WASHINGTON – Congressmen Ralph Abraham, M.D., R-Alto, and Brian Babin, R-Texas, have created a bipartisan I-14 Caucus with the goal of expanding Interstate 14 through Central Louisiana.
This news follows the announcement this summer of legislation, HR 6111, the I-14 Expansion and Improvement Act of 2018, to designate existing roads into the congressionally designated I-14 corridor to include communities from Midland, Texas, to Laurel, Mississippi within a strategic corridor effectively connecting military bases from El Paso, Texas, to Charleston, South Carolina, with strategic ports where military equipment can be shipped in support of our armed forces deployed around the world.
In Louisiana, portions of LA 8, LA 28 and US 84 would be included in the I-14 corridor, giving Fort Polk and Camp Beauregard quicker access to the deployment port in Beaumont, Texas. Other state and federal highways near Goodfellow Air Force Base near San Angelo, Texas, and north of the Beaumont would also be added into the I-14 corridor. But the interstate will extend through Mississippi and Alabama and continue to Augusta, Georgia, where it would connect, presumably, with Interstate 20 which connects with Interstate 26 to the Atlantic Coast.
Charter members of the caucus include congressmen from Texas, Louisiana and Georgia, but it is anticipated that Mississippi and Alabama lawmakers will join the coalition, too, as military readiness for bases in their states will benefit as well.
“Expanding I-14 would give many communities throughout Central Louisiana with direct interstate access, which will lead to more economic growth. This project is a great opportunity to enhance the state of Louisiana, and I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Babin and other members of Congress to see that it gets done,” Dr. Abraham, a member of Alto Baptist Church, said.
Babin, a member of the First Baptist Church in Woodville, Texas, added, “Our interstate highway system truly connects our nation from coast to coast and represents American ingenuity at its best, but as populations shift and new economic and military centers emerge, the need to strengthen those connections requires action.”
Joining Dr. Abraham and Babin as charter members of the I-14 Caucus are U.S. Reps. Drew Ferguson, R-Ga.; Roger Williams, R-Texas; Mike Conaway, R-Texas; Bill Flores, R-Texas; Mike Johnson, R-La.; Gene Green, D-Texas; and John Carter, R-Texas.
The bill is currently pending before the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.
