House Passes Major Highway Bill

House Passes Major Highway Bill

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, the House of Representatives passed the major surface transportation bill that will fund the nation's road and transit projects during the next six years. The bill includes a total of $3.5 billion for Kentucky's roads.

The bill also contains $35 million in designated funding by Rogers for planning and construction of the Somerset to London section of Interstate 66 and $2.8 billion for Appalachian roads and highways, $408 million of which is expected to be spent in Eastern Kentucky.

"Highways are the lifeline of our rural areas," said U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers. "The tremendous funding included in this bill for Kentucky's roads, highways, bridges, and other transportation needs will go a long way in opening the door to economic opportunity."

"I am especially pleased that $35 million is included for the continued construction of I-66 in Kentucky," said Rogers. "I-66 will provide our citizens with better access to health care and educational opportunities, open our communities to tourists and travel dollars, and provide improved supply lines for businesses seeking to move products in to, out of, and around Kentucky." Rogers added, "Equally important is the funding for U.S. 460 and U.S. 119, which are part of the Appalachian Highway Development System in Southern and Eastern Kentucky."

Rogers also noted that I-66 and better highways are necessary for saving lives and protecting the traveling public. "A recent study found that seven out of ten traffic deaths in Kentucky occurred on rural, non-Interstate roads," said Rogers. "That figure is absolutely staggering and underscores our immediate need for better highways. It is clear that improving our transportation network is critical to saving lives."

A new report released March 3, by TRIP, a national nonprofit transportation research group, found that more than half - 52 percent - of traffic fatalities in the United States between 1999 and 2003 occurred on rural, non-Interstate roads and highways, even though vehicles traveling on those roads only accounted for 28 percent of travel during that period. TRIP's study, "Growing Traffic in Rural America: Safety, Mobility and Economic Challenges in America's Heartland," found that there was an average of 22,127 traffic fatalities annually on the nation's rural, non-Interstate roads between 1999 and 2003; during the same period, an average of 42,301 people were killed each year in traffic accidents on all roads in the U.S.

The highway funding is contained in the Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (TEA-LU). The bill is the major piece of legislation that will distribute funding for the nation's surface transportation needs over the next six years. Legislative action is now required by the U.S. Senate.

http://www.house.gov/rogers/March2005/passesmajorhighwaybill.html