| Money
for interstate study OK’d By
FERNANDO DEL VALLE HARLINGEN — Valley leaders Tuesday called Congressional funding of future Interstate 69 a big step toward turning the region into a major gateway for North American trade. "We’re poised to be a major player in international trade," said Bill Summers, president of Valley Partnership in Weslaco. Monday, the U.S. House of Representatives earmarked $7.4 million toward the project to construct the proposed NAFTA superhighway to run from South Texas to Canada. The Senate is expected to vote on the bill in January. "This funding is a down payment on one of the NAFTA corridors of our state," said U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas. "I-69 will create jobs, ease congestion and enhance the Lone Star state’s vital role in our nation’s transportation network." Hutchison is scheduled to announce details Monday in Weslaco. "In South Texas, the funding for I-69 is pivotal for our local and national transportation infrastructure," said U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz, D-Corpus Christi. The funding follows years of lobbying for the super highway, which will tie into the Valley’s first interstate highway system, Harlingen Mayor Connie de la Garza said. "We have all been pushing in Texas to get it off high-center," he said. "This is a giant step in the right direction." The money will fund environmental impact studies needed to start construction, Summers said. "It gives us a running start," he said. Congress gave Texas the largest share of money to help launch the project that will cross America’s heartland, Summers said. "It means the rest of the United States is counting on the border and the Valley for trade and transportation," he said. "Products coming and going will have to cross through the Valley or Laredo." The Texas Department of Transportation will use the money to conduct environmental studies that will "determine which corridors are the best route for I-69," Ortiz said. But in the Valley, the superhighway will run along newly expanded and refurbished Expressway 77-83, Summers said. In the United States, the Valley is the only urban area without an interstate highway system. "The Valley is finally being recognized for how important it is through funding for infrastructure," Summers said. Under the plan, the proposed 1,800 miles of superhighway would run from Port Huron, Mich., just south of Ontario, Canada, and cross eight states before splitting into branches to feed into the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo. In South Texas, highway construction from the Valley to Corpus Christi is expected to take about 10 years, Summers said. Construction of the superhighway from South Texas to Canada will take about 20 years, he said. |