On Friday, The Go Wide I-65 Coalition, a new 501(c)(4) group, launched a campaign to widen Alabama’s Interstate 65, a plan steadily championed by Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth. The campaign’s launch is accompanied by billboard advertisements that can be seen all along I-65, from the Tennessee state line to Mobile beginning today.

George Clark, executive director of the coalition, said the campaign is designed to increase awareness of and the urgency for widening I-65 to accommodate increasing traffic congestion of the state’s important transportation corridor.

“I-65 is the primary artery of the state of Alabama and literally carries the state’s economic lifeblood every day,” Clark said.

George Clark is no stranger to Alabama’s infrastructure challenges. With a history of working alongside associations, businesses, industries, and lawmakers as the former longtime director of Manufacture Alabama, Clark has long advocated for improvements to the state’s transportation network. Clark says the Go Wide I-65 Coalition will focus on the expansion plan proposed by Alabama Lt. Governor Will Ainsworth.

“Lt. Governor Ainsworth has taken the lead in advocating for this essential infrastructure project,” Clark said. “Our campaign utilizes the foundation he has established.” The Ainsworth Plan proposes expanding I-65 to three lanes on both sides. It addresses current congestion and safety issues, fosters economic growth, and ensures the state is prepared for future transportation needs.

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“Our goal is to grow this campaign into a much bigger coalition and see expansion adopted by the political leadership of Alabama. It is perhaps the most important economic development project Alabama can adopt,” Clark said.

According to the new group, soon to be ubiquitous across the state, the Ainsworth Plan’s impact on traffic flow, safety, economic growth, and overall quality of life makes expanding I-65 a necessary and urgent need that requires immediate attention and action.

Last year, the Ainsworth Plan picked up a massive endorsement from former President Donald Trump. “One of the first things that I will do to help the great people of Alabama is to approve a six-lane I65 from Huntsville to Mobile,” Trump said. If reelected, Trump pledged he would secure federal funding for the project by working with the state’s congressional delegation.

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There are 366 miles of I-65 running through Alabama. Currently, only 80 miles consist of three or more lanes. Subtracting approved projects already in the pipeline leaves approximately 277 miles of I-65 left for expansion to three lanes.

Expanding I-65 to three lanes will create enormous economic and quality-of-life benefits for the state, the group says, which will lead to increased economic growth, boost tourism, bring significant safety improvements, accommodate future growth and improve quality of life in every corner of the state.