MIDLAND-ODESSA, Texas (KOSA) – Midland Mayor Lori Blong was at the nation’s capital as the I-27 Numbering Act was passed, promising a portion of the Ports to Plains Corridor to Midland-Odessa.
The act passed in the U.S. Senate Thursday and will head to the president’s desk for signing.
This action establishes a name and a route for the corridor from Laredo to Raton, New Mexico.
Blong is one of many West Texas city officials who have advocated for the extension of I-27 south from Lubbock over the last two decades.
The bill does not assign funding or make construction plans, but it does start the journey towards those goals. It promises future connections to cities near and far and the efficient movement of goods to and from West Texas.
“Just because there was a bill passed doesn’t mean you’ll see interstate signs slap up there tomorrow. What it does is to plan and develop those corridors to higher standards,” said James Beauchamp, president of the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance and an advocate for the act.
The corridor has grand connections from Del Rio and Presidio, with the potential to connect with North Dakota and the Canadian border, Blong said.
The act ensures Midland-Odessa is included on the route via the I-27 West designation. It travels from Sterling City, through Midland-Odessa to Lamesa.
Beauchamp and Blong said the act will eventually improve local mobility with high interstate road standards and alternate routes to keep truck traffic off of commuter roads.
“It’s really about building out those connections,” Beauchamp said. “And the other thing that’s good in this, again, is you’re getting to a four-lane divided freeway status, which is kind of the gold standard of safety.”
Now, counties and cities can also compete for state and federal funding for related projects. A timeline for the interstate is undetermined.
Copyright 2024 KOSA. All rights reserved.
Read More:I-27 act passes, securing passage through Midland-Odessa
2024-03-09 00:09:00