Federal Highway Administrator Gregory Nadeau spoke in St. Louis, Missouri today in the last in a year-long, nationwide series of 24 roundtables to discuss the freight economy, including an anticipated 45-percent increase in freight traffic in the next 30 years.
At the roundtable, Nadeau met with regional business leaders and local officials to discuss the economic opportunities and impacts of freight, including elements of national and state freight plans. He also invited state and local leaders to share ideas on improving freight movement for the region.
“It is fitting that our conversations culminate in a city that is both strategically located and enjoys a robust transportation network,” said Administrator Nadeau. “St. Louis was a gateway for the nation in the 19th century, and is poised to do so again for the freight community in the 21st – important to both national and international markets and representing a premier freight hub in our nation.”
The St. Louis metro region’s transportation system offers four interstates – I-44, I-55, I-64 and I-70 – and is at the nexus of the nation’s key north-south and east-west corridors.
Nadeau added that investments in freight lead to jobs and lasting economic benefits for years to come. In addition, the shippers, manufacturers and distributors that move goods and raw materials—and are at the heart of the supply chain—rely on a strong infrastructure to cut operating costs, run more efficiently and become more competitive.