Ports to Plains Continues with Open Houses for Public Input

July 16, 2004

The departments of transportation from Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico will sponsor a pair of open houses this month to help inform and gather input from the public regarding efforts to develop the Ports to Plains Corridor. The 1,400-mile roadway, stretching from the Texas/Mexico border to Denver, is one of 43 high priority corridors designated by federal highway legislation to facilitate trade throughout North America.

The four DOTs are overseeing a project team of engineers and consultants tasked with producing a development and management plan for the Ports to Plains Corridor. Following an introductory round of open houses in March, the project team will use the upcoming meetings to provide additional detail on the plan’s progress. Presentations will cover such topics as prioritizing road improvement projects, analyzing environmental resources and implementing intelligent transportation systems (ITS) along the corridor, as well as identifying sources of funding for implementation of the development and management plan.

Details on the upcoming meetings are as follows: Tuesday, July 27, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.*, Limon Community Building, 477 D Avenue, Limon, Colorado and Tuesday, August 3, 4:00 to 7:00 p.m.*, Center for Energy And Economic Diversification, 1400 North FM 1788, Midland, Texas.

*A 30-minute presentation by project managers will take place at 4:30 p.m. and be repeated at 6:00 p.m. at both the Limon and Midland meetings. A final round of open houses will be held in the fall, with details announced as they are available.

For more information on the public meetings, including special assistance for the disabled or those who speak Spanish, call 1-877-355-0906 or visit online at www.portstoplainscorridor.com.