The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has developed a draft Purpose and Need Statement for the 66 Corridor Study to evaluate the need for a high-volume high-speed multi-lane highway between I-24 in Paducah, Kentucky and I-55 in Missouri. The focus of this study has been on routes through heart of southernmost Illinois. Please sign our petition to terminate the study for this unneccessary highway for the following reasons:

1.     There is no justification for spending ¾ of a billion dollars for a new corridor between Paducah, Kentucky and Cape Girardeau, Missouri. State and Federal dollars should be directed in maintaining our existing infrastructure.

2.     Economic justifications tend to overlook the continuing isolation of our rural communities and the economic devastation caused by existing Interstates.

3.     The environmental impacts will be potentially significant to unique sensitive habitats and the rich visual landscape of southernmost Illinois, including the Cache River Wetlands, and wetlands of international signficance, Shawnee National Forest, and multiple other natural areas that feature unique biodiversity and habitat.

4.     The biased approach to selecting stakeholders (i.e. “Project Advisors”) fails to represent the general population and restricts appropriate public participation required by NEPA.

5.     Federally funded projects should meet FACA (Federal Advisory Committee Act) requirements.

6.     The project study area and the planning activities have not provided a clear definition of what may be included within the “66 Corridor.” Planners have been misleading and have implied that the corridor would not include an Interstate.