Ports-to-Plains Highway Act of 2021
Bill: S.705 | Sponsor: Sen. Cruz, Ted (R-TX)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Ports-to-Plains Highway Act of 2021
This bill expands and designates certain route segments on the National Highway System.
Specifically, the bill (1) designates the portion of the Heartland Expressway (relating solely to the portion from Limon, Colorado to Interstate Route I-76 in the vicinity of Brush, Colorado) and the Ports-to-Plains Corridor as future parts of the Interstate System; and (2) permits the continued operation of vehicles on any segment of the Heartland Expressway (relating solely to the portion from Limon, Colorado to I-76 in the vicinity of Brush, Colorado) and the Ports-to-Plains Corridor that is designated as a route on the Interstate System in Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, and New Mexico, without regard to vehicle weight limitation requirements.

To amend the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 
with respect to future interstate designations, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ports-to-Plains Highway Act of 
2021''.

SEC. 2. FUTURE INTERSTATE DESIGNATION AND OPERATION.

    (a) Inclusion of Certain Route Segments on Interstate System.--
Section 1105(e)(5) of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency 
Act of 1991 (Public Law 102-240; 109 Stat. 597; 118 Stat. 293; 129 
Stat. 1422; 133 Stat. 3018) is amended--
            (1) in subparagraph (A), in the first sentence--
                    (A) by inserting ``subsection (c)(14)(A)(ii) 
                (relating solely to the portion from Limon to I-76 in 
                the vicinity of Brush),'' after ``subsection 
                (c)(13),''; and
                    (B) by inserting ``subsection (c)(38),'' after 
                ``subsection (c)(37),''; and
            (2) in subparagraph (C)(i), by adding at the end the 
        following: ``A State having jurisdiction over any segment of 
        the routes referred to in subsection (c)(14)(A)(ii) (relating 
        solely to the portion from Limon to I-76 in the vicinity of 
        Brush) or (c)(38) shall erect signs, as appropriate and 
        approved by the Secretary, identifying such segment as a future 
        addition to the Interstate System.''.
    (b) Vehicle Weight Limitations.--Section 127 of title 23, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(v) Operation of Vehicles on Certain Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, 
and New Mexico Highways.--If any segment of the routes referred to in 
paragraph (14)(A)(ii) (relating solely to the portion from Limon to I-
76 in the vicinity of Brush) or paragraph (38) of section 1105(c) of 
the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (Public 
Law 102-240; 105 Stat. 2032; 114 Stat. 2763A-202; 119 Stat. 1210) is 
designated as a route on the Interstate System, a vehicle that could 
operate legally on that segment before the date of such designation may 
continue to operate on that segment, without regard to any requirement 
under this section.''.
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