By:  Johnson                                           H.R. No. 883
       73R11843 SRD-F
                                  R E S O L U T I O N
    1-1        WHEREAS, In anticipation of the transportation needs of the
    1-2  next century and the added impact of the North American Free Trade
    1-3  Agreement, the United States Congress, through the Intermodal
    1-4  Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA), has
    1-5  established a "high priority corridor" running from the
    1-6  Canadian-United States border at Port Huron, Michigan, to the
    1-7  Mexican-United States border at Laredo, Texas, stretching through
    1-8  eight states; and
    1-9        WHEREAS, The congress currently is debating measures that
   1-10  will determine the location of Interstate 69, and in deciding its
   1-11  path, the congress should be guided by cost-effectiveness and
   1-12  timeliness of completion; and
   1-13        WHEREAS, The routing of this important interstate highway
   1-14  will be determined by a panel of representatives from states along
   1-15  the proposed corridor; their study will identify and analyze
   1-16  alternative routes within the corridor and recommend a plan for
   1-17  highway construction and improvement; and
   1-18        WHEREAS, The Texas Department of Transportation has
   1-19  recommended that the study be extended to include a previously
   1-20  identified corridor that follows present U.S.  Highway 59 through
   1-21  Texas to the Mexican border at Laredo, Texas, and offers a
   1-22  well-developed transportation route and much of the infrastructure
   1-23  needed to meet the demands of both commercial and tourist traffic;
   1-24  and
    2-1        WHEREAS, The Interstate 69 Association, comprising local
    2-2  community and business leaders and chambers of commerce members
    2-3  from the eight states affected by construction of the interstate,
    2-4  has stated that Interstate 69 should cross the Louisiana-Texas
    2-5  border via U.S. Highway 84 at Joaquin, Texas; and
    2-6        WHEREAS, The interstate would continue through Shelby County
    2-7  until it reached U.S.  Highway 59, then follow the U.S. Highway 59
    2-8  corridor through Nacogdoches, Angelina, Polk, San Jacinto,
    2-9  Montgomery, Liberty, and Harris counties and continue along U.S.
   2-10  Highway 59 to the Mexican border in Webb County through Fort Bend,
   2-11  Wharton, Jackson, Victoria, Goliad, Bee, Live Oak, and Duval
   2-12  counties; now, therefore, be it
   2-13        RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 73rd Texas
   2-14  Legislature hereby urge the Congress of the United States to take
   2-15  all necessary action to ensure that Interstate 69 will enter Texas
   2-16  at Joaquin and follow along the least congested and most feasible
   2-17  route between the Louisiana-Texas and Texas-Mexico borders; and, be
   2-18  it further
   2-19        RESOLVED, That official copies of this resolution be
   2-20  forwarded to the president of the United States, to the speaker of
   2-21  the house of representatives of the United States Congress, to the
   2-22  president of the senate of the United States Congress, and to all
   2-23  members of the Texas delegation to the congress, as an expression
   2-24  of the sentiment of the Texas House of Representatives.