[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 3]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              NORTH TEXAS MOBILITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2003

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL C. BURGESS

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, February 13, 2003

  Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the North Texas 
Mobility Improvement Act of 2003.
  Transportation, its related infrastructure, and industry are a vital 
part of Texas' economic development and a significant contributor to 
quality of life in the 26th congressional district of Texas. My 
congressional district includes the growing northern suburbs of the 
Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, which provides state and local officials 
with some of our greatest transportation mobility challenges. The 
increase in traffic over the past three decades is a result of 
unprecedented population and employment growth experienced in the North 
Texas region.
  The transportation congestion and mobility challenges of Interstate 
35 East could minimize economic opportunity and investment in the North 
American international trade corridor if our country's leaders do not 
support the development of an efficient, seamless, intermodal trade and 
transportation system. With congressional passage of several important 
trade agreements, the heartland of America enters a new era as a 
geographic crossroad for international trade.
  Interstate 35 extends from Laredo, Texas, the busiest U.S. border 
crossing into Mexico, to Duluth, Minnesota. One third of the highway is 
in Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Of $57 billion in 
U.S. trade into Mexico annually, 78 percent moves through Laredo, and 
much of that on Interstate 35. The North American Superhighway's 
Coalition estimates it will take $3.4 billion to upgrade Interstate 35 
over the next five years. Texas alone would require about $2.87 
billion.
  I am actively working with local, state, and federal officials to 
improve international trade transportation on Interstate 35 by widening 
current lanes and adding frontage roads without sacrificing Texas' 
ability to meet its regular mobility needs within the state. The North 
Texas Mobility Improvement Act of 2003 would authorize $2.5 million to 
widen from four lanes to six lanes those segments of Interstate 35 East 
between FM Road 2181 and Lake Lewisville in Denton County. The 
environmental review for this interstate expansion is currently 
underway by the Texas Department of Transportation.
  With ever-increasing demands on our transportation system for both 
local mobility and international trade transportation improvements, the 
North Texas Mobility Improvement Act of 2003 would help the Texas 
Department of Transportation accelerate the widening of the segments 
both north and south of the existing 6-lane segment in order to 
alleviate the overburdensome bottlenecking on this vital segment of 
Interstate 35 East. Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the widening of 
this portion of Interstate 35 East. The North Texas Mobility 
Improvement Act of 2003 would provide for the additional needed funding 
to complete the project and address the immediate needs of my 
constituents and other North Texas commuters that Interstate 35 East on 
a daily basis.

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