WASHINGTON, D.C. (KAMR/KCIT) — With the passage of the FY2023 Omnibus Appropriations Bill in late December, a number of projects were put in motion to benefit the Ports-to-Plains Corridor.

This comes after I-27 was designated as an addition to the Interstate Highway System in the 2022 Omnibus Appropriations Bill. According to previous reports by MyHighPlains.com, the Ports-to-Plains corridor is expected to be from Laredo to Raton, New Mexico.

“After securing a federal highway designation for I-27 last year, Im excited we were able to get funding to make the Ports-to-Plains Corridor a reality,” U.S. Rep. Jodey Arrington, R- Texas District 19, said in a news release from the Ports-to-Plains alliance. “This is an important investment in West Texas transportation infrastructure, which will strengthen our food and fuel supply from the nation`s largest energy and agricultural production centers. All of Texas will stand to benefit from new job growth and trade expansion, allowing us to fully realize the substantial economic benefits of USMCA.”

According to the news release, the first project will initiate planning as recommended by the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Interstate Feasibility Study Final Report, which was published by the Texas Department of Transportation in October 2020. Two other projects will be addressing State Loop 88 in Lubbock, along with a project benefitting the connection between the corridor and the Camino Real International Bridge at Eagle Pass.

“I am thrilled by the funding approved which will help develop the corridor quicker,” John Osborne, the chairman of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, said in the release. “The interstate designation and expansion along the Corridor in the Texas Congressional District 19 is catalytic for the future of the rural communities in South and West Texas. Not only will these communities along the Corridor feel the positive impacts as we increase the efficiency of transporting imports and exports, alleviate congestion throughout the state and improve safety for travelers, but citizens across Texas will benefit from these improvements as well.”