40 U.S.C. § 14501: Appalachian development highway system

To provide a highway system which, in conjunction with the Interstate System and other Federal-aid highways in the Appalachian region, will open up an area with a developmental potential where commerce and communication have been inhibited by lack of adequate access, the Secretary of Transportation may assist in the construction of an Appalachian development highway system and local access roads serving the Appalachian region. Construction on the development highway system shall not be more than three thousand and ninety miles. There shall not be more than 1,400 miles of local access roads that serve specific recreational, residential, educational, commercial, industrial, or similar facilities or facilitate a school consolidation program. the general corridor location and termini of the development highways; local access roads to be constructed; priorities for the construction of segments of the development highways; and other criteria for the program authorized by this section. Before a state member participates in or votes on designations, the member must obtain the recommendations of the state transportation department of the State which the member represents. When completed, each development highway not already on the Federal-aid primary system shall be added to the system. In the construction of highways and roads authorized under this section, a State may give special preference to the use of materials and products indigenous to the Appalachian region. For research and development in the use of coal and coal products in highway construction and maintenance, the Secretary may require each participating State, to the maximum extent possible, to use coal derivatives in the construction of not more than 10 percent of the roads authorized under this subtitle. Federal assistance to any construction project under this section shall not be more than 80 percent of the cost of the project. When a participating State constructs a segment of a development highway without the aid of federal amounts and the construction is in accordance with all procedures and requirements applicable to the construction of segments of Appalachian development highways with those amounts, except for procedures and requirements that limit a State to the construction of projects for which federal amounts have previously been appropriated, the Secretary, on application by the State and with the approval of the Commission, may pay to the State the federal share, which shall not be more than 80 percent of the cost of the construction of the segment, from any amounts appropriated and allocated to the State to carry out this section. This subsection does not commit or obligate the Federal Government to provide amounts for segments of development highways constructed under this subsection. Sections 106(a) and 118 of title 23 apply to the development highway system and the local access roads. States are required to maintain each development highway and local access road as provided for Federal-aid highways in title 23. All other provisions of title 23 that are applicable to the construction and maintenance of Federal-aid primary and secondary highways and which the Secretary decides are not inconsistent with this subtitle shall apply to the system and roads, respectively. It is the Sense of the Senate that the timely completion of the Appalachian development highway system is a transportation priority in the national interest. For fiscal years 2012 through 2050, the Federal share payable for the cost of constructing highways and access roads on the Appalachian development highway system under section 14501 of title 40 , United States Code, with funds made available to a State for fiscal year 2012 or a previous fiscal year for the Appalachian development highway system program, or with funds made available for fiscal year 2012 or a previous fiscal year for a specific project, route, or corridor on that system, shall be up to 100 percent, as determined by the State. For fiscal years 2012 through 2050, the Federal share payable for the cost of constructing highways and access roads on the Appalachian development highway system under section 14501 of title 40 , United States Code, with Federal funds apportioned to a State for a program other than the Appalachian development highway system program shall be up to 100 percent, as determined by the State. Subject to paragraph (2), not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the MAP–21 [deemed to be Oct. 1, 2012 ], each State represented on the Appalachian Regional Commission shall establish a plan for the completion of the designated corridors of the Appalachian development highway system within the State, including annual performance targets, with a target completion date. If the percentage of remaining Appalachian development highway system needs for a State, according to the latest cost to complete estimate for the Appalachian development highway system, is greater than 15 percent of the total cost to complete estimate for the entire Appalachian development highway system, the State shall not establish a plan under paragraph (1) that would result in a reduction of obligated funds for the Appalachian development highway system within the State for any subsequent fiscal year.”