Highway System Key to Growing Economy
Op-Ed
Highway System Key to Growing Economy
By Rep. Shelley Moore Capito
Few things are as vital to economic development as our nation's transportation infrastructure.
After all, businesses must have an avenue to efficiently receive raw materials and ship their products, while consumers inherently seek out goods to which they have easy access.
Yet many regions throughout the United States continue to suffer from a transportation infrastructure that lacks capacity and provides inadequate opportunities for growth
Consider my home state of West Virginia. Our state is mountainous and the terrain is difficult. As a result, the transportation challenges for businesses and residents are many though the potential impact of transportation upgrades are exponentially large.
evidence suggests that the completion of highway systems in certain parts of the state have led to increased economic activity, and the areas surrounding new highways are showing signs of "new commercial investment, new housing starts, and positive employment trends."
Yet the largest obstacle to more substantive economic growth is that many of these highways are not yet complete. Without the completed highway, local businesses are forced to traverse slow and dangerous highways or travel longer distances to circumvent difficult terrain.
This is certainly the case in two West Virginia counties just west of the capital in Charleston. U.S. Route 35 runs directly through these counties and is a central travel route for trucking and other transportation needs, but it is historically dangerous and notorious for accidents and travel delays.
For years, I've worked with local and state leaders to advance upgrades that promote safety and travel efficiency, but 13 miles of highway are still incomplete and estimates suggest it will take another $325 million of investment to finally complete this high-priority project.
Other parts of West Virginia face similar challenges. In one case, the lack of a completed highway system in the north-central section of the state adds as many as 300 miles to transportation routes for local businesses looking to export their products overseas. In total, our state faces $19 billion in incomplete highway and transportation needs.
The increased travel cost associated with many of these incomplete projects directly impacts pricing and diminishes the competitive advantage of local businesses. As the price of energy continues to rise, these challenges will become even more apparent
Furthermore, ARC estimates suggest that a completed highway system in Appalachia stands to create $10.1 billion in additional business sales, $4.9 billion in added economic value, nearly 80,500 new jobs and $3.19 billion in higher wages.
With such obvious economic benefits to increased investment, the next question is obviously one of cost though research indicates the benefits of investment far outweigh the upfront costs, the price tag is not necessarily as ominous as one might predict
With gasoline prices above $4 per gallon, efficient transportation corridors have never been more important both to businesses and to consumers. We have an obligation to be forward-thinking when it comes to developing our infrastructure needs, and a new highway bill presents us with an opportunity to do just that.
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