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Port to Plains Corridor (I-27 extension) officially signed into law!

Started by Great Lakes Roads, March 16, 2022, 01:25:30 AM

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Scott5114

uncontrollable freak sardine salad chef

In_Correct



A Very Annoying Web Site:

https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2022/03/15/lubbock-amarillo-interstate-27-expansion-gets-federal-designation-omnibus-bill/7052683001/

For Your Convenience:

Quote

Raton to Laredo corridor added to Interstate Highway System, paving way for I-27 expansion
Alex Driggars
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal

Map of the I-27 Corridor study initiated by the Texas Legislature in 2020. The "mainline" I-27 route will start from the existing I-27 from Lubbock, following US 87 to Big Spring, San Angelo, to US 277 to Del Rio and US 83 to Laredo
West Texas lawmakers and public policy leaders are celebrating a huge milestone for the future of Interstate 27, as Pres. Joe Biden signed a bill into law Tuesday that includes federal highway designation for portions of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor in Texas and New Mexico.

As part of the sweeping $1.5 trillion FY 2022 omnibus appropriations bill, the Port-to-Plains Corridor from Raton, New Mexico to Laredo, Texas was added to the federal Interstate Highway System, marking the first step for I-27 to expand from its current Lubbock-to-Amarillo route southward to the Mexican border at Laredo, through the Texas Panhandle, eventually north to the Canadian border.

From Jan.:West Texas leaders say I-27 extension still in play after I-14 gets first nod

"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 and will strengthen our food security and energy independence for the entire country,"  U.S. Rep. Jodey C. Arrington, R-Lubbock, said Tuesday, adding that the designation was one of his top three goals when he took office in 2016. "I had a lot of help from colleagues on both sides of the aisle, and I'm humbled by the opportunities this will provide for generations of West Texans."

From 2021:Arrington, Cuellar reintroduce Ports-to-Plains act to extend I-27

From 2020:Reps. Arrington, Cuellar introduce bill designating Ports-to-Plains a federal highway

According to a Texas Department of Transportation study, the extension of I-27 could mean big improvements to safety on Texas' roads, decreasing the state's annual crash rate by as much as 21 percent. It could also increase the state's gross domestic product by more than $55 million and add upwards of 22,000 new jobs, Arrington's office said.

"The Ports to Plains Regional effort has been ongoing for decades, and today the interstate designation for I-27 has finally been signed into law,"  Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope said Tuesday. "Thank you to Congressman Jodey Arrington for his leadership on this project. This momentous achievement is due to the unwavering support from leaders like Randy Neugebauer and Robert Duncan. This designation will ultimately improve necessary infrastructure and increase safety in Texas for commerce and visitors. This is a huge local, regional, and state-wide win."

Drive Safely. :sombrero: Ride Safely. And Build More Roads, Rails, And Bridges. :coffee: ... Boulevards Wear Faster Than Interstates.

RoadWarrior56

Good luck getting the funding to construct it.  I know I won't live long enough to see much of it complete.

abqtraveler

Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on March 16, 2022, 06:21:16 AM
Good luck getting the funding to construct it.  I know I won't live long enough to see much of it complete.
I know that New Mexico will never come up with the money to upgrade US-64/87 to interstate standards, so from my perspective, the Ports to Plains Corridor in New Mexico is dead on arrival.
2-d Interstates traveled:  4, 5, 8, 10, 15, 20, 24, 25, 27, 29, 35, 39, 40, 41, 43, 45, 49, 55, 57, 64, 65, 66, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 75, 76(E), 77, 78, 81, 83, 84(W), 85, 87(N), 89, 90, 91, 93, 94, 95

2-d Interstates Clinched:  12, 22, 30, 37, 44, 59, 80, 84(E), 86(E), 238, H1, H2, H3, H201

kphoger

Quote from: Scott5114 on March 16, 2022, 03:46:04 AM
Fuck Boise City And Limon In Particular, Congress Says

True, it would have been nice to have Limon as a control city on two Interstates, not just one.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: Scott5114 on March 16, 2022, 03:46:04 AM
Fuck Boise City And Limon In Particular, Congress Says
It looks like according to some of those articles it will go through the Oklahoma panhandle as well unless I'm misreading something.

QuoteThe Ports-to-Plains Corridor has been an effort for decades, working to open transportation and interstate infrastructure from Colorado across northeast New Mexico and the Oklahoma panhandle, through the Texas panhandle including Lubbock and Amarillo, south through west Texas connecting to Midland and San Angelo before finally connecting to Laredo at the Texas border.

- https://www.kcbd.com/2022/03/15/ports-to-plains-i-27-expansion-signed-into-law-with-federal-budget/

Henry

I knew this would happen! If anything, I-27 would stand a far better chance of being built south of Lubbock than it would north of Amarillo, and good luck trying to punch a freeway through the middle of the latter city, unless a Jersey City-type situation would arise, where it would connect two distinct freeway sections via surface streets. Good luck figuring that one out.
Go Cubs Go! Go Cubs Go! Hey Chicago, what do you say? The Cubs are gonna win today!

roadman65

Probably a re-Route would have to done in Amarillo. Looks like bypassing the city to the west would be an option.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: Henry on March 16, 2022, 12:26:41 PM
I knew this would happen! If anything, I-27 would stand a far better chance of being built south of Lubbock than it would north of Amarillo, and good luck trying to punch a freeway through the middle of the latter city, unless a Jersey City-type situation would arise, where it would connect two distinct freeway sections via surface streets. Good luck figuring that one out.
I know the inevitable comments to come to this but guess what I'd propose?

Anthony_JK

Quote from: Plutonic Panda on March 16, 2022, 02:04:24 PM
Quote from: Henry on March 16, 2022, 12:26:41 PM
I knew this would happen! If anything, I-27 would stand a far better chance of being built south of Lubbock than it would north of Amarillo, and good luck trying to punch a freeway through the middle of the latter city, unless a Jersey City-type situation would arise, where it would connect two distinct freeway sections via surface streets. Good luck figuring that one out.
I know the inevitable comments to come to this but guess what I'd propose?

More than likely, they would reroute I-27 around Amarillo through their loop.

roadman65

The big question will it have a child loop at Big Springs, as it's proposed to go through both Midland and the aforementioned?
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

SkyPesos

Nothing about taking over Future I-2 southeast to Brownsville or a northern extension to I-70 at Limon?

kphoger

Man, I just can't wait for Limon to be the most useful control city.
Keep right except to pass.  Yes.  You.
Visit scenic Orleans County, NY!
Male pronouns, please.

Quote from: Philip K. DickIf you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use them.

Bobby5280

It will be interesting to see what kind of funding the corridor will attract. It's a good bet parts of Future I-27 between Lubbock and Laredo could start getting built sometime soon, starting with US-87 improvements in or near towns along the route. North of Amarillo is more murky. I can imagine a short extension from Amarillo to Dumas happening within 10-20 years. That could be a relatively easy upgrade. It may be a long wait for segments farther North. Not unless the federal government gets fixated on road building again.

Quote from: abqtravelerI know that New Mexico will never come up with the money to upgrade US-64/87 to interstate standards, so from my perspective, the Ports to Plains Corridor in New Mexico is dead on arrival.

Aside from the NM state government's stance on things, there is no value in routing a northern extension of I-27 to Raton, even if US-64/87 in NE NM is part of the Ports to Plains Corridor. If the extension went North along US-287 it would give motorists, truckers in particular, an alternative to going over Raton Pass to get into Colorado.

I would still go through Raton for my own road trips from Lawton to Colorado Springs. That's the shorter route. But it's a lot easier for someone to drive a passenger vehicle over Raton Pass than driving a loaded semi-truck. Then there is the issue of weather. Having two good quality alternatives between the Texas Panhandle and Southern Colorado would be good in cases of winter weather or summer storms, either of which can close down either route.

Quote from: roadman65The big question will it have a child loop at Big Springs, as it's proposed to go through both Midland and the aforementioned?

Big Spring is not a problem. I-27 would obviously be routed along the new US-87 freeway bypass going around the West side of Big Spring.

Quote from: SkyPesosNothing about taking over Future I-2 southeast to Brownsville or a northern extension to I-70 at Limon?

There is no reason for an I-27 extension ending in Laredo to cannibalize I-2 farther South of Laredo. Leave I-2 alone.

roadman65

Yes then make Laredo a four interstate City and have I-2 and I-27 head to head end. Yes KC will have it if or when I-49 gets completed as it will end opposite I-29, but that is been with one freeway existing for decades.
Every day is a winding road, you just got to get used to it.

Sheryl Crowe

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: Anthony_JK on March 16, 2022, 02:38:26 PM
Quote from: Plutonic Panda on March 16, 2022, 02:04:24 PM
Quote from: Henry on March 16, 2022, 12:26:41 PM
I knew this would happen! If anything, I-27 would stand a far better chance of being built south of Lubbock than it would north of Amarillo, and good luck trying to punch a freeway through the middle of the latter city, unless a Jersey City-type situation would arise, where it would connect two distinct freeway sections via surface streets. Good luck figuring that one out.
I know the inevitable comments to come to this but guess what I'd propose?

More than likely, they would reroute I-27 around Amarillo through their loop.
Fortunately Amarillo is a relatively small city that wouldn't require some extensive out of the way bypass that be much longer rather than routing it straight the city.

Bobby5280

I shudder about my comment earlier (in a similar thread) regarding US-287 in the Oklahoma panhandle near the Colorado border. I'm not a fan of rural 2-lane roads, particularly ones that dip and weave over irregular terrain, like that one does moving over the caprock boundary. One of my girlfriend's friends was killed in a head-on collision out there.

Then this evening I heard about the horrible 2-vehicle crash in West Texas. 9 people killed, 2 in a pickup truck and 7 others in a van. All from a head-on collision on a narrow 2-lane road out in the boonies. Apparently the pickup truck driver swerved over into the van's lane, hitting it head-on at high speed. I'm wondering why a van full of college athletes driving home to Hobbs after a meet in Midland were on FM-1788 rather than US-385. FM-1788 might be a "short cut" from Midland to Seminole. But US-385 is 4-lane divided the whole way, thus a hell of a lot safer from head-on collisions.

Quote from: Plutonic PandaFortunately Amarillo is a relatively small city that wouldn't require some extensive out of the way bypass that be much longer rather than routing it straight the city.

It's a foregone conclusion a Northern extension of I-27 out of Amarillo would be routed around the West half of Loop 335. The whole 335 loop is going to get upgraded to Interstate standards, with the West side of it getting finished first. An I-27 extension Northward may do more to get the proposed directional stack interchange with I-40 and Loop 335 finished earlier than planned. It will be interesting to see how TX DOT accommodates the transition of I-27 onto Loop 335 on Amarillo's South side. It looks like too much development has taken place on the corners of the I-27/Loop-335 volleyball. They may have to build a short freeway connector to jump from I-27 over to Loop 335 to the West of that interchange. It would be similar to the Spur-327 thing on the SW corner of Lubbock.

bwana39

Quote from: Great Lakes Roads on March 16, 2022, 01:25:30 AM
Decided to make a new thread on this topic.

https://www.lubbockonline.com/story/news/2022/03/15/lubbock-amarillo-interstate-27-expansion-gets-federal-designation-omnibus-bill/7052683001/
https://krtnradio.com/2022/03/15/us-designates-future-interstate-27-part-of-the-interstate-highway-system/
https://www.kcbd.com/2022/03/15/ports-to-plains-i-27-expansion-signed-into-law-with-federal-budget/
https://www.everythinglubbock.com/news/local-news/lubbock-with-help-from-biden-and-congress-on-the-road-to-become-an-international-trade-route/

It's official! The I-27 extension from Lubbock following US 87, US 277, and US 83 to Laredo was signed into law yesterday by President Biden. It also includes an extension of I-27 north of Amarillo to Raton, NM via US 87.

So now, we have permission to think about it. This is about what the "law" amounts to. There is no dedicated funding. There is no decree to actually build it. It is just a way for local members of Congress to say they are bringing home the bacon , when they really aren't. Texas is probably more likely to build I-27 than Louisiana is to build I-69, but then again just like I-69 (in Louisiana) is that where the actual priorities lie when the spending actually comes to pass?

Let's build what we need as economically as possible.

US 89

So now it's in the same category as I-11 north of Vegas. Meh. Update me when there are solid environmental documents and construction plans.

Bobby5280

An extension of I-27 from Lubbock to Big Spring and San Angelo would be a plus for all the oil industry activity in the Permian Basin. It will be interesting to see what happens with the "I-27W & I-27E" concept that adds Midland-Odessa into the mix. Big Spring is along the natural main line for the route. But Midland-Odessa has a fairly significant metro population. It's basically the second biggest oil business metro after Houston.

edwaleni

Quote from: abqtraveler on March 16, 2022, 09:22:46 AM
Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on March 16, 2022, 06:21:16 AM
Good luck getting the funding to construct it.  I know I won't live long enough to see much of it complete.
I know that New Mexico will never come up with the money to upgrade US-64/87 to interstate standards, so from my perspective, the Ports to Plains Corridor in New Mexico is dead on arrival.

As for New Mexico, I am guessing they will simply build a bypass of Des Moines and Clayton and let the rest take 40 years since most of it is divided 4 lane anyway, just not interstate standards.

Here is the sign outside Clayton.


rte66man

Quote from: edwaleni on March 19, 2022, 11:02:47 PM
Quote from: abqtraveler on March 16, 2022, 09:22:46 AM
Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on March 16, 2022, 06:21:16 AM
Good luck getting the funding to construct it.  I know I won't live long enough to see much of it complete.
I know that New Mexico will never come up with the money to upgrade US-64/87 to interstate standards, so from my perspective, the Ports to Plains Corridor in New Mexico is dead on arrival.

As for New Mexico, I am guessing they will simply build a bypass of Des Moines and Clayton and let the rest take 40 years since most of it is divided 4 lane anyway, just not interstate standards.

Couldn't remember how the highway ran through Des Moines so I looked it up on Google Maps. I was shocked to find a street labeled "Swastika Ave". Really??
When you come to a fork in the road... TAKE IT.

                                                               -Yogi Berra

Rothman

Quote from: rte66man on March 20, 2022, 07:58:45 AM
Quote from: edwaleni on March 19, 2022, 11:02:47 PM
Quote from: abqtraveler on March 16, 2022, 09:22:46 AM
Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on March 16, 2022, 06:21:16 AM
Good luck getting the funding to construct it.  I know I won't live long enough to see much of it complete.
I know that New Mexico will never come up with the money to upgrade US-64/87 to interstate standards, so from my perspective, the Ports to Plains Corridor in New Mexico is dead on arrival.

As for New Mexico, I am guessing they will simply build a bypass of Des Moines and Clayton and let the rest take 40 years since most of it is divided 4 lane anyway, just not interstate standards.

Couldn't remember how the highway ran through Des Moines so I looked it up on Google Maps. I was shocked to find a street labeled "Swastika Ave". Really??
How dare they have a street named after a symbol that's been around for millennia?

I suppose it is strange they haven't changed it.
Please note: All comments here represent my own personal opinion and do not reflect the official position(s) of NYSDOT.

Plutonic Panda

Quote from: Rothman on March 20, 2022, 08:32:26 AM
Quote from: rte66man on March 20, 2022, 07:58:45 AM
Quote from: edwaleni on March 19, 2022, 11:02:47 PM
Quote from: abqtraveler on March 16, 2022, 09:22:46 AM
Quote from: RoadWarrior56 on March 16, 2022, 06:21:16 AM
Good luck getting the funding to construct it.  I know I won't live long enough to see much of it complete.
I know that New Mexico will never come up with the money to upgrade US-64/87 to interstate standards, so from my perspective, the Ports to Plains Corridor in New Mexico is dead on arrival.

As for New Mexico, I am guessing they will simply build a bypass of Des Moines and Clayton and let the rest take 40 years since most of it is divided 4 lane anyway, just not interstate standards.

Couldn't remember how the highway ran through Des Moines so I looked it up on Google Maps. I was shocked to find a street labeled "Swastika Ave". Really??
How dare they have a street named after a symbol that's been around for millennia?

I suppose it is strange they haven't changed it.
That's probably the point of his post.



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