April 2025 Vol 23 Issue 4 - Ports to Plains

April 2025 Volume 23 Issue 4

We are a voice for our small town, grassroots members who may otherwise not have access to the right audiences, as well as a conduit for industry to come together in support and promotion of transportation improvements.

We are committed to working as an Alliance to improve transportation infrastructure and business networks opportunities, by advocating for appropriate funding levels, so business and industry can thrive.

We are focused on the economic and business interests that are the lifeblood of the region.

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PRESIDENT'S CORNER

On Monday April 14, 2025, Ports-to-Plains members gathered in Lubbock Texas with City and County officials, Texas Congressional leaders Senator Ted Cruz and Congressman Jodie Arrington, along with local and state TxDOT officials to unveil the next 4.2 miles of Interstate 27 in Texas. This section of highway was approved by the Federal Highway Administration back in September 2024 and voted by the Texas Transportation Commission in that same month to add this piece to the Texas Interstate Highway System. The last time a part of IH 27 was added to the system was back in 1992, when the final construction of the Interstate Highway act of 1968 was completed through the city limits of Lubbock terminating on south Loop 289. How did we get to this momentous Monday on April 25th? And why did it take thirty-three years to add to it? The answer to those questions would take half a day to explain. But I will try to answer them in the next couple of paragraphs.

In 1991, the Federal Surface Transportation Bill (ISTEA) moved the country away from interstate construction to interstate maintenance. A National Highway System was identified which included fourteen High Priority Corridors that would be further considered for addition to the existing interstate highway system. An interesting note, our Heartland Expressway was corridor number fourteen. Over the years, other High Priority Corridors have been added to the network which stands at 102 today. The Ports-to-Plains Corridor is HPC #38 and was added in 1998. The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway is HPC #58 and was added in 2005. Every federal surface transportation bill since ISTEA in 1991 has not included any interstate construction funds with the exception of some early funding to close out some final interstate segments. Every State, left to its own resources, identified and started programing their own versions of a statewide freeway system to complement the existing interstates. In Texas, that was the Texas Trunk System, a 12,000-mile network of corridors that were to be constructed to four-lane divided standards connecting cities in Texas with populations greater than 30,000.

In the Texas Panhandle, US 87 on the P2P corridor that runs north of Amarillo to Texline and south of Lubbock down to San Angelo is one of those trunk system segments. Over the years, and depending upon the funding availability, TxDOT slowly upgraded this highway segment to four-lane divided standards. This work continued until corridor funding played out in 2010. By then the only part of this trunk system segment not four-lane divided was between Dumas and Hartley, and a small segment south of Big Spring. In 2017, when corridor funding became available again, work at those two locations started again also.

So, what you have by 2020, is a Trunk System segment on the Ports-to-Plains Corridor that has 124 miles of Interstate 27 between Lubbock and Amarillo, and the remainder a four-lane divided US 87 highway that is not up to interstate standards. When you add on the work that our Alliance accomplished in getting this corridor designated as future IH 27, that freed up TxDOT to start the planning efforts of evaluating the US 87 corridor to see what it would take to bring it up to those standards. The TxDOT Lubbock district did exactly that and with the improvements that they completed on the south side of Lubbock were able to apply and receive confirmation to add the 4.2 miles of US 87 to the interstate system. Good news on this front, with the help of Congressman Arrington in Lubbock and Congressman Jackson in Amarillo we have secured planning dollars and started feasibility studies to bring US 87 up to interstate standards south to Tahoka, and north of Amarillo to Dumas. I am looking forward to more sign unveilings.

As I close this newsletter out, I want to welcome the city of Midland Texas to the P2P Alliance. This city represents a strong voice in the largest oil field in the United States, and as we continue to advocate on a national level for a future interstate to secure the nation’s energy, having Midland’s voice will play a key role. Thank you for your support.

more to come …

Lauren D. Garduño

Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Celebrates First New Segment of Interstate 27

On April 14, 2025, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Ports-to-Plains Alliance welcomed the public and media to a special ribbon-cutting and signage unveiling ceremony celebrating a major milestone: the official designation of a 4.2-mile segment of U.S. Highway 87 as part of Interstate 27 (I-27).

This event marked the first segment of I-27 to be officially designated since the corridor was federally recognized as a Future Interstate through Texas and New Mexico. The newly designated section extends from South Loop 289 in Lubbock to 0.1 mile north of County Road 7500 and was already constructed to interstate standards.

Approved in September 2024 by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and the Texas Transportation Commission, this segment represents a significant step toward realizing a continuous interstate corridor that enhances freight movement, improves roadway safety, and expands economic opportunity across Texas and North America.

The Ports-to-Plains Corridor continues to play a vital role in strengthening connectivity from Mexico to Canada, supporting industries vital to the region’s economic prosperity, including agriculture, energy, and manufacturing.

“This Interstate Signage Unveiling Ceremony is more than symbolic—it marks the beginning of a new era for freight mobility, economic growth and safety across Texas and beyond,” said Lauren Garduno, President and CEO of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance. “This milestone reflects years of collaboration and commitment from community leaders, legislators and partners who believe in the future of this corridor. These are the first additional miles of new interstate on the recently designated Ports-to-Plains Interstate 27 Corridor that runs from Laredo Texas up through the Texas Panhandle to Oklahoma on US 287 and Raton New Mexico on U.S. 87. These are also the first miles added to IH 27 since it was completed in 1992. "On to Tahoka!”

U.S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) who chairs the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation and U.S. Representative Jodey Arrington (R-Texas-19) who chairs the U.S. House Budget Committee gave remarks at the unveiling ceremony.
"There are a lot of reasons people come, but the No. 1 reason people come to Texas is because Texas is where the jobs are, and we need to continue to make Texas an oasis for jobs," Cruz said. "Having effective trade routes from Laredo all the way through West Texas and the Panhandle all the way up to Canada is a critical part of doing so."

Arrington said, “Today’s I-27 signage ceremony in Lubbock marked an important milestone for the Ports-to-Plains Corridor. This critical transportation artery will enhance the future of Rural America and strengthen our nation’s food security and energy dominance. This project is a game-changer for West Texas, generating over $50 billion of economic impact to our great state. I’m proud to have helped lead the effort to establish this federal four-lane highway, and I look forward to continuing our work to strengthen our local economy and open up new markets for our producers.”

I-27 Advisory Committee Kicks Off 2025 with Implementation Plan Update

The I-27 Advisory Committee held its first meeting in 2025 on April 10, 2025 in Austin, Texas. Lorena Echeverria DE MISI, P.E., Corridor Planning Branch Manager, Transportation Planning and Programming Division, TxDOT-27 presented Implementation Plan Updates.

I-27 Advisory Committee Implementation Plan Update

The Implementation Plan outlines TxDOT’s planned investments over the next 10 years for planning, engineering, and construction along the I-27 Corridor:

Planning (Feasibility Studies, City Location Studies, and other elements): $7.6 billion
Engineering (Preliminary Engineering, Plans, Specifications, and Estimates): $2.1 billion
Construction (2025 UTP Categories 1–12): $3.3 billion

Construction Status Overview

Six Added Capacity Projects currently under construction
- Total Estimated Cost: $729.8 million
Fifteen Funded Projects planned for construction
- Total Estimated Cost: $1.2 billion
Thirty Potential Future Projects with partial funding
- Total Estimated Cost: $850.2 million

A district-by-district breakdown of Added Capacity Projects — those tracked after the I-27 Implementation Plan adoption and let after March 2022 — can be viewed in the full graphic summary below.

View the I-27 Implementation Plan

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) and Community Project Funding (CPF) Requests for FY26

Overview

Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) and Community Project Funding (CPF) are legislative mechanisms that allow Members of Congress to request federal funding for specific local projects.

CDS requests are submitted by U.S. Senators.
CPF requests are submitted by U.S. Representatives.

Both are intended to support defined projects in specific locations, outside of formula-driven or competitive federal programs.

FY26 Timeline & Process

For Fiscal Year 2026, Members of Congress have set internal deadlines for receiving CDS and CPF submissions.

U.S. Senate Deadline: Thursday, May 15, 2025 – for submission to the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD), and Related Agencies Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
U.S. House Deadline: Friday, May 23, 2025 – for submission to the appropriate House subcommittees.

Alliance Action

From March through May 2025, the Ports-to-Plains Alliance has actively developed and submitted requests for both CDS and CPF programs.

Submission Summary

Total States Involved: 5
Total Number of Projects: 20
Total Amount Requested: $90,590,000

A summary of individual project requests is below.

I-27 Feasibility Study from Amarillo to Dumas Virtual Public Meeting #2

This study builds upon the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Feasibility Study (Ports-to-Plains Feasibility Study), which was required by House Bill 1079 and evaluates improvements that extend I-27 and upgrades the entire corridor to interstate standards. The purpose of this meeting is to share updates on the I-27 Feasibility Study from Amarillo to Dumas following the December 2024 public meetings and offer the opportunity to engage with the study team and share comments. TxDOT is inviting public input on the feasibility study's development and the proposed concepts for upgrading US 87/US 287 to interstate standards, allowing participants to share valuable insights about their communities.

The video below provides the details shared during each Pubic Meeting.