Mountain View Corridor Completion Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. OWENS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2468, the Mountain View Corridor Completion Act.
I was pleased to introduce this legislation last year with the support of Utah's entire congressional delegation.
As the Representative of the fastest growing district in the fastest growing State in the Union, I can tell you firsthand that our transportation infrastructure is under significant stress.
Rapid growth brings with it a host of challenges, particularly in the Intermountain West, where over two-thirds of Utah is owned or controlled by various Federal agencies.
This bill addresses one of those challenges, the need to connect our communities with federally owned land.
The Utah Department of Transportation, UDOT, has anticipated significant population growth for decades, and over 15 years ago, they initiated the Mountain View Corridor project. This crucial corridor connects eastern Utah County with southwestern Salt Lake County and passes through Camp Williams, an important military training installation managed by the U.S. Army National Guard.
The existing road is vital, serving as the only public access to the headquarters of the Utah National Guard complex and providing essential access to the National Security Agency's datacenter.
While two-thirds of Mountain View Corridor has been completed, the final third requires UDOT to acquire three separate, irregular parcels of Federal land to link 36 acres currently managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
However, because these parcels are situated within the boundaries of an active military reservation established by a 1914 executive order, the BLM lacks the authority to transfer this land. That is why we are here today.
I am proud to report that the Utah National Guard fully supports this project and has collaborated extensively with UDOT and BLM to determine the most effective alignment for the corridor.
This bill has already gone through a hearing and a markup in the House Natural Resources Committee. I am grateful for the support of my friend, Chairman Westerman.
Mr. Speaker, I urge support of this legislation to help Utah complete this vital transportation project 15 years in the making.
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