Group discusses expressway needs

According to Cal Klewin, Executive Director of the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association, the strength of the group is its people and they are what allows things to get done.

Klewin hopes to see a strong turnout of people at the TRE's Annual Membership Information meeting in Williston Oct. 14 so they can achieve their goal of improving the infrastructure along the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway. Klewin said people's attendance and participation will send a message to elected and state officials that the TRE and Ports-to-Plains Alliance Corridor is an important project.

"It will assist us in moving ahead with our goals. Our major goal is transportation and having a good transportation system that can improve rural economic development opportunities," said Klewin.

The informational meeting will be he held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 14 at the El Rancho. Director of the North Dakota Department of Transportation Francis Zeigler will be speaking at the event, as will panel speakers from the other corridor projects, the Heartland Expressway and Ports-to-Plains. The speakers from the other sections of the corridor project will be on hand to give updates on transportation efforts in their regions.

"We've got a full agenda for people to learn about the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway," said Klewin.

Klewin said one of the highlights of the meeting should be their key note speaker Jack Schenendorf.

Schenendorf is the Federal Consultant for the Ports-to-Plains Trade Corridor Coalition. Schenendorf has served for over 25 years on the staff of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as Chief of Staff from 1995-2001. He's been described as an important staff person in Washington and being an important part of virtually every major piece of transportation legislation in the last decade.

Klewin said Schenendorf's input at the meeting should be very enlightening.

"I think there's going to be some great insight into how the Federal Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill is important," said Klewin.

Klewin said having the support of people like Schenendorf is important in being able to pursue the goal of improving the TRE and possibly being able to expand it into a four-lane highway in the future.

"We work with a nine state alliance and our alliance has been very supportive of the efforts that we've tried to promote," said Klewin.

Among those efforts is a corridor study that began earlier in the year. Klewin said the corridor management report, still in its first phase, will be an important tool in reaching their goals in improving the highway.

"It's a business plan in a sense. Our corridor management study is a key to securing funds to improve the surface transportation needs in the region," said Klewin.

Klewin said the Ports-to-Plains alliance has numerous connections to help assist them in achieving their goals. Having the support of people like Schenendorf and Zeigler helps as well.

Klewin said ultimately, having people coming out to support their project and become members of the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association is what will keep the project gaining strength. He said at their last meeting they had close to 65 people attend.

"But hopefully with the meeting in Williston, it'll be even larger," said Klewin.

Klewin said he hopes people will come out and learn more about the TRE so they can continue to build on the early stages of the project.

"Hopefully this will provide our rural communities with good surface infrastructure," said Klewin.

The Ports-to-Plains Alliance is a proposed four-lane highway system to promote both trade and transportation nationally and internationally. It is a system that runs through nine states and Canada.

The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway is the northern third of the system which runs from Rapid City, S.D. to Canada through the Port of Raymond in Montana.

For more information on the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, visit www.trexpressway.com.