appalachian development highway system

appalachian development highway system Sec. 201. (a) The Secretary of Commerce (hereafter in this section referred to as the “Secretary”) is authorized to assist in the construction of an Appalachian development highway system serving the Appalachian region (the length of which shall not exceed two thousand three hundred and fifty miles. In addition thereto, there are authorized to be constructed not in excess of one thousand miles of local access roads, that will serve specific recreational, residential, commercial, industrial, or other like facilities or will facilitate a school consolidation program). The system, in conjunction with the Interstate System and other Federal-aid highways in the region will provide a highway system which will open up an area or areas with a developmental potential where commerce and communication have been inhibited by lack of adequate access. The provisions of title 23, United States Code, that are applicable to Federal-aid primary highways, and which the Secretary determines are not inconsistent79 Stat. 11 with this Act, shall apply to the Appalachian development highway system, and the local access roads. (b) As soon as feasible, the Commission shall submit to the Secretary its recommendations with respect to (1) the general corridor location and termini of the development highways, (2) the designation of local access roads to be constructed, (3) priorities for construction of the local access roads and of the major segments of the development highways, and (4) other criteria for the program authorized by this section. Before any State member participates in or votes on such recommendations, he shall have obtained the recommendations of the State highway department of the State which he represents. (c) The Secretary shall have authority to approve in whole or in part such recommendations or to require modifications or revisions thereof. In no event shall the Secretary approve any recommendations for any construction which would require for its completion the expenditure of Federal funds (other than funds available under title 23, United States Code) in excess of the appropriation authorizations in subsection (g). On its completion each development highway not already on the Federal-aid primary system shall be added to such system and shall be required to be maintained by the State. (d) In the construction of highways and roads authorized under this section, the States may give special preference to the use of mineral resource materials indigenous to the Appalachian region. (e) For the purposes of research and development in the use of coal and coal products in highway construction and maintenance, the Secretary is authorized to require each participating State, to the maximum extent possible, to use coal derivatives in the construction of not to exceed 10 per centum of the roads authorized under this Act. (f) Federal assistance to any construction project under this section shall not exceed 50 per centum of the costs of such project, unless the Secretary determines, pursuant to the recommendation of the Commission, that assistance in excess of such percentage is required in furtherance of the purposes of this Act, but in no event shall such Federal assistance exceed 70 per centum of such costs. (g) To carry out. this section, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated $840,000,000.