COLLEGE STATION, TX Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) employees and local, state, and A&M System dignitaries were among those who celebrated the beginning of construction of the new TTI Headquarters Building at the newly developed Texas A&M University System RELLIS Campus.

The $70 million building is slated to be occupied by March 2019, becoming the first A&M System institution to have its headquarters located at the newly renovated campus. 

"TTI is indeed fortunate to have the support of everyone here today, because transportation has never been more important to our state and our country," TTI Agency Director Greg Winfree told attendees. 

TTI was formed 67 years ago to aid the Texas Highway Department (now TxDOT) with research on pavements, bridges and roadway safety.

"It is good to be with the best transportation research organization on planet Earth," said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp. "I don't know how many tens of thousands of lives that have been saved by the innovative ways that you folks design highways." 

Sharp, who announced plans for the RELLIS Campus last year, envisioned a state-of-the-art, high-tech campus for the Texas A&M Engineering Program. In part, he wanted RELLIS to become the canvas for connected-automated vehicle testing, and modern laboratories to train the next generation transportation workforce. 

"The new headquarters building will be a facility where transportation and engineering experts join with partners from government, industry and academia to study, develop and solve the transportation challenges of the 21st century," said Vice Chancellor and Dean of Engineering M. Katherine Banks. 

 "My main purpose here today is to thank you for what you are going to add to RELLIS," Sharp said. "The plans, and the number of people that are talking about coming here, boggles the mind. If half of them come, it's going to be amazing."