Do Interstate Highways Bring Economic Growth/Prosperity to a Region?

[Bartram]

Right now officials in Alabama are pushing for the extension of I-85, which currently terminates in Montgomery, to the MS line/Meridian. Right now there is no limited access highway from Montgomery west, only a hodge-podge 4-laned U.S. 80 that sputters between 2 and 4 lanes beyond Selma/Demopolis.

The proposed interstate extension would go right through Alabama's Black Belt, predominantly black counties that are among the most poor in the state/country.

Many of the politicians along the proposed route bally-hoo the economic prosperity that such a highway would bring, but I wonder.

I, too, am a huge proponent of interstate/limited access highway acces as an economic development asset, but I don't know if that always works depending on the demographics of the region/county in the path of the interstate.

A prime example here is Macon county/city of Tuskegee, which is predominantly black (about 80% or so). Macon county has the benefit of I-85 access and one of the oldest, major rail lines in the South. It is along some of the most historic routes (old federal road, Indian trails-turned highways,,) in the south. It has two, effectively three, exits along the interstate and virtually no growth. Usually at the interstates in a given city, you at least have the array of filling stations, fast food restaraunts and a few (cheap) hotels. In Macon/Tuskegee you have one filling station, a truck stop and a hotel at three exits. The filling station, hotel and truck stop have changed nary an inch since I was there in the 80s.

Why is this? A simple lack of black business owners willing to invest in these things in Tuskegee or is it "racism" in that franchises by-pass black-controlled towns/counties?

Troy/Pike county, on the other hand, is predominantly white(80% or so) doesn't have interstate access(but 4-laned U.S. 231) and is identical in size to Tuskegee, yet Troy has a SuperWalmart, 5 or 6 hotels (holiday inn, holiday in express, Econo lodge, days inn, scottish inn, the one with the sun display, and a couple other no-names), Sikorsky, Lockheed Martin, Ansel(closing), Wiley Sanders, A HOSPITAL (the only one in Macon Co closed late 80s), and a host of your customary farming related industry and general commerce. Troy has every chain eating place for a small town you can name; the waffle houses, the arbies, the Pizza huts, the Mc Donalds, hardees, subway, blimpies(2),, just on and on and on. With Troy at Div I-A, plans are in the works for another hotel and additional chain restaraunts.

Why do towns/counties that we control politically(in the rural south) DIE economically,, seem to have no werewithall to prosper and grow?

 

[Braveman12]

I believe in the principle, especially in Mississippi. At Alcorn, the only major highway is Hwy 61, a state highway. The problem is that the highway is only 2-lane between Port Gibson, and Natchez. Construction is now going on for the highway to become a 4-lane highway. Hopefully, with this updated highway development plan, it will bring some sort of commerce to the area.

 

[Bartram]

The problem.

The problem is lack of investment by business people (black) in the towns like Tuskegee. I passed through Grambling, LA (that was from 87-91) and it looked like the same story there; little to no economic growth.

When I attended Tuskegee, we had only 2, later 3 grocery stores to pick from and the only chain fast food restaraunt was Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken which closed and later re-opened. While I was there Churches, McDonalds, Wendy's and Domino's came. Wendy's went under (as did almost the entire shopping center) as did churches. Walmart left in 85 and has been back. The shopping center it was in is attrocious and embarrassing the way it has been allowed to deterioate. These are "OUR"(blacks) cities/counties now politically and population wise. We are calling the shots, so what's our excuse? I was suprised to see a CVS downtown though.

We had to go to Auburn if we wanted access to a variety of stores with reasonable prices.

 

[kevdawg]

If you build it?

Will more prosperous business come if there are more decent highways built?

I hear Alabama's also talking about building an Interstate highway going from north to south through West Alabama, where a lot of rural & poverty situations still persist. Plus, Corridor X is currently being built, a highway leading from Birmingham to Memphis to replace mostly 2-lane Hwy 78. I'm glad to hear of the plans & actions that have been made to add more modern highways to Alabama.

I think Bartram hit the main problem for the areas run mostly by our people - it won't take just a highway to bring in business. What it will take is some local pride and concerted efforts by the entire community to entice businesses in. The same thing is happening in Birmingham - surrounding cities where the "white flight" folks are going are receiving the boom in new retail & major businesses, while parts of Birmingham see more & more rundown, closed & boarded up buildings rather than business. They can say they're going to where the buying power is, but we already know that Blacks hold a great deal of buying power. We have to show we'll support businesses in our area with our money.

Our city leaders are the ones who must unite the effort and present the strong buying power we possess. Otherwise, our areas will continue to be neglected and rundown while the wealthiest of us will run over the mountain with the rest of 'em.

 

[JAGCAT]

MOVING ON UP!