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“REGARDING THE CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA NATIONAL MILITARY PARK” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6042-H6044 on June 10, 1996.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
REGARDING THE CHICKAMAUGA AND CHATTANOOGA NATIONAL MILITARY PARK
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 848) to increase the amount authorized to be appropriated for assistance for highway relocation regarding the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Georgia, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 848
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. INCREASE IN AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
Section 1(c) of the Act entitled ``An Act to authorize and direct the National Park Service to assist the State of Georgia in relocating a highway affecting the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park in Georgia'', approved December 24, 1987 (101 Stat. 1442), is amended by striking
``$30,000,000'' and inserting ``$51,000,000''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from California [Mr. Pombo] and the gentleman from American Samoa [Mr. Faleomavaega] will each be recognized for 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California [Mr. Pombo].
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. POMBO asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 848, legislation to increase the authorization ceiling for construction of a by-pass road around Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park.
In 1890, Congress designated the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Military Park as the first national military park, in recognition of several important Civil War engagements which occurred there. Like many of the Civil War engagements, the site of this battle occurred along an important transportation corridor, in this case the route leading into Chattanooga, TN.
Mr. Speaker, there is still a high degree of conflict along that transportation corridor, U.S. Highway 27, but today the conflict is between commuter traffic using this road, and those persons who have come to the park to understand and appreciate the important events which took place there 133 years ago. In fact, 90 percent of the 17,200 vehicles using this road daily, including about 800 18-wheelers, are nonpark visitors. The heavy use of this road intrudes significantly on the historic scene, and makes it almost impossible for visitors of the park to use the road as part of the autotour route.
Several years ago, there was a proposal to expand the highway through the park to four lanes. Such a proposal would only have resulted in a greater number of vehicles going through the park. In 1987, Congress passed a law authorizing a bypass around the park in order to protect the park, and improve safety for nonpark traffic.
Unfortunately, due to the amount of rock encountered and fill required, the cost for this project has risen since the original 1987 estimate. Even with the Federal/State matching requirements, the estimated cost of the Federal Government for this road has risen to about $52 million. However there is no question this funding authorization is needed to ensure the protection of this important park.
I am pleased that Mr. Deal has sponsored this legislation and I am glad to be able to support him today. Quite a few Members of this body, and the other body, believe that the best thing they can do for the National Park Service, or for their district, is to create a new national park area. I am pleased that Mr. Deal has focused on taking care of an important historic park which Congress has already set aside; and as this one issue amply illustrates, there is much work to do in our existing park system. This Congress is focusing its attention on those areas rather than adding to the backlog of projects facing the Park Service, and the national deficit at the same time. I commend Mr. Deal for his work, and encourage all my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
(Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 848 would increase the amount authorized for the Federal share of the costs of relocating Highway 27 around the Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Park from $35 million to
$51.9 million. A similar version of this bill was passed by the House during the 103d Congress. We have no objection to enactment of this legislation.
The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was established in 1890 as the first national military park. It was created to commemorate and interpret the battle of Chickamauga in northern Georgia, which took place from September 19 through 22, 1863. ``Chick-
Chat'' was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. The park is maintained as closely as possible to its historic condition with the terrain, vegetation and historic road system that existed in 1863 largely intact.
However, one of the crucial arteries over which the battle was waged, Lafayette Road, locally known as Highway 27, is now a major commuter and commercial route.
The 3.7 miles of the highway located within the park present a significant impediment to visitor safety and enjoyment of the park, and its increasing use threatens the park's resources.
Public Law 100-211 authorized $30 million in Federal funds to assist the State of Georgia in relocating this section of the highway around the park. The Federal contribution was limited to 75 percent of the total cost of relocation, with the funding contingent upon approval by the Secretary of the Interior of the design and location of the by-
pass.
Total appropriated funds stood at $25.446 through fiscal year 1995. Of that, $1.9 was rescinded from the fiscal year 95 appropriation. According to the Federal Highway Administration, the total estimated costs now stand at $69.2 million. The revised Federal share would, therefore, be $51.9 million.
H.R. 848, as reported by the Resources Committee, increases the authorized appropriation to $51.9 million. We note that the Clinton administration also supports enactment of the bill.
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The Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 848, the bill of the gentleman from California, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Georgia [Mr. Deal], the author of the bill.
[Mr. DEAL of Georgia asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. DEAL of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, both gentlemen have adequately addressed this issue as to its purposes. I would simply like to elaborate that this is one of the oldest military parks in our country. It is on a major route that has been there for years. Unfortunately, U.S. Highway 27 goes through the middle of Chickamauga-Chattanooga National Battlefield, and when the State was in the process of widening this very important transportation corridor, which it has designs to do all way from the Tennessee border on the top of the State of Georgia all the way to the Florida border on the south, it required that, in order to expand this route, to either do so in the middle of the national military park or to attempt to bypass it. The decision was made in 1987 to build a bypass around the outskirts of the national military park, and it is for that purpose that this authorization is here today.
Mr. Speaker, the cost of the project has increased from its original estimate, and this bill is for the purpose of reaching the authorization level that is currently projected as the cost of the project. The State of Georgia has been more than willing to pay its portion, and had done so and will continue to do so.
I thank both gentlemen for their support of this legislation, and I would urge this Congress to pass this bill so this important project, around one of the most important national military battlefields, can be completed expeditiously.
Mr. Speaker, I would like to begin by thanking the Resources Committee for bringing this bill up for consideration.
H.R. 848 is a bill to increase the authorization of appropriations for the National Park Service to assist the State of Georgia in relocating a highway affecting the Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park. I introduced this same bill during the 103d Congress as H.R. 3516. It passed the House by unanimous consent; however, the other body did not bring up the bill for a vote.
The Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park was established in 1890 to commemorate the Civil War military engagements which took place there and to allow opportunities for future study of these historic battles. The park was administered by the War Department until 1933 when jurisdiction was transferred to the National Park Service. In addition to its inspirational and commemorative values, the park is also used for military instruction, although this military activity was substantially curtailed following its transfer to the National Park Service. Today, the Army Command General Staff continues to bring field classes here to study the military strategies used during the battles.
Specifically, this project reroutes a 3.7-mile section of U.S. Highway 27, which passes through the park by way of a 7-mile-long bypass around the western boundary. This rerouting is necessary to protect the natural and historic resources within the park from damages caused by heavy traffic.
Highway 27 is a major north-south highway through the center of the Chickamauga National Military Park connecting Chattanooga, TN to Florida. It is a well traveled commuter route between northwest Georgia and Chattanooga. On average, 16,200 vehicles pass through the park each day by way of Highway 27.
U.S. Highway 27 serves as a vital north-south link amoung the three States and its renewal is a top priority of the Georgia DOT. Highway 27 presently is undergoing construction from end to end in order to upgrade the highway for substantial commercial usage. When complete, Highway 27 will be a four-lane highway through rural areas of Georgia and will include five-lane bypass sections around urban areas with limited access.
This is an ongoing construction project. Land acquisition is mostly completed and construction contracts have already been awarded. This includes current construction on two bridge structures. A halt in funding would increase future planning and construction costs and affect the overall completion date of this project.
The original authorization was for $30 million. This bill increases the authorization by $21.9 million. The 1987 cost estimate provided by the Georgia Department of Transportation was based on aerial mapping and broad planning values. The 1993 cost estimate provided by the Federal Highway Administration is based on detailed surveys, computer designs, and geotechnical data from on-site investigation. More cut and fill work is required than was initially expected and a large quantity of rock will need to be hauled from the site. Bridge structure designs had to be changed based on geotechnical data and problems with subsurface base materials.
Let me now explain to you how this is another example of the Federal bureaucracy getting in the States way and costing more money. The Georgia Department of Transportation originally wanted to widen the portion of U.S. 27 which went through the park. The Georgia DOT maintained that this plan was the most viable and environmentally attainable choice and also provided the best transportation service. This plan was estimated to cost approximately $3.9 million. In addition, the Georgia DOT was willing to pay for this project with State funds.
However, the National Park Service would not agree to the State's plan. Instead, the Park Service advocated an alternative which would require that a bypass be built around the park. In 1987, Public Law 100-211 authorized this alternative at a cost of $30 million. This law authorized the National Park Service to assist the Georgia Department of Transportation in building the bypass around the park. The agreement between the Park Service and the Georgia DOT set up matching funds of 75 percent Federal to 25 percent State.
To date, a total of $28.046 million in Federal funds has been appropriated through fiscal year 1996. The State of Georgia has contributed around $7 million to meet their end of the agreement. Let me remind you that the original cost estimate for this project was $3 million.
I have news articles with me which show pictures of unfinished bridges. Other articles have been entitled ``Road To Nowhere.'' This is not the kind of thing which restores the public's faith and trust in their Government. In fact, it creates the very opposite opinion.
The State of Georgia was more than willing to take on this project itself; however, the Federal Government would not allow this to occur. Therefore, the Federal Government has an obligation to Georgia to fulfill its part of the agreement.
Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I note also for the Record the gentleman from New Mexico fully supports this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. POMBO. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Coble). The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from California [Mr. Pombo] that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 848, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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