County Joins City in Support for I-14 Interstate Highway Designation

SAN ANGELO, TX -- Tom Green County Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution supporting the creation of I-14, an Interstate Highway designation running east to west through Tom Green County and San Angelo.

The action joins the City of San Angelo and the Gulf Coast Strategic Highway Coalition and members of Congress supporting a new interstate highway across Texas supporting national defense by linking Fort Polk in Louisiana with Fort Hood in central Texas and Fort Bliss in El Paso through San Angelo including Goodfellow Air Force Base.  When completed, I-14 would be a four lane, divided highway providing transportation relief across Texas.  

The designation of the western leg of I-14 would stretch, “from Brady, TX along US 87 through Tom Green County and proceeding north and then along SH 158 at its junction north of Sterling City and continuing to a logical terminus at I-20 (in Midland, TX) that will facilitate freight and population needs for the San Angelo and Midland-Odessa areas.”  

According to the resolution, the U.S. Census Bureau shows population in Tom Green, Ector and Midland counties to grew by 54,397 between 2010 and 2015 and, “West Texas is the epicenter of energy production in Texas and serves a critical role in literally ‘fueling’ the American economy and our nation’s strategic defense, accounting for 57 percent of oil production in Texas, 14 percent of oil production in the U.S., 17 percent of gas production in Texas and the U.S. and over half the wind and solar power in Texas.”  

Tom Green County Judge Steve Floyd said the designation is the next step in securing funding for feasibility studies and design plans.   If approved, construction would still be years away.