A map of I-69 as it runs through Corpus Christi from South Texas.
Passage of the federal highway bill by Congress this week could mean big bucks for Robstown, which could be on target to get an outlet mall as a result. The $305 billion bill includes designation of TX Hwy 44 as part of the I-69 corridor currently under development. An interstate highway, I-69 will run from Mexico to Canada when completed.
"This legislation is a win for Texas and the nation," said U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi in a statement. The local congressman pushed for Hwy 44's inclusion. ”It increases state and local control while maintaining a strong commitment to safety."
Aside from the rumored outlet mall, Robstown should be able to attract other industries, say local leaders.
The five-year bill grants $1.5 billion to Texas for highway improvements. It was approved 359-65 in the House of Representatives and 83-16 in the Senate. President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law before the end of the year.
Supporters of the bill, which includes transportation industry officials, had hoped for more money over a longer time period. However, they hailed the bill for saving the federal Highway Trust Fund from insolvency.
"After years of inaction, this Senate took bipartisan action to meaningfully improve our roads and infrastructure over the coming years," Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, said on the Senate floor Dec. 3 when the bill was passed. He noted that the plan was the longest-term highway funding bill to pass Congress in almost two decades. "This bill will finally provide state and local governments with the kind of certainty they need to focus on longer-term road and bridge projects. That’s a significant department from years of short-term extensions."
The bill creates new programs that provide federal aid to eliminate transportation bottlenecks and increase the capacity of major freight corridors. Freight traffic is expected to increase by 45 percent over the next 30 years according to the Transportation Department.
Money for the bill comes from gasoline taxes which feed into a trust fund. The 18.4 cents-a-gallon tax has not been raised since 1993, despite increased needs for highway improvements. To make up the difference, Congress agreed to move $53 billion from the Federal Reserve Bank’s capitol account to the general treasury.
In South Texas, that money means connecting 1,000 miles of existing highways that make up the I-69 Texas system. The route serves as a critical connection to the deepwater ports at Houston, Galveston, Beaumont, Freeport, Point Comfort, Corpus Christi and Brownsville.
“Each completed Interstate 69 upgrade project extends the market reach of all Texas seaports which are vital engines of the Texas economy,” reads a statement by the Alliance for I-69 Texas. “There are still many more miles of highway along the I-69 route that are at freeway standard or near that level. More sections will be added to the system as they are evaluated and as projects are completed that provide the required controlled access, free flow and safety features that are the hallmark of interstate highways.”
That future is one step closer now that the Federal Highway Bill has passed.
