Proponents pitch Interstate 66 Project to Cape Girardeau leaders

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo., (KBSI) — Advocates for the proposed Interstate 66 Project presented their plan to city leaders Monday, seeking endorsement for the corridor that would span the United States from east to west.

The project would rebrand Highway 74 as Future 66, connecting Paducah, Kentucky, to Cape Girardeau and extending west to Van Buren, Missouri.

Proponents say the new high-speed corridor would provide several key features, including:

— Accommodating driverless trucks for nighttime transportation
— Supporting the transition from fossil fuels to electric power generated by solar and wind sources
— Relieving traffic from other existing interstate routes, such as I-40 and I-70
— Incorporating new technologies, including tunnels under mountain ranges and recharging stations for trucks and automobiles

The proposed “New Mother Road” would close a 300- to 400-mile gap in the east-west interstate system.