in elected office for 54 consecutive years, 48 of which were in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Rayburn represented the 4th Congressional District, a 16-county area that once included Collin, Grayson, Rockwall and Fannin counties. He remains distinguished as the longest-serving speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives to date.
Rayburn helped bring electricity, farm-to-market roads, multiple federal projects and economic development to this region. He was known for his integrity, patriotism, fairness and his love of North Texas.
Dee J. Kelly, chairman of the Sam Rayburn Foundation, told the crowd of state and local dignitaries, NTTA Board of Directors members, NTTA staffers and corridor team members that Sam Rayburn would have been honored by the naming.
“Mr. Rayburn was one of our greatest Texans ever and highly deserving of this tribute,” he said.
Paul N. Wageman, chairman of the NTTA Board, said the name matched the greatness and magnitude of the roadway. He said that Rayburn’s vision laid the groundwork for the future prosperity of North Texas. Wageman noted that the tollway will help draw further economic development that will infuse money into the budgets of the cities and towns along the corridor.
The NTTA’s construction of the Sam Rayburn Tollway is ongoing. The first two segments in its 26-mile stretch through Collin, Dallas and Denton counties are open to traffic and feature all-electronic toll collection. The remaining segments are opening in phases, with the tollway expected to open fully to traffic by January 2012.
NTTA Thanks Business Partners
The NTTA extends its gratitude and appreciation to the following businesses for their support and sponsorship during the Sam Rayburn Tollway dedication ceremony.
McKinney SW SuperTarget
8900 State Highway 121
McKinney, TX 75070
Starbucks (State Highway 121 and Watters Road)
969 State Highway 121
Allen, TX 75013
Walmart Supercenter Store #2883
8801 Ohio Drive
Plano, TX 75024
Chick-Fil-A (Custer Road and State Highway 121)
8700 State Highway 121
McKinney, TX 75070
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