The bipartisan infrastructure bill President Biden signed into law last month authorizes the “Forts to Ports” expansion of Interstate 14 through Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia.

The proposed expansion would run from Midland-Odessa in western Texas to Augusta in eastern Georgia, linking 15 installations and several ports.

The expanded I-14 would allow for easier movements of military vehicles and equipment, as well as boost the economies of the impacted defense communities, according to the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition.

“For now, the expansion remains just a congressional designation,” the Killeen Daily Herald noted. “Before the project can be started, the project must be approved in phases based on funding availability and green lights from local planning boards and environmental groups.”

Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition illustration