Written by John Crutchfield, President/CEO, Greater Killeen Chamber of Commerce
Published in the Greater Killeen Business Quarterly 2015 Economic Outlook & Fort Hood Guide
PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER CREATED THE INTERSTATE HIGHWAY SYSTEM, PRIMARILY UNDER THE GUISE OF STRATEGIC DEFENSE, WHEN HE SIGNED THE FEDERAL AID HIGHWAY ACT OF 1956. Interstate highways reoriented the country. They changed the way Americans think about geography. They impacted our culture and our economy by stimulating community growth along their routes. Even-numbered interstate highways run east and west. Odd-numbered interstate highways run north and south.
Interstate highways are highly desirable from an economic development standpoint because they enhance access and speed to market. They are also heavily regulated in terms of creation and operation.Recently, the creation of Interstate 14 was announced. How was this achieved?
It has been my good fortune to being involved in the creation of two interstate highways. Both followed the same process.
FIRST, A STRATEGIC NATIONAL PURPOSE MUST BE ESTABLISHED. In the case of Interstate 69, which runs from three different ports of entry in South Texas to Port Huron, Mich, that purpose is commerce. Dubbed the NAFTA Superhighway, the route links the three countries that comprise the North American Free Trade Agreement — Mexico, the United States and Canada.
In the case of Interstate 14, which will run from El Paso to the Atlantic coast in Georgia, the purpose is military connectivity. From Fort Bliss to the west to Fort Gordon to the east, the route has no less than eight Army installations and a number of Air Force installations that will be connected. Many of the Texas installations also will be connected to strategic military deployment ports at Beaumont and Corpus Christi. While secondary in justification, economic benefits will also occur.
SECOND, A REGIONAL AND MULTISTATE COLLABORATION MUST OCCUR. The parent of Interstate 14 is the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition. The Killeen Economic Development Corporation has been a dues-paying member since the coalition’s founding more than 15 years ago. A number of citizens from this community serve as board members. The coalition is populated and funded by communities and organizations all along the route. Because the route traverses a number of states, active collaborators must work together in those states.
THIRD, RESEARCH MUST DETERMINE THE MOST VIABLE ROUTE. That research must occur in every state along the route. Costs vary according to the terrain. Environmental impacts are a factor. The Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition and the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) did most of the research in Texas to determine the most viable route. That route tends to follow U.S.. 190.
FOURTH, NO INTERSTATE CORRIDOR IS CONSTRUCTED ALL AT ONCE. The analogy is very much like eating an elephant. You do it one bite at a time. The first bite for Interstate 14 is that segment of U.S.. 190 from the western side of Copperas Cove to Interstate 35 at Belton. We are blessed with the presence of Fort Hood and growth. Both have created the demand for investments in transportation infrastructure. We are further blessed to have community leaders and elected officials with the passion and vision to find the funds to build additions to U.S.. 190 the right way — that is, to interstate standards. All of these blessings helped position us for success.
Interstate construction standards are not inexpensive to achieve. Among them are controlled access onto and off the roadway with interchanges and grade separations (overpasses); minimum speed design of 70 miles per hour; minimum number of lanes (at least two in each direction); minimum median width of 36 feet; minimum lane width of 12 feet; and minimum shoulder width of 10 feet for the outside shoulder and 4 feet for the inside shoulder. Other standards must be met for grade, pavement sloping, curbs, vertical clearance, horizontal clearance, bridge strength and tunnel clearance.
Even after you have demonstrated a strategic national purpose, organized a collaborative effort, researched a viable route and built a segment of the envisioned highway to interstate standards, success is not guaranteed.
Only the U.S.. Congress and the President can authorize an addition to the Interstate Highway System.
In the meantime, you must engage with other entities and participate in other processes.
The state Department of Transportation has to undertake a detailed and expensive engineering and construction audit of the segment to prove it is constructed to interstate standards. In our case, the Texas Department of Transportation, led by Waco District Engineer Bobby Littlefield and TxDOT’s current interim Executive Director Marc Williams, led the audit effort and sponsored our request to grant our segment interstate status.
The request and the audit has to be accepted, reviewed and approved by two agencies — the Federal Highway Administration and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). Once approved by these agencies, the segment can be awarded a three-digit loop or spur designation — Spur 535, for example. AASHTO’s next meeting will occur in May 20⒗ That is the earliest date that our segment could receive a three-digit designation.
Concurrently, we took other steps to expedite the process.
As previously stated, to gain a two-digit designation, Interstate 14, requires an act of Congress. A number of years ago, a small group from this community met with Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Congressmen John Carter and Roger Williams in Washington. We provided them with amendment language and requested that language be inserted in appropriate legislation when the opportunity arose. That opportunity would be the next multi-year transportation bill. Congressman Williams played a pivotal role as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where the legislation originated. He gained the approval of the committee chair to insert the amendment when the bill was being marked up in the House. Senator Cornyn did the same in the Senate version.
Time passed. Congressman Williams left the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. In his place, we recruited a new member of the committee, Congressman Brian Babin of Woodville. Congressman Babin represents a district along the route in East Texas, more evidence of the importance of building a regional coalition. A number of us traveled to Livingston to brief him. He eagerly agreed to take on the task of inserting the amendment and requested that we facilitate the hand off between the two Congressmen. That hand off was flawless. Both the Congressmen and their staff s stayed engaged. Communities all along the route lobbied for approval of the amendment. The Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition’s Washington-based lobbyist, Larry Meyers, monitored the process to ensure that similar amendments were inserted in the House and Senate versions of the bill. The Conference Committee left the language unchanged. Both the House and Senate passed the bill. And on Dec 4, 2015, President Barack Obama signed the first five-year transportation bill in a number of years. With the approval of that legislation, interstate status was effectively granted to our segment and the Interstate 14 Corridor was created.
AASHTO and FHA must still certify that the highway segment from Copperas Cove to Belton is built to interstate standards. They have the audit and it is likely that certification will come at their next national meeting in May. Then, TxDOT will organize a sign unveiling ceremony.
It is a long way to completion of the entire interstate from El Paso to Georgia’s east coast. In the meantime, it is important that this community continue to support others along the route as new segments are built and connected. We can get this done, one bite at a time.