I-85 Extension

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July 2010
Public Hearing

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Project Location

I-85 Extension Project Limits from I-59/20 near the Mississippi State Line Northeast of Cuba to I-65 near Montgomery

•The I-85 Extension Study Area has an estimated area of 2,433 square miles, both urban and rural, and encompasses eight counties in Alabama. Six of the eight counties are included in the Black Belt.

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	Black Belt Counties of Alabama within the I-85 Project Corridor: Dallas, Hale, Lowndes, Marengo, Perry and Sumter Counties.

	Black Belt Counties are defined in Governor Bob Riley's Executive Order 22 as "a group of primarily agricultural counties, with dark rich soil, extending east to west across Central Alabama, that currently experience high rates of poverty, illiteracy, and infant mortality; and suffer from severe economic stagnation." A new interstate connector will improve system linkage, provide a safe and efficient transportation corridor, and will enhance economic opportunities for the Black Belt and other areas in the region.