WASHINGTON, D.C.—Rep. Greg Stanton stressed the importance of expanding I-10 at a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing focused on our nation’s ability to effectively and efficiently move goods through our supply chain.
“I-10 is a key commercial artery for freight traffic to and from the ports in southern California, and for international commerce with our largest trading partner, Mexico,” Stanton said.
A representative from the Transportation Intermediaries Association agreed with Stanton, noting that supply chain bottlenecks increase food prices. “Anything that represents a bottleneck. . . and you’ve got a key one there in Arizona, anything that slows that down it increases costs to consumers. It increases costs to the retailers who pass it on to the consumers, especially with regard to things that may spoil such as food,” Jeffrey Tucker, CEO of freight company Tucker Company Worldwide, said.
The Arizona Department of Transportation has applied for grant funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to expand a 26-mile stretch through the Gila River Indian Community—the last portion of the highway that remains just 2 lanes.
“My team and I worked with ADOT to make [their grant] as competitive as possible,” Stanton continued. “It is my hope and expectation that this project will move forward very soon.”
Video of Stanton’s remarks and questions is HERE.