Resolution on Highway 95
Transportation Working Group
PNWER Annual Meeting

Whereas, US 95 is a major north/south trade route connecting the U.S. with both Canada and Mexico, and provides the most direct access from Alberta to the Pacific Northwest, and,

Whereas, the Customs Port at Eastport is among the top twenty busiest ports of entry in dollar volume out of 109 ports on the Canadian/US border, and is the only 24 hour commercial port between Oroville, Wa and Sweetgrass, Mt., with truck traffic increasing 630% in the past twenty years and doubling in the last ten, and

Whereas, train traffic at Eastport has also increased, and Eastport is the only facility on the US/Canadian border served by the Union Pacific Railroad, which offers intermodal opportunities, and

Whereas, Eastport also serves the needs of tourists seeking recreational opportunities in the United States, and truck traffic awaiting USDA agricultural inspection sometimes delays their ability to clear the port, and

Whereas, tourists using highways account for $140,000,000 (1995) of spending in Idaho´s Region 1, which includes the state´s five northernmost counties, and

Whereas, the route has been recognized as a High Priority Corridor by the US Congress and has received funding under TEA-21 in the past, and

WHEREAS, that section of US 95 from the Copeland Junction to Eastport currently has restrictions on truck length and off-track width due to road curvature, site distance and lane width that restrain efficient international, interstate and local trade, plus this section is not conducive to tourist use in its current condition, and

Whereas, the accident rate during the five-year period from 1993-1997 on US 95 from Copeland to Eastport is 24 % higher than the statewide average for this type and use of highway.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that a complete upgrade of the northern section of US95, as outlined in the Funding Schedule of the State of Idaho´s application for Fiscal Year 2000 National Corridor Planning and Development and Coordinated Border Infrastructure Programs, be done as soon as possible to improve international, interstate, and local trade while increasing the safety of the traveling public.

Be it further resolved that the feasibility study for the USDA livestock inspection station, which was also included in the state´s application, be undertaken in the near future so that service could eventually be moved to a separate facility away from the port building.