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Background
The purpose of the La Entrada al Pacifico Corridor is to increase the
efficiency of transportation of
goods and people from Pacific Coast ports in Mexico northeast to Midland-Odessa, Texas.
Mexican ports, such as the Port of Topolobampo, are potentially viable alternatives to the
congested ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. Additionally, the underutilized
border crossing at Presidio, Texas, is an opportunity to divert traffic from the
already overburdened crossing at El Paso, Texas.
The La Entrada al Pacifico Corridor is defined by House Bill 2115,
1997 Texas Legislature, and was signed into law by then Governor George W. Bush
in 1997. It was also named Corridor 56 in Section 1304, High Priority
Corridors on the National Highway System, in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible,
Efficient Transportation Equity Act, or SAFETEA-LU.
Goals
The goals for the La Entrada al Pacifico Corridor Feasibility Study are to:
- determine the feasibility of a four-lane divided facility (TxDOT Trunk
System Standard, a planned rural, four-lane divided highway network of
10,500 miles that includes and complements Texas’ rural interstate highways) within the designated national corridor, as well as any
other corridors identified through the public involvement process,
- identify and prioritize potential roadway improvement alternatives along
the nationally designated corridor, if a four-lane divided facility is not
feasible,
- evaluate the economic impacts of future connections and improvements to the
infrastructure in Mexico
- identify financial and institutional issues related to the development
and construction of the corridor, and
- provide public involvement through an outreach program and public
meetings.
Considerations
Issues to be considered for this study include:
- the effects of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) on
projected travel demand along the corridor,
- the consequences of port improvements along the Mexican Pacific Coast to
determine the impacts for the corridor,
- the impact of existing and planned infrastructure in northwestern Mexico
on the corridor,
- the upgrade of US 67 to meet Texas Trunk System Standards, which would
make it become a four-lane divided highway with two lanes in each direction,
and
- most importantly, the safety of future travelers.
Considerations such as these will ensure the success of the La Entrada al Pacifico Corridor.
For example, a parallel Mexican study determined the corridor, as currently
designated, could reduce a one-way trip by 134 miles from Chihuahua, Mexico, to
Dallas, Texas, by diverting freight traffic away from the current routes through
Ciudad Juarez and El Paso. It also indicated a time savings of about six hours,
including driving and border crossing.
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