FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 23, 2003 |
Contact: Adrienne Elrod
(202) 225-3772 |
Ross Joins Members of I-49 Congressional Caucus to Highlight Need to Fully-Fund Corridor |
|
(Washington, D.C.) Fourth District
Rep. Mike Ross is participating in a two-day tour of cities located along
I-49 to highlight the need for Congress to fully-fund the I-49 corridor.
As part of the I-49 Congressional Caucus, Ross and other Members of Congress,
as well as local Chambers of Commerce, are touring the corridor to educate
the public on the importance and status of the progress on I-49, thus increasing
the likelihood that the project will be fully funded in the upcoming federal
highway program reauthorization legislation.
“My fellow members of the I-49 Caucus and I are spending the next two days visiting cities along the corridor to highlight the need to complete I-49,” said Ross. “The completion of this project is vital to our economic future. Once completed, I-49 will provide a direct route between Winnipeg, Canada, and New Orleans, Louisiana. This project will significantly reduce traffic congestion, open trade routes, and create jobs. The sooner we complete I-49, the sooner we can reap the benefits of the increased commerce and tourism that will come with it.” Ross, who serves as Co-Chair of the Caucus, and other Caucus Members,
kicked off the tour Thursday morning in Kansas City, Mo., where they met
with local business and community leaders. Following Kansas City, the delegation
will travel to Joplin, Mo., and Fort Smith, Ark., on Thursday. On Friday
the Members will travel to Doddridge, Ark., and Lafayette, La., before
completing the tour that afternoon in New Orleans, La.
“I am proud to work with my fellow Members of the I-49 Caucus, in a bipartisan manner, to generate economic opportunities for our respective states,” said Ross. Over the next six years, the savings generated by a completed I-49 corridor will far outpace the remaining costs of construction, which are currently estimated at $4.6 billion. Additionally, construction and completion of I-49 will support the creation of nearly 194,000 jobs along the route. Roughly 65,000 of those jobs generated will be created in Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District. |
Press Release List |