Today, the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), released the following statement on the Trump administration’s newly announced “America’s Great Corridors of Commerce” initiative, a national push underscoring the critical importance of maintaining and modernizing the nation’s transportation infrastructure through federal investment in roads, bridges and rail networks.

The administration’s new initiative would create a voluntary opportunity for state transportation agencies and railroads to utilize existing transportation corridors for additional infrastructure, including transmission lines, fiber optic networks and water systems. While the new initiative highlights the value of America’s vast transportation corridors, TCC emphasized that the success of this strategy depends on the condition, capacity, and long-term maintenance of America’s transportation networks.

“While America’s Great Corridors of Commerce hold the promise to unleash economic growth, right now, Congress holds the keys to realize their potential. Designating new corridors of commerce is only meaningful if the roads, bridges, and freight networks that support them are ready to do the job,” the TCC coalition said. “America cannot build world-class corridors of commerce on national infrastructure that is falling behind and falling apart. Congress should move quickly to pass a long-term surface transportation reauthorization that provides the long-term funding certainty states and local communities need to repair aging infrastructure, facilitate more efficient freight movement, and fuel economic growth.”

Transportation corridors serve as the backbone of the U.S. economy, supporting freight movement, regional connectivity and access to jobs and services. As policymakers explore additional uses for highway and rail rights of way, sustained federal investment in the underlying transportation infrastructure is necessary to ensure those corridors remain safe, reliable and efficient.

Yesterday’s announcement comes as the September 30 deadline looms for America’s surface transportation reauthorization. The TCC is urging Congress to enact a comprehensive reauthorization package and provide the funding necessary to allow state and local transportation officials to invest in infrastructure priorities that best meet the needs of their communities and regional economies.