LUBBOCK,Texas(NEWS RELEASE)—In a significant milestone for transportation development, the I-27 Numbering Act of 2023 (H.R. 3209) has achieved unanimous consent in the House of Representatives using the U.S. Senate number S.992.
This bill, sponsored by Representatives Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), August Pfluger (TX-11), Ronny Jackson (TX13), Teresa Leger-Fernandez (NM-3), Troy Nehls (TX-22), and Lance Gooden (TX-5) formally designates the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as Interstate 27 (I-27).
Lauren Garduño, President/ CEO of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, emphasized the pivotal role of this legislation in propelling the Ports-to-Plains corridor toward interstate standards.
“This numbering legislation championed by Congressman Arrington with the help of his staff is critical in the development and evolution of the Ports-to-Plains corridor to inter-state standards,” Garduño said. “This legislation will help us secure funding and will allow us to add interstate signage as our corridor is upgraded to interstate standards.”
Outlined in H. R . 3209/S.992, the route numbers for the future interstate highway span from Texas and into New Mexico: · Laredo to Sterling City as I-27 · Sterling City through Midland to Lamesa as I-27W · Sterling City to Lamesa as I-27E · Lamesa northbound through Lubbock to Amarillo passing through Dumas to Raton, New Mexico as I-27 · The corridor north of Dumas as I-27N This legislative success follows the 2022 designation of I-27) in March when President Joe Biden signed into law the Appropriations Bill (FY 2022), recognizing the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as an addition to the Interstate Highway System.
In a parallel effort, the I-27 Numbering Act of 2023 (S.992), sponsored by U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and cosponsored by Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Martin Heinrich (NM), and Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), also secured unanimous consent, further cementing the designation of the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as I-27.
John Osborne, chairman of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, expressed his enthusiasm and said, “I am thrilled by the U.S. House of Representatives’ approval of approving route numbering for I-27 in Texas and NewMexico.Thisisanother step forward in connecting the major economic centers throughout America’s heartland. The approval emphasizes the commitment of political leaders and the Ports-to-Plains Alliance to enhancing trade, stimulating economic growth, and improving mobility for communities along the corridor, paving the way for a prosperous and transformative future.”
Ports-to-Plains Alliance is a grassroots alliance of over 200 communities and businesses, including alliance partners Heartland Expressway and Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, whose mission is to advocate for a robust international transportation infrastructure to promote economic security and prosperity throughout North America’s energy and agricultural heartland including Mexico to Canada.
Additional information on the Ports-to-Plains Alliance is available at http:// www.portstoplains.com/.
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