Earlier this week, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) and U.S. Congressman Jodey Arrington’s (TX-19) bipartisan I-27 Numbering Act of 2023 passed the Senate and will head to President Biden’s desk for his signature. This legislation would name the interstate-designated segments of the Texas Ports-to-Plains Corridor as “Interstate Route 27.”

“In the FY22 Appropriations bill, I secured language designating the Ports to Plains Corridor as a future federal interstate, unlocking crucial federal transportation funding to expand this important highway connecting Laredo to New Mexico. We are one step closer to seeing this become a reality,” said Dr. Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “I-27 will add $17.8 billion to Texas’s GDP and create 22,000 good-paying jobs. Port Laredo, the number one port of entry in the country, will also become the only port of entry with access to four interstate corridors – a win for Laredo’s trade economy. Thank you to Congressman Jodey Arrington, Senator Ted Cruz, and Senator John Cornyn for working with me across party lines to strengthen our state’s infrastructure.”

The 2,300-mile Ports-to-Plains Alliance Corridor extends from Mexico to Canada through eight states in America’s Heartland. It is part of the National Highway System, which makes up about five percent of America’s roads, yet carries over 55 percent of vehicle miles traveled.  

The Ports-to-Plains Alliance Corridor serves as a: 

• Energy corridor serving traditional resources like oil and gas, including the Bakken, Niobrara, Permian Basin, Cline, and Eagle Ford shale plays, as well as renewable resources like wind, solar, and biofuels; 
• Agriculture corridor running through four of the top eight farming states and moves agriculture products to urban domestic markets, export markets on the coast, and export markets on the Canadian and Mexican borders; 
• International trade corridor serving major international border crossings connecting Texas to Mexico and connecting Montana and North Dakota to Canada;  
• Connectivity and economic development corridor running through and connecting small towns and rural communities in America’s Heartland; and, 
• Cost-effective way to reduce congestion on neighboring highways Interstate-25 and Interstate-35.  

Full text of the legislation can be found here. 

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