KIMBALL -- City and County officials are showing their support of a proposed interstate route going north and south connecting Mexico, the United States, and Canada. 

The Kimball City Council and Board of County Commissioners have signed three resolutions regarding incremental steps in the project. 

The route would consist of three High Priority Corridors which are the Ports-to-Plains (P2P) that covers the southern portion, Heartland Expressway (HE) that goes through Nebraska and part of Colorado, and the Theordore Roosevelt Expressway (TRE) that goes through South and North Dakota and into Canada.  

The premise of the project is for the federal government to officially recognize this route as an interstate, making it known as Interstate 27. 

“This is a project that has been in the works for a long, long time, so this is the next step to try and push that forward,” City Attorney Matt Turman said in the August 5 City Council meeting. 

A portion of the P2P route in Texas and New Mexico is already designated as future I-27, said Rich Flores, Chairman of the Kimball Board of County Commissioners. 

“The designation for I-27 was the start ... back in 1988 they designated that there should be a 4-lane highway going through Nebraska – they call it the Heartland Express,” Flores said. “Originally the intent was to get goods to and from Monterrey, Mexico to Saskatoon, Canada, so that’s where this concept started.” 

The P2P, HE, and TRE Alliances are working together to move the project forward by encouraging all political bodies to support and sign the resolutions so it can be heard on a national level. 

The three resolutions that the Kimball city and county officials unanimously approved are:

  • Resolution 2025-05 – Supporting the future interstate feasibility study which will determine whether it is a good use of funds to build the interstate system. 
  • Resolution 2025-06 – Supporting the future interstate designation made up of TRE, HE and P2P corridors.
  • Resolution 2025-07 – Supporting the future Interstate Highway Formula Program which allows congress to start allocating funds toward the project.  

According to the proposal document, the importance of designating a north/south interstate is to “efficiently connect ports of entry and freight hubs across North America, to link underserved rural regions to markets and urban centers, upgrade outdated roadways to modern interstate standards, and to enhance national defense.” 

Flores says with no north to south interstates in the central United States, the ability to transport goods and many other things in this region are limited. 

“Although congress has authorized a number of future interstates, there is currently no designated funding to plan and construct congressionally authorized future interstate highways,” Flores said. 

Flores emphasizes the positive impact that a north/south interstate would have on Kimball. 

“When I think of how some of these larger communities started ... what was the basis of their success and growth – transportation. If you don't have the transportation hub in and around your community, you don’t have the opportunity to draw those people in for a myriad of things – transportation of goods, economic development, business development, entrepreneurship, the whole nine yards, so it’s very important.” 

Flores said he and other city and county officials met with Congressman Smith where the interstate project was discussed, in which Smith admitted that it would be a long road.

“My response was if we don't remain the squeaky wheel, then we are forgotten, and [Smith] did say that sometimes western Nebraska gets forgotten, and we agreed,” Flores said.