I Support the re-designation of I-14’s Western Segment to US 87/SH 158 (Brady – San Angelo – Midland-Odessa)!
In 2015, Congress designated the new Interstate 14, stretching from the Texas-Louisiana border to I-10 to help connect military installations. The western route (US 190 from Brady to I-10) impacts few people, has little traffic, and limited safety benefit. That’s why we are proposing a new western route along US 87 and SH 158. This route connects another military installation (Goodfellow AFB/San Angelo) and provides a strategic connection to the heart of oil and gas production (Midland-Odessa/Permian Basin). That’s why I support:
SAVING MONEY. The US 87/SH 158 route costs $200 million less than the current designation of US 190. We know how limited transportation resources are in West Texas, the Concho Valley, and Permian Basin. Let’s designate a better more cost effective route!
GIVING MORE ACCESS TO MORE PEOPLE AND FREIGHT. The current US 190 route only provides access to roughly 30,000 in population with an average traffic count of 600 vehicles daily. The US 87/SH 158 route provides access to over 460,000 people. There are twice as many frac sand trucks on our route as there are total cars on US 90! Interstates are about connecting people and moving freight, and US 87/SH 158 provides a much better alternative.
SAVING LIVES. The current US 190 route saw 4 fatalities over the last 5 years, compared to 45 on the US 87/SH 158 corridor. US 190 saw 1.36 crashes per mile over a 5 year period, as opposed to, nearly 17 per mile on US 87/SH 158. Let’s put on improvements where they will improve highway safety. It’s time to quit playing politics and start saving lives.