Update: Senate passed the I-27 Numbering Act, officially designating the Ports-to-Plains Corridor between Laredo, Texas, and Raton, New Mexico as the future Interstate 27.
Summary: Since the new Port-to-Plains I27 will intersect with I20 about 240 miles west of Willow Park, this will have a major impact, during the next several decades, on Willow Park and on the region of Parker County that surrounds I20. Growth will come to Willow Park from the east and from the west.
Latest Update: updated 05 April 2024; reposted 27 March 2024; updates 14 February 2024; 06 June, 2023; posted 31 August, 2022
Tags: #Streets
New Port-to-Plains Interstate, Growth from the West, Update March 2024
Update, Details, and Journal below.
Since the new Port-to-Plains I27 will intersect with I20 about 240 miles west of Willow Park, this will have a major impact, during the next several decades, on Willow Park and on the region of Parker County that surrounds I20. Growth will come to Willow Park from the east and from the west.
Update
• Cruz Introduces Legislation To Name Ports-To-Plains Corridor ‘Interstate 27’ Senator Ted Cruz Press Release, 28 March 2024
• Sen. Cruz Discusses Impact Of His I-27 Numbering Act Becoming Law, Senator Ted Cruz Press Release, 27 March 2024
Background
• Sen. Cruz: “Proud Of Bipartisan Work” As I-27 Numbering Act Signed Into Law, Senator, Ted Cruz Press Release, 26 March 2024
• Sens. Cruz, Lujan, Cornyn, Heinrich Celebrate Unanimous Senate Passage Of Bill To Designate Ports-To-Plains Corridor As The Future ‘Interstate 27’ Senator Cruz Press Release, 08 March 2024 U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), John Cornyn (R-Texas), and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) celebrated the Senate passage of the I-27 Numbering Act, officially designating the Ports-to-Plains Corridor between Laredo, Texas, and Raton, New Mexico as the future Interstate 27. The bipartisan bill passed the Senate with unanimous consent and is now going to President Biden’s desk to be signed into law.
Details
Since the new port-to-plains I27 will intersect with I20 about 175 miles west of Willow Park, this will have a major impact, during the next several decades, on Willow Park and on the region of Parker County that surrounds I20. Growth will come to Willow Park from the east and from the west.
The highway will run 963 miles in Texas from the Tex-Mex border at Laredo up through Eagle Pass and Del Rio, then onto San Angelo, Midland and Odessa and Big Springs, Lubbock, and Amarillo before exiting the state into New Mexico and Oklahoma, through to Colorado, and then on to Canada and the Pacific Northwest.
"Once the highway is constructed and operational, the report estimated it would result in 17,710 new jobs along the corridor and a statewide gain of $55.6 billion in GDP over 20 years of operation" [The Texan, 06 April 2022]
US Senator Cruz secured funding for the Port-to-Plains project in 2022, and in March 2023 the US Senators from Texas Cruz and Cornyn were joined by a Senator from ND to file legislation to include the Port-to-Plains highway into the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 [The Texan, 06 April 2022]
Journal
• "U. S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced legislation (S.992) co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) to formally name the Ports-to-Plains Corridor 'Interstate 27.' Senator Ted Cruz Press Release, 28 March 2023,
Representative Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) also introduced legislation in the House on Tuesday, March 28.formally name the Ports-to-Plains Corridor 'Interstate 27.' [Ports to Plains Alliance, 28 March 2023]
• TxDOT, Texas Department of Transportation
• Ports-to-Plains System in Texas¨Excerpts, The 86th Texas Legislature passed House Bill 1079 (HB 1079) relating to a study by TxDOT of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor, including an evaluation of the feasibility of certain improvements to Interstate Highway 27 (I-27). The governor signed the bill into law on June 10, 2019. The creation of an I-27 Advisory Committee was a policy recommendation from the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Advisory Committee as part of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Feasibility Study completed in 2020. The 963-mile corridor spans 26 Texas counties and includes portions of: • I-20 • I-27 • I-35 • US 83 • US 87 • US 277 • US 287 • SH 158 • SH 349
• TxDOT P2P Map in .pdf
• Cruz, Cornyn Work to Enable New ‘Ports-to-Plains’ Texas Interstate Highway, The Texan, 29 March 2023, Excerpts
A trio of U.S. senators announced their joint effort to finalize the status of a new trade route, known as the “Ports to Plain” project, with three segments of the interstate highway system between Texas’ southern border and Oklahoma to be assigned official designations.
U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and John Cornyn (R-TX), along with U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), announced the filing of the legislation, which comes after Cruz managed to secure key funding for the project last year.
117th Congress, First Session To amend the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 with respect to future interstate designations, and for other purposes. This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ports-to-Plains High- way Act of 2021’’. Cruz.Senate.gov
Beginning in Laredo, the truck trade route would loop in several other border cities before turning north and carrying trade through Texas into Oklahoma spanning some 963 miles.
According to Cruz’s office, a study on the impact of the trade route would increase commercial truck traffic 44 percent by 2045, create 22,000 new jobs, and increase Texas’ GDP by $2.8 billion.
“Establishing a Ports to Plains Corridor from Mexico through West Texas and into Canada will help Texas producers access new markets and enhance connectivity to the cites along its route,” Cornyn said, further adding, “Texas already boasts the most exports of any state, and this will help Texas farmers, ranchers, and producers continue to expand their operations.”
Cruz added that the new trade route is considered a “high-priority corridor” for the National Highway System.
• US Senator Ted Cruz Introduces Legislation to Name Ports-to-Plains Corridor, Ports to Plains Alliance, 28 March 2023, Excerpts. U. S. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) introduced legislation (S.992) co-sponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) to formally name the Ports-to-Plains Corridor “Interstate 27.” Representative Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Representative Henry Cuellar (D-TX) also introduced legislation in the House on Tuesday, March 28.
• Cruz, Cornyn introduce legislation to name I-27 extension project, Lubbock Avalanche Journal, 28 March 2023
• Cruz Introduces Legislation to Name Ports-to-Plains Corridor ‘Interstate 27’, The Katy News, 30 March 2023
Original post 31 August 2022
• New Ports-to-Plains Interstate Through West Texas Designated for Future Development, The Texan, 06 April 2022
Excerpt:
A future highway from Laredo to Amarillo received official designation in the omnibus spending bill signed into law in March. No appropriations for the project have yet been made.
On March 25, President Biden made the future of Interstate 27 through a large portion of West Texas official. The designation was part of the omnibus spending bill, but no appropriations accompanied the action.
The highway will run 963 miles from the border at Laredo up through Eagle Pass and Del Rio, then onto San Angelo, Midland and Odessa, Lubbock, and Amarillo before exiting the state into New Mexico.
The legislation was a bipartisan effort sponsored by Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) and Rep. Jodey Arrington (R-TX-19). It was also originally supported by Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Ted Cruz (R-TX), although Cruz voted against the omnibus spending bill in which it was included.
Construction benefits will include an estimated 178,000 jobs and a $17.2 billion increase in the gross domestic product (GDP) of Texas.
Once the highway is constructed and operational, the report estimated it would result in 17,710 new jobs along the corridor and a statewide gain of $55.6 billion in GDP over 20 years of operation
• I-27 Expansion To Be Game-Changer For Texas Trade, Texas Economic Development Corp, 16 May 2022 Excerpts
In Texas, a state that encompasses 268,597 square miles — more territory than the country of France — a network of more than 313,000 miles of public highways helps stitch together an impressive economic network.
The thousands of miles of highway in Texas represent billions of dollars in economic impact. Without our robust highway system, commerce in Texas would crawl along like rush-hour traffic.
Fortunately, with the planned north-south Interstate 27, the state’s highway system is growing, which means even more economic opportunities.
In March, sections of the future I-27 in Texas were designated part of the interstate highway system. This represents a major step in securing money for the project.
Establishing a four-lane federal highway for I-27 is a game-changer for our economy and quality of life in West Texas for decades to come,” U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington of Lubbock said, “and will strengthen our food security and energy independence for the entire country.”
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