[OldBankhead]

The primary goal was to link military installations, IIRC, I seriously doubt Republicans in Texas, MS, AL and Georgia care about whether or not people in the Black Belt get some economic development out of it... but, it has helped get the project bipartisan support because of that possibility.

Here's something:

Thompson pointed out that completing the interstate linkage between a dozen military facilities across five states will add to the military value of each of these installations. Upgrading existing highways and spurs will provide greater freight movement efficiency in each state and nationally. It will add much needed additional roadway capacity parallel to I-10 and I-20 across each of the five states.

I-14 will also provide important natural disaster evacuation capacity along the Gulf Coast and a high elevation alternative to I-10 which is periodically damaged and out of service by hurricanes, flooding and maritime events. I-14/Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition 3.

https://www.brownwoodnews.com/2021/0...r-more-states/

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by steveklein

Total waste of money imo, at least in Alabama. I don’t know enough about the corridor in other states to say if that’s the case there as well, but I suspect at least in GA/AL, it’s unnecessary.

As previously stated, there are large chunks of interstate 59 which has been connected for decades and has spurred very little development. Interstate 65 between Montgomery and Mobile is similar. The primary reason the black belt is so economically challenged has nothing to do with interstate access and everything to do with the education levels of the people living there.

Precisely. Probably in Mississippi as well. I think some of it's already done in Texas, and Georgia folks seem to think it's needed there.

[OldBankhead]

Oh, even better... here's the real reason it is being built. Good ole shifty, hypocrite Ted Cruz.

He called the bill reckless and then:

"However, two days before aiming his rhetorical blaster at the infrastructure bill, Cruz pushed to make the future Interstate 14 — which would extend from West Texas through the Eastern U.S. — a top priority project in the legislation, the Houston Chronicle reports...

...the expanded highway would connect Texas' oil-rich Permian Basin with the Port of Savannah, the third-largest U.S. port. Plus, Cruz is one of the Senate's top recipients of cash from the oil and gas industry.

Between 1990 and last year, Cruz racked up $3.8 million in campaign contributions from the industry, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. Only two senators pulled in more over that time.

What's more, his single biggest donor from 2015 through 2020 — Houston's Doggett Industries — is a construction equipment company active in the Permian Basin.

https://m.sacurrent.com/the-daily/ar...-project-in-it

So maybe one day Selma gets a Hardee's and a Pilot gas station out on the interstate and perhaps good ole Cruz will be there for the ribbon cutting along with Memaw and Terri Sewell... or whoever is there 20, 50, 100 years from now when they finish it.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by OldBankhead

Oh, even better... here's the real reason it is being built. Good ole shifty, hypocrite Ted Cruz.

He called the bill reckless and then:



https://m.sacurrent.com/the-daily/ar...-project-in-it

So maybe one day Selma gets a Hardee's and a Pilot gas station out on the interstate and perhaps good ole Cruz will be there for the ribbon cutting along with Memaw and Terri Sewell... or whoever is there 20, 50, 100 years from now when they finish it.

Not surprising at all.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by steveklein

As previously stated, there are large chunks of interstate 59 which has been connected for decades and has spurred very little development. Interstate 65 between Montgomery and Mobile is similar. The primary reason the black belt is so economically challenged has nothing to do with interstate access and everything to do with the education levels of the people living there.

Generally roads follow development, and do not stimulate development.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by cooldiver

Generally roads follow development, and do not stimulate development.

One would think, but that's not the case here.

If the purpose is to connect miliary installations to Interstates, I-14 doesn't serve that purpose - the Air bases in Montgomery already are, with I-85 and I-65. Benning in Georgia already is, with I-x85 going into Columbus, etc., etc. In Mississippi, there's no military installation along the proposed route. Not sure about Louisiana, but I-20 already goes through Shreveport.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

One would think, but that's not the case here.

If the purpose is to connect miliary installations to Interstates, I-14 doesn't serve that purpose - the Air bases in Montgomery already are, with I-85 and I-65. Benning in Georgia already is, with I-x85 going into Columbus, etc., etc. In Mississippi, there's no military installation along the proposed route. Not sure about Louisiana, but I-20 already goes through Shreveport.

Camp Shelby? Naval Air Station Meridian? Keesler Air Force Base? Man you spread so much bad information.

As for this whole 'development along an interstate' line of thought, well, interstates are meant to connect things and transport things fast, not for 'development' along them although that's a possible side benefit.

And further, things costs ridiculous amounts to build nowadays, and environmental regulations are out the wazoo. That, and terrain, are why the Birmingham Beltline hasn't been built. It's also why a Huntsville to Atlanta segment hasn't been built. At some point, things just aren't feasible. I-14 is being built in a relatively flat area.

[RocketDawg]

Originally Posted by Mississippi Alabama Line

Camp Shelby? Naval Air Station Meridian? Keesler Air Force Base? Man you spread so much bad information.

As for this whole 'development along an interstate' line of thought, well, interstates are meant to connect things and transport things fast, not for 'development' along them although that's a possible side benefit.

And further, things costs ridiculous amounts to build nowadays, and environmental regulations are out the wazoo. That, and terrain, are why the Birmingham Beltline hasn't been built. It's also why a Huntsville to Atlanta segment hasn't been built. At some point, things just aren't feasible. I-14 is being built in a relatively flat area.

You must've not looked at the map, nor be familiar with what already exists.

Meridian is already served by Interstates 59 & 20, so that takes care of Meridan NAS. That's my home town.

Camp Shelby is already served by I-59. I've spent some time at Camp Shelby.

Keesler is already served by I-10, although turning US 49 into an Interstate spur might not be a bad idea (there's already a spur off I-10 into Biloxi, but another one wouldn't hurt).

You don't just build roads somewhere because it's easy and across flat land. You build them because you need them. Obviously, you take the simplest route around hills, etc., but you fulfil the need. Only politics change that. One of the big pushes for I-14 across Alabama is to invigorate the Black Belt. That's not a good reason because it won't work. It'll take a lot more than a highway.

[AU HSV]

I-14 is very low priority in Alabama or should be.
If you want to use the military base reasoning the Redstone Arsenal with 50,000 workers should warrant some serious infrastructure upgrades. Now to be fair there are plans underway for local access but not enough County wide, beyond Madison County its crickets.
Also higher priority is and has been forever 280 in Birmingham area.
Mobile Bay Bridge,
Better north south roads from Florence to Mobile (highway 43).
Better access to the Florida coast from Dothan , joint project with Florida I-10 spur.
East west upgrades from Florence/ Huntsville/ Chattanooga.
6 lanes on I-65 from Warrior to the Tennessee state line, and 6 lanes from Pelham to Prattville.

[Mississippi Alabama Line]

Originally Posted by RocketDawg

You must've not looked at the map, nor be familiar with what already exists.

Meridian is already served by Interstates 59 & 20, so that takes care of Meridan NAS. That's my home town.

Camp Shelby is already served by I-59. I've spent some time at Camp Shelby.

Keesler is already served by I-10, although turning US 49 into an Interstate spur might not be a bad idea (there's already a spur off I-10 into Biloxi, but another one wouldn't hurt).

You don't just build roads somewhere because it's easy and across flat land. You build them because you need them. Obviously, you take the simplest route around hills, etc., but you fulfil the need. Only politics change that. One of the big pushes for I-14 across Alabama is to invigorate the Black Belt. That's not a good reason because it won't work. It'll take a lot more than a highway.

The point is that there are military bases in the vicinity of the I-14 corridor. I-14 will share with I-59 from Laurel to Meridian, before splitting to Montgomery. Then obviously the spur from Hattiesburg to Gulfport. This is all connecting areas with military bases.

Again, I have no idea what their reasoning is, but it DOES in fact connect military bases in MS (and AL and GA). That is fact.

This project may very well be pork, I don't care. I'm just pointing out the fallacy in your statements about military bases.