March 2025 Vol 23 Issue 3 - Ports to Plains

March 2025 Volume 23 Issue 3

We are a voice for our small town, grassroots members who may otherwise not have access to the right audiences, as well as a conduit for industry to come together in support and promotion of transportation improvements.

We are committed to working as an Alliance to improve transportation infrastructure and business networks opportunities, by advocating for appropriate funding levels, so business and industry can thrive.

We are focused on the economic and business interests that are the lifeblood of the region.

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As you may have noticed, the monthly Ports-to-Plains Newsletter is sent through our member database. Please be sure the email address pal@memberclicks-mail.net is allowed on your system.

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Two months ago, I started this conversation highlighting the 2026 expiration of The Federal Surface Transportation Bill known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). Also, by now I think we have established the role that the federal government has to play in the development and evolution of our national transportation system. Early road and rail development was first dependent upon the expansion of commerce and trade and included the safe distribution of federal mail. Commerce and economic development of course will always be a driver for purpose and need to improve our transportation network, but by the time we reached the 1900’s, advocacy efforts started to accelerate the build out of our transportation system. Good Roads Associations, Municipal Chambers of Commerce, automobile and bicycle clubs all added their voices to the rising debate around future transportation. Finally, with the signing of the Military and Interstate Highway Act in 1956, the idea of building a transportation network to support our nation’s rapid deployment of wartime and peacetime armament completed the strategic purpose of our nation’s transportation system. Don’t get me wrong, the military always relied upon key strategic transportation networks including roads, rails, and waterways in logistical and tactical movements. That was emphasized during the war between the states. But the signing of the 1956 bill and subsequent funding that came with it, committed our nation to an evolutionary transformation of our national highway network.

Originally, building the 41,000-mile interstate highway was supposed to cost 25 billion in a 10-year program. In the end it cost 114 billion and took 36 years to complete. Prior to the interstate completion in 1992, an additional 1500 miles was added to the original amount in the Interstate Highway Act of 1968 and signed by President Johnson. It was in this bill where we added the 124 miles of IH 27 between Lubbock and Amarillo on the Ports-to-Plains Corridor (128 miles today). Since 1968 there has not been an interstate highway bill and all future interstates that have been added to the system afterward, have been funded in the various surface transportation bills since 1991. Advocacy organizations shifted their efforts to historical corridor preservations like the Route 66 Mother Road, or to transportation funding efforts like the five-cent increase in the federal gas tax in 1991 and a four-cent increase in 1993 where it currently sits today. For groups like the Ports-to-Plains, the advocacy shifted to identifying the next high priority corridors in the United States and then promoting the improvement of those corridors from two lanes to four divided lanes. Keep in mind that the original goal for improving these high priority corridors still included the original reasons like commerce, economic development, and trade. Ports-to-Plains formed in 1998, four years after the North American Free Trade Agreement was signed and our advocacy efforts since then has included the reasons I mentioned above.

But here we are in 2025. And in Texas and New Mexico, the fact that we have an existing interstate on 125 miles of our corridor today made the decision easier to advocate for a completed interstate system going forward. The work that has been accomplished in the last 6 years with the federal interstate designation has strategically positioned this corridor to take advantage of any potential interstate upgrade programs in the future. And that gets me to the beginning of my story that I started two months ago. The federal government will be trying to pass a new surface transportation bill in the fall of next year. We have three high priority corridors in the Ports-to-Plains Trade Alliance. The southern leg is the Ports-to-Plains, the middle leg is the Heartland Expressway, and the Northern Leg is the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway. Together, all three corridors complete a route from Laredo Texas to the Port of Raymond in Montana that runs through the agricultural heartland of the United States. A route that connects the Nation’s two largest energy fields in the Permian Basin and the Balkan. A route that connects some of the Nations strategic defense networks including bases, and nuclear armament. A corridor that currently runs through the part of the United States that is not served by a north-south interstate. We believe the time is now for a new interstate highway act to be passed at the federal level and we invite you to join us in this advocacy effort.

more to come …

Lauren D. Garduño

Washington DC Fly-in Complete

The 2025 Ports-to-Plains Alliance Washington DC Fly-in was completed last week. Participation was very good: Colorado (1), Nebraska (3), New Mexico (2), North Dakota (5), South Dakota (1), Texas (8) and our state and federal consultants (3). Meetings were held with every U.S. House Office along the corridor (17) and all but one U.S. Senate Office (17). Thank you to the individuals and organizations who participated. Thank you to our Hance Scarborough LLP team for setting up the meetings. See Listing Below.

Topics in each office included:

Why Build? Food, Fuel and Fiber
Federal Reauthorization
Congressional Funding Requests
1. Use for Planning
2. Coordinate with State DOTs
Relevance to the Area (Agriculture, Energy, International Trade, Military/Defense)
Progress Update
1. I-27 Signage Ceremony (April 14th Lubbock)

At each meeting the participants left behind the Ports-to-Plains Alliance 2025 Federal Policy Priorities. CLICK HERE to Download.

Participants:

Beckner, Coby - Ports-to-Plains Board Member | Mayor Pro-tem for City of Clayton, NM
Chatterley, Lori - Ports-to-Plains Board Member | Mayor Pro-tem for City of Raton, NM
Cottier, Deb - Ports-to-Plains Board Member | Chair, Heartland Expressway Association, NE
Decker, Scott - Mayor, City of Dickinson, ND | Board Member of Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association
DeSersa, Sharaya - Heartland Expressway Association Board of Directors | City of Scottsbluff EDC
Demorrett, Josh - Director, State Government Affairs at ConocoPhillips, ND
Duffy, Mike - Account Manager | KLMR AM/FM | City of Lamar, CO
Ferguson, Mona - Executive Director, Lamesa EDC, TX
Folck, Annie - Heartland Expressway Association Board of Directors | City of Gering, NE
Garduño, Lauren - President/CEO Ports-to-Plains Alliance, TX
Gonzalez, Bobby - Ports-to-Plains Board of Directors | Mayor Pro-tem, City of Lamesa, TX
Gunter, Brenda - Ports-to-Plains Alliance Treasurer |Mayor, City of San Angelo, TX
Hernandez, Angelica - Executive Assistant, Lamesa EDC, Lamesa, TX
Huddleston, Cheri - Legislative Consultant, Hance Scarborough LLP, Austin, TX
Jilek, Ryan - Executive Vice President, Stark Development Corporation, Dickinson, ND
Klewin, Cal - Executive Director, Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association, ND
McBrayer, Mark - Ports-to-Plains Board Member | Mayor, City of Lubbock
Pore, David - Partner, Hance Scarborough LLP, Washington DC
Riely, Philip - Mayor, City of Watford City, ND
Scarborough, Tina - Business Manager, Ports-to-Plains
Schmaltz, Larry - Ward 3 Councilman, City of Belle Fourche, SD
Tomberlin, Mike - Senior Policy Advisor, Hance Scarborough, LLP
Vara, Victoria - Ports-to-Plains Board Member | Executive Director, Sonora Economic Development Corporation
Young, Kevin - Sr Vice President - Transportation; STV Inc., TX

Status of the Nine State Corridor (Ports-to-Plains Alliance)

While the Alliance creates an Update Report annually, providing a complete status over the history of the Alliance is not something we have often provided. The information below provides a state-by-state status.

Texas

Entire Corridor Designated as Future Interstate 27 by Congress in 2022
Planning underway for I-27 Interstate Feasibility Study from Amarillo to Dumas including City Location Studies for Amarillo (LP 335) and Dumas
The new 4.2-mile segment of I-27 will run concurrently with U.S. Highway 87 from the current I-27 terminus in Lubbock to 0.1 mile north of County Road 7500.
- Signage Ceremony on April 14th
$2.2 billion of Ports-to-Plains Projects in the 10-year 2025 Texas Unified Transportation Plan (UTP)
$485 million of construction of Ports-to-Plains Projects began in 2024
Community Planning Funding Approved
- 2023
  - Phase I Ports-to-Plains Interstate Planning ($1,600,000)
- 2024
  - Interstate Planning: U.S. 87 from Lubbock to Tahoka ($8,000,000)
  - SL 335 widening project in Amarillo ($2,200,000)
  - Interstate Planning for U.S. 287 from Dumas to Amarillo ($2,000,000)
  - US 277 - Operational Improvements (TxDOT Project Id: 0264-06-044) ($2,500,000)

New Mexico

Entire New Mexico Corridor has been upgraded to four-lane divided highway
Entire Corridor Designated as Future Interstate 27 by Congress in 2022
Congressionally Designated Spending Approved
- 2024
  - Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Planning ($1,600,000)

Oklahoma

Boise City Reliever Route Completed
Expansion Projects on US 287
- Utilities, ROW, Grade, Drain, Bridge & Surface completed from Van Buren St in Boise City south Approximately 13.28 Miles
Oklahoma DOT FY-2025 through FY-2032 Construction Work Plan
- FY 2025 – Utilities an additional 4.5 miles south - $100,000
- FY 2026 – Right-of-Way for an additional 4.5 miles south - $600,000
- FY 2028 - Grade, Drain, Bridge & Surface an additional 4.5 miles south - $26 million

Colorado

Complete Corridor Segments on I-70 from Limon to Denver and I-76 from Brush to Denver are Interstate Highway
The Ports-to-Plains Corridor (U.S. 287) between the Oklahoma state line and Limon is completed as a Concrete Super 2
- Some passing lanes have been added between Limon and Oklahoma in the past 5 years
- The Heartland Expressway (CO71) between Limon to the Nebraska state line remains a narrow, two lane road without shoulders.
  - Some passing lanes have been added between Limon and Brush in the past 5 years

Nebraska

Four-lane Divided Highway from I-80 at Kimball to Minatare including Reliever Route at Kimball and from Junction L62A to Alliance
Draft Environmental Assessment complete for Minatare US-385 improvements from Minatare to approximately 18.5 miles located on US Highway 26 (US-26) and Nebraska Link 62A (L-62A) in Scotts Bluff and Morrill counties in Nebraska.
- Estimated Cost: $94.7 million
  - Funding includes $12.865 million from 2024 Congressionally Designated Spending requested by U.S. Senator Deb Fisher

Wyoming

U.S. 26 from Nebraska state line to I-25 primarily two-lane highway with four-lane highway through Torrington

South Dakota

Four-lane Divided Highway from Nebraska state line to I-90 at Rapid City
Interstate Highway (I-90) from Rapid City to Spearfish
Four-lane Divided Highway on US 85 from Spearfish to north of Belle Fourche
Two-Lane north of Belle Fourche to the North Dakota state line

North Dakota

Replaced the Lewis & Clark Bridge over the Missouri River near Williston
Completed an Environmental Impact Statement and received a Record of Decision to clear the National Environmental Policy Act requires on U.S. 85 from Williston south to I-94 (Belfield)
Replaced the Long X Bridge with four-lane replacement over the Little Missouri River
Completed Four-lane Divided Highway from Williston to Long X Bridge
Stabilized the Horseshoe Bend landslide near the North Unit of Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Completed Reliever Routes at Williston, Alexander and Watford City
Started the survey, project development, utility engineering, permitting, and preliminary right of way planning for the segment between ND Highway 200 and Long X Bridge.
Received a $55 million discretionary grant from Federal Highway Administration for the construction of the four-lane facility between ND Highway 200 and reference point 120 (beginning of the badlands). Anticipated bid date in the Fall of 2025.
Started the survey, project development, utility engineering, permitting, and preliminary right of way planning for the segment between 1-94 and ND Highway 200.

Montana

Montana STIP 2024-2028
- BAINVILLE - EAST (PE II) (see Regionally Significant Project
  - This Reconstruction project (6388001) is in design and construction is anticipated in Calendar Year TBD. The estimated cost for construction is $44,000,000.
  - This project will add two additional lanes to US 2 between Bainville and the ND state line. The roadway will generally be a divided four-lane with limited areas of undivided where constraints prevent construction of a divided roadway. The existing bridge over Shotgun Creek near Bainville will be widened to accommodate the additional lanes. New bridges adjacent to the existing bridges will be constructed at the other two bridge locations to accommodate the additional lanes. Left turn lanes will be constructed at all public road approaches and median crossovers will be built at all private and field approach locations.

I-27 Feasibility Study from Amarillo to Dumas Public Meetings

Information on Public Meetings

Virtual:
Date: 04/07/24 2 p.m.

In Person:
Location: Dumas: Moore County Community Building 1600 South Maddox Ave. Dumas, TX 79029
Date: 04/07/25 2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m.

Location: Amarillo: Diversity Church 5631 Pavillard Dr. Amarillo, TX 79108
Date: 04/08/25 2–4 p.m. and 6–8 p.m.

Purpose: This study builds upon the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Feasibility Study (Ports-to-Plains Feasibility Study), which was required by House Bill 1079 and evaluated improvements that extend I-27 and upgrade the entire corridor to interstate standards. The purpose of this meeting is to share updates on the I-27 Feasibility Study from Amarillo to Dumas following the December 2024 public meetings and offer the opportunity to engage with the study team and share comments. TxDOT is inviting public input on the feasibility study's development and the proposed concepts for upgrading US 87/US 287 to interstate standards, allowing participants to share valuable insights about their communities.

I-27 Signage Ceremony

You are cordially invited to attend a special I-27 Signage Ceremony hosted by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Ports-to-Plains Alliance to commemorate the addition of 4.2 miles to the existing I-27 south of Lubbock. The ceremony will be immediately followed by a reception.

Event Details:

Date: Monday, April 14, 2025
Time: 1:30 PM CST
Location: Northeast Corner of FM 1585 (the New I-27), Lubbock, TX (See maps below)(https://maps.app.goo.gl/QkwXXWS2y8UU7hzw6)
Reception: English Newsom Cellars, 408 East Woodrow Rd • Lubbock, Texas 79423. (Map) https://maps.app.goo.gl/3DfoKQ6a2JTadwK76
Please RSVP with Tina Scarborough, Business Manager, tina.scarborough@portstoplains.com – 806-777-4162

Upcoming Meetings

I-27 Advisory Board Meeting

This is a Save the Date for the next I-27 Advisory Committee Meeting scheduled for Thursday, April 10, 2025 from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. CDT in Austin, Texas. This meeting will be held at the Etter-Harbin Alumni Center (Legends Room), 2110 San Jacinto Blvd., Austin, TX 78712.

2025 Ports-to-Plains Alliance Conference

Save the Date: September 30-October 2, 2025, Lubbock, Texas