{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://web.archive.org/web/20140920124741/http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=833", "Butterfield Introduces Highway Bill for Military Corridor with Rep. Walter Jones", "2014-09-19", "2014", "2014-09", "Democrat", "House", "NC", "G. Butterfield", "B001251", "web.archive.org", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC \u2013 Today, Congressman G. K. Butterfield (NC-01) introduced a bipartisan bill to designate two highways as \u201cfuture interstates\u201d that will better connect Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station, and the Port of Morehead City with the rest of North Carolina and the eastern seaboard.\u00a0 H.R. 5561, or the Military Corridor Transportation Improvement Act of 2014, is cosponsored by Congressman Walter Jones (NC-03) and will enable transportation improvements to U.S. Highways 70 and 117. \u00a0 \u00a0  Specifically, H.R. 5561 will guarantee the east-west U.S. Highway 70 corridor from Raleigh to the Port of Morehead City will be built to interstate standards and prioritized when allocating funding for federal highways.\u00a0 The legislation seeks to also connect the north-south Interstate 795 corridor from the City of Goldsboro to Interstate 40 by ensuring improvements to a section of U.S. Highway 117.\u00a0 The bill will improve access to area military installations, support the growth of the Port at Morehead City, and make Raleigh more accessible to eastern North Carolinians. \u00a0 \u00a0  \u201cImproving access to eastern North Carolina is essential to supporting our military and boosting economic development and job creation,\u201d Butterfield said. \u00a0\u201cThe Military Corridor Transportation Improvement Act would connect military bases and cities throughout eastern North Carolina with an important port, the state capital, and the entire eastern seaboard.\u00a0 This plan will benefit eastern North Carolina by improving military readiness and commerce, stimulating job creation, and reducing traffic congestion.\u201d \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0  \u201cThese future interstates will benefit the entire state of North Carolina,\u201d said Congressman Jones. \u00a0\u201cEastern North Carolinians will have easier access to other parts of the state and there will be easier access to the Port of Morehead City and our military bases. When interstate travel is made more efficient it will spur job creation and greater opportunities for Eastern North Carolinians, in addition to easing traffic.\u201d  The Federal Highway Administration estimates that $1 billion in transportation funding can support approximately 30,000 jobs which are critical to economic development in eastern North Carolina.\u00a0 Passing legislation to designate the highways as future interstates is the first step in Butterfield\u2019s plan to build a strong transportation network, put North Carolinians to work, and strengthen the economy of eastern North Carolina.\u00a0  H.R. 5561 is supported by the U.S. 70 Corridor Commission.\u00a0 The Wayne County Transportation Committee, many local governmental entities, chambers of commerce, and regional transportation associations are supportive of designating U.S. Highways 70 and 117 as future interstates.\u00a0  The Military Corridor Transportation Act of 2014 can be considered as part of the annual Surface Transportation Reauthorization Bill, which may be considered in the U.S. House of Representatives in November. \u00a0\u00a0  ###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://web.archive.org/web/20140920124741/http://butterfield.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=22&itemid=833"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8251559920608997, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}