📣 Take Action: Urge Congress to Act
Adopt a resolution urging Congress to include Future Interstate Designation for the Heartland Expressway, Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, and the remaining segment of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor in the next Transportation Reauthorization bill—along with Route Numbering (e.g., I-27) for the entire multi-state corridor.
View/Download: Resolution Supporting Future Interstate Designation and Route Numbering
Once approved, please send your signed resolution to:
Joe Kiely, Vice President of Operations
đź“§ joe.kiely@portstoplains.com
đź’ˇ Why It Matters
- Moves the Corridor Forward in Two Steps:
This proposal accomplishes both Future Interstate Designation and unified Route Numbering (e.g., I-27) across seven states.
- Evens the Playing Field:
Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Montana can now move forward just like Texas and New Mexico.
- Meets Federal Standards:
Ensures compliance with the federal requirement that Future Interstates must connect existing Interstate Highways.
- Enables Formula Funding Eligibility:
Unlocks access to the proposed Multi-State Future Interstate Highway Formula Program already submitted to Congress.
- Spurs Economic Development:
Designation supports local job creation, business recruitment, and tax base growth—particularly in rural and underserved areas.
- Supports U.S.–Mexico–Canada Trade:
North–south corridors are vital to efficiently move food, fuel, fiber, freight, and people throughout the Heartland.
🛣️ Why Future Interstate Designation Matters
Future Interstate Highways are designed to:
- Extend the reach of the Interstate System to rural and isolated regions
- Seamlessly connect cities, ports, border crossings, and freight hubs
- Improve the efficiency and safety of goods movement
- Reduce travel time and congestion
- Enhance U.S.–Mexico–Canada trade through inland routes
- Strengthen the Strategic Highway Network (STRAHNET) for defense and emergency response
📊 Economic Impact of the Corridor
Designation would support a Future Interstate across three National Highway System High Priority Corridors that collectively serve:
- $9.5 billion in crop production
- $24.8 billion in livestock production
- Four of the top five U.S. oil-producing states
- $50.7 billion in annual exports to Canada
- $141.7 billion in annual exports to Mexico
- $191.3 billion in tourism impact across the nine-state corridor
Let’s Build What’s Next.
Seventy years ago, bold leadership created the Interstate System. It’s time to finish what they started—by connecting America’s Heartland with modern, safe, and economically vital infrastructure.