When the federal government finalizes transportation spending next year, Memphis officials hope several Memphis projects will get approval after likely significant cuts.
Greater Memphis Chamber staff spent two days in Washington, D.C., last month meeting with government officials on the importance of local infrastructure projects including a third bridge over the Mississippi River. “It appears to me that this year and maybe next year, (Congress) has recognized (a spending) problem and they are working on a solution which means there are going to be cuts,” said Dexter Muller, Greater Memphis Chamber senior vice president of community development. “We didn’t go up there with a big empty basket and ask for money, but we thought the things we included are important to a presidential budget.”
One of the biggest topics of discussion included $45 million needed for the engineering and design studies necessary for the third Mississippi bridge project. An environmental study for the project is already underway and is set to be complete next year.
“When they finish (the study), it's going to be about the time this transportation bill is coming out,” Muller said. “What we hope is that we can keep this project moving (with the funding).”
The bridge project wasn’t the only local project of national significance discussed. Chamber staff met the representatives or staff members from Steve Cohen, Lamar Alexander, Stephen Fincher, Marsha Blackburn and Bob Corker’s office during the trip and pointed out other needs like funding for I-69 and the expansion to Highway 78. “Infrastructure plays a key role,” Muller says. “Looking at all modes of transportation and thinking about what you have to do to move products, is a big piece of (the projects) we are looking at.”
So far, government officials appear to be listening. In April alone, Cohen introduced two bills that aim to give aerotropolis areas like Memphis special designation and federal grants for transportation infrastructure. Although transportation funding like many other federal programs is likely to see cuts, Memphis officials are hopeful the significance of Memphis’ place as a distribution hub and the importance of the local projects to the greater federal transportation system will help sway Congress. ”There are going to be significant changes in federal programs and everything is going to have to take a hit somewhere,” Muller said. "To be a sustainable country, (cuts) are going to have to take place and we were trying to be responsible in our request."
-- Trey Heath
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