I-69

I attended a breakfast this morning to hear a Texas perspective on the section of future I-69 from Texarkana to Laredo, and this could have a huge impact on Arkansas. As you can see from the picture below, one plan includes the transport of freight on a tram that is elevated 16 feet above the freeway. Cost of construction? Good question -- I don't know.

Moving that freight from the port of Houston along the electric tram north on I-69 would cost approximately 8.5 cents per mile. If this becomes reality, Texarkana would like to construct an intermodal facility where that freight could be taken from the tram and put on trucks on I-30, I-49 or I-69, on the Red River, or on rail. The tram could also be easily modified in emergencies for evacuation, etc. As you can see from the picture below, there wouldn't be as much a need for truck traffic on the interstate, which could save additional money on maintenance. It's an exciting project.