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69/05/3097

Officials unveil I-69 signs as Congress continues work

WESLACO, Texas (AP) - As Congress continues work on legislation to create a free-trade interstate linking the Mexican and Canadian borders, officials have unveiled signs designating two South Texas highways the future I-69.

"This is a major, major step in the right direction," said U.S. Rep. Bud Shuster, R-Pa., chairman of the House Transportation Committee.

Shuster joined local officials Wednesday in unveiling the red, white and blue signs, which will be posted along U.S. 281 and U.S. 77 in the Rio Grande Valley.

Supporters of the so-called NAFTA superhighway said the signs would help promote the project.

"It makes it more concrete," said Tina Martin of McAllen, a member of the Texas I-69 Alliance, a state group pushing the project.

But the proposed interstate is far from being finalized.

The project still must be added to a bill pending in Shuster's committee that would grant authorization for a free-trade highway. That should happen by the fall, he said.

Congress then must approve funding for the proposal, and that could prove to be a roadblock.

"I am committed to getting I-69 designated," said Shuster. "The question is the level of funding. ... That'll determine how much can be done."

Officials estimate the project would cost $7.2 billion. The interstate would stretch from the Rio Grande Valley and Laredo through eight states to Port Huron, Mich., on the Canadian border.

One issue has been deciding what portion of the roadway would be built first. Shuster said he supports starting in South Texas, because "this is where the action is."

Since the North America Free Trade Agreement took effect three years ago, U.S. trade with Mexico has jumped 80 percent, and Texas trade with Mexico has soared 240 percent, he said.

Also at issue is whether the highway would run in a single route through McAllen or in two routes through McAllen and Harlingen-Brownsville. One federal study recommended a single route through McAllen.

"The whole Rio Grande Valley needs to have the opportunity to share in the benefits of this interstate," Harlingen City Commissioner Nat Lopez said. "Everybody realizes the most advantageous approach is to work as a region."

Upgrading both routes would add $200 million to the $300 million price tag for one route, said Bill Summers, president of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, a group that promotes regional cooperation for Valley projects. Send a Letter to the Editor about This Story | Start or Join A Discussion about This Story
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