House Concurrent Resolution 89

(As Adopted by House)

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING THE A.H.E.A.D. ORGANIZATION UPON COMPLETION OF THE 1987 FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY PROGRAM.

WHEREAS, in 1987, the Mississippi Legislature passed over the Governor's veto, by only one vote in the House of Representatives and five votes in the Senate, the most comprehensive, long-range highway program in the history of the state and, perhaps, the nation; and

WHEREAS, with an estimated cost of $1.6 Billion, the program proposed to build 1,077 miles of four-lane highways throughout the state over a fourteen-year period and was designed, when completed, to provide every citizen of the state with access to a four-lane highway within 30 miles of his or her residence; and

WHEREAS, the legislation creating the program provided for construction of the highways according to a time-line divided into three phases based primarily upon vehicle count and road capacity; and

WHEREAS, the program was funded primarily on a pay-as-you-go basis with the major sources for funding derived from an increase in the motor fuel tax, a Five Dollar car tag fee, a highway contractor's tax, federal aid and proceeds from state revenue bonds, and this dedicated revenue stream has remained strong and viable; and

WHEREAS, with the exception of a single segment providing a municipal bypass on U.S. Highway 61 around the City of Port Gibson which has been delayed as a result of extensive environmental issues, all segments of the 1987 four-lane highway program are now complete or have been let for contract; and

WHEREAS, although credit for passage and enactment of the legislation enabling the creation of this historic and monumental highway program can and should be attributed to the hard work and perseverance of a great many individuals, not the least of which include the dedicated and honorable members of the Mississippi Legislature and its distinguished leaders, without the vision, inspiration and organizational skills of an unique alliance of successful businessmen and entrepreneurs who, for the purpose of promoting and supporting the program, created and formed an organization that came to be known as Advocating Highways for Economic Advancement and Development (A.H.E.A.D.), it is unlikely that a single spade of dirt would have been turned or that the program would have ever come to fruition; and

WHEREAS, the A.H.E.A.D. group continued to lend its support for the program when a fourth phase of highway segments was added to the original program in 1994, and again endorsed and supported the enactment of legislation when, in 2002, the Legislature incorporated phase IV as part of Vision 21, a needs-based highway program to be planned, developed and administered by the Mississippi Transportation Commission and Transportation Department staff:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby recognize, pay special tribute to and offer sincere thanks and appreciation to the A.H.E.A.D. organization and each of its members, past and present, for contributing their remarkable talents, vision and inspiration toward the establishment of the 1987 four-lane highway program and now join with them in celebration of the program's successful completion.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be furnished to each member of the A.H.E.A.D organization and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.