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AUSTIN – The Texas Transportation Commission announced Thursday that US Highway 190 from Copperas Cove to Belton has received its official designation of Interstate 14, according to a statement from State Representative Hugh D. Shine, R-Temple.
Shine said he applauded the commission and the communities who worked diligently to develop the change to the central Texas highway system.
“This is an important first step towards a much larger highway system that will strategically connect Fort Hood and military installations in the southern United States to ports on the Gulf Coast,” Shine said in a press release. . “This road network will improve, accelerate and ultimately facilitate the deployment of military assets whenever necessary for our national defense. In addition, surrounding communities will be able to expand their economic development by attracting new businesses to central Texas. “
The Transportation Commission finalized the designation of the 25-mile segment at its regular meeting in Austin. The segment will run concurrently with US Highway 190, from the junction of Business US Highway 190 East in Copperas Cove to the junction of I-35 Interstate and Highway 190 in Belton. The designation spans Coryell and Bell counties.
Texas Department of Transportation spokesman Ken Roberts said local residents are expected to start seeing smaller signs for I-14 in the Killeen area by August or September 2017.
“Bigger brands will take longer to manufacture,†he said. “Anytime we’ve built roads or bridges, business development usually springs up nearby. We anticipate this will be a boon to local economies. “
Representatives from cities in the Greater Fort Hood area have worked with the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition since 2000 on the I-14 system. The goal is to connect Texas military installations to Georgia and provide faster access to highways and ports.
Congress approved the name change of US Highway 190 to Interstate 14 in December 2015.
Retired Major General Kendall Cox, executive director of the Killeen-based Heart of Texas Defense Alliance, said in an interview with the Herald as Congress approved the name change that the Interstate 14 plan provides “the road network “necessary to move military equipment from Fort Hood to the Port of Beaumont for deployment.”
The highway “will improve Fort Hood’s ability” to deploy, making the journey to the port faster, he said.
Interstate 14 is also known as the 14th Amendment Highway, receiving its designation for the amendment passed in 1868, which granted citizenship to “all persons born or naturalized in the United States,” which included recently former slaves. released.
Individual states will participate in the project, including building and approving the suggested route, according to the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition website. No date is set for the completion of the project.
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