Ross said the funds will be used to continue the expansion of Highway 71/Interstate 49 between Doddridge, Arkansas, and the Arkansas-Louisiana state line. Once completed, the I-49 Corridor will provide a direct route between Winnipeg, Canada, and New Orleans, Louisiana.

“Although funding for infrastructure projects across the country is limited due to our nation’s obligations in Iraq, I am pleased that the members of the Appropriations Committee have recognized the importance of this vital Interstate Corridor,” Ross said. “This funding indicates their commitment to completing the construction of I-49 in Arkansas, and I appreciate their willingness to work with me to continue to find the necessary resources for this project, which will in turn create jobs and numerous economic opportunities as well as spur commerce throughout Arkansas’s Fourth Congressional District.”

Ross pledged his support to continue fighting for these important infrastructure dollars as they move through the appropriations process.

Upon passage of the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Bill in the Senate, the measure will then go to a Conference Committee of House and Senate members who will work to combine both Chambers’ bills to form a Conference Report. Upon passage of the Conference Report by the full House and Senate, the final bill will then be sent to the President to be signed into law.

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