[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S8274]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. REID (for Mr. Byrd (for himself, Mr. Rockefeller, Mr. 
        Casey, Mr. Webb, Mr. Shelby, and Mr. Warner)):
  S. 1534. A bill to complete construction of the 13-States Appalachian 
development highway system, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Environment and Public Works.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to 
reauthorize the Appalachian Development Highway System. This network of 
highways and corridors, known as the ADHS, was designed to provide 
access to and from communities in Appalachia. The concept of the ADHS 
was born 45 years ago. It was, and is, an important promise made by the 
Federal Government to the people of my State and the rest of 
Appalachia. I thank the cosponsors of my bill: Senators Rockefeller, 
Casey, and Webb, and I look forward to working with Environment and 
Public Works Committee Chairwoman Boxer to have my legislation included 
in the next highway reauthorization.
  While serving in the House of Representatives, I cast my vote in 
favor of establishing the Interstate Highway System back in 1958. I 
have had a long history of advancing the cause of our Nation's highway 
systems and of emphasizing the immense economic and safety benefits 
that come with the improvement of all surface transportation.
  The ADHS's inception was in 1964, when it was recognized by the first 
Appalachian Regional Commission that, while the Interstate Highway 
System would provide historic economic benefits to most of our Nation, 
the system was designed to bypass the Appalachian region. This was 
primarily due to the difficulties involved in building roads upon 
Appalachia's beautiful, but very rugged topography. Absent the 
Appalachian Development Highway System, my State, as well as the whole 
of the Appalachian region, would have been left solely with a 
transportation infrastructure of dangerous, narrow, winding roads which 
follow the paths of river valleys and stream beds, winding around 
mountains and hills. Thus, the limited access to these regions has 
tended to stifle economic opportunities for countless communities--a 
problem that still exists all these years later.
  In addition to the Federal Government's responsibility to keep the 
promise made decades ago to the people of Appalachia, new benefits--
benefits to the entire Nation--have evolved because of the ADHS. In a 
recent economic analysis conducted by the Appalachian Regional 
Commission, the study found that completion of the ADHS will result in 
significant reductions in travel time for personal, business, and long-
distance freight trips. By 2020, the aggregate savings in travel time 
is estimated to be over 67 million hours, 240,000 hours daily of travel 
time saved, and grow to almost 180 million hours of reduced travel time 
by 2035.
  ADHS corridor improvements will produce significant monetized travel 
benefits to individuals and businesses both within and outside the ARC 
region. Total user benefits--travel time, fuel and non-fuel operating 
costs, and safety--are estimated to be $1.3 billion in 2020, the year 
of system completion, and grow to $4.3 billion by 2035. Over half the 
benefit is expected to accrue to business-related travel--commodity-
based truck flows, local nonfreight truck trips, and on-the-clock auto 
trips.
  The reason for the existence of the Appalachian Development Highway 
System is no less valid today than when it was established in 1964. The 
benefits of completion of the ADHS are twofold: continue to make 
inroads into isolated communities, and address and alleviate an already 
overly burdened Interstate Highway System.
  Unfortunately, there are still children in Appalachia who lack decent 
transportation routes to local schools. There are thousands upon 
thousands of people who cannot obtain sustainable, well-paying jobs 
because of poor transportation access to major employment centers. Some 
of the most beautiful places in the country are in Appalachia, but for 
tourism to thrive, Americans must be able to actually get to these 
beautiful destinations.
  It is time for this Congress, in concert with the administration, to 
take the last great leap forward and to authorize sufficient contract 
authority to finally complete the Appalachian Development Highway 
System. The legislation I am introducing today will provide sufficient 
contract authority to complete the system, and the completion of the 
system will provide additional economic opportunities, safer modes of 
travel, and ease the strain on our current transportation 
infrastructure.
                                 ______