U.S. Senator Katie Britt spoke with Sean Duffy, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, during an appropriations hearing in Washington on Thursday. The two discussed several issues, including the potential widening of I-65, an 887-mile stretch of highway running from Kentucky through Alabama to the Gulf Coast.
The Senator told Duffy that the proposal to widen I-65 has already gained the support of President Donald Trump.
RELATED: Ainsworth ‘proud’ Trump endorses I-65 widening
“When we’re talking about big, beautiful transportation projects that you mentioned, President Trump has made it a priority. He has said publicly that he wants to see I-65 widened,” Britt said (R-Montgomery). “He wants to see it to be a four-lane road there on each side. He said he was committed to making that happen.”
She stressed the significance of widening the roadway for the state of Alabama.
“Look, we know how important that is for our state,” said Britt. “Anyone who wants to travel in Alabama gets stuck on I-65. However, all of these great people who, during the spring and summer, want to come to Alabama’s beautiful, white sand Gulf Coast or, maybe even the Florida Panhandle, come right down 65.”
Duffy was asked by Britt if he would agree to seriously consider the potential project.
“I would just like your commitment to continuing to take a look at that,” she said. “There’s no way that project happens without a partnership with the federal government, and I want your commitment to making sure that we take a look at what President Trump has promised, and we figure out how to make that happen.”
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Sec. Duffy responded in the affirmative.
“I would just say the president’s priorities are also my priorities. So, yes, I’ll take a look at that.”
Britt’s advocacy also drew the support of Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth, a longtime devoted champion of widening I-65.
Let’s go @SenKatieBritt. #gowide65 https://t.co/OUhp4zLxyJ
— Will Ainsworth (@willainsworthAL) May 16, 2025
Austen Shipley is the News Director for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on X @ShipleyAusten
