The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“RECOGNIZING THE REOPENING OF HIGHWAY 1” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H6578 on July 19, 2018.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
RECOGNIZING THE REOPENING OF HIGHWAY 1
(Mr. PANETTA asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
Mr. PANETTA. Mr. Speaker, I am proud today to recognize the reopening of Highway 1, located south of Big Sur in Monterey County in my district on the Central Coast of California.
Two winters ago, after a long drought and then a large amount of rain, there were a number of landslides along scenic Highway 1, just south of Carmel and north of Morrow Bay. One of those landslides occurred 14 months ago, when close to 8 million cubic yards of dirt and truck-sized rocks came sliding down off that mountain, taking Highway 1 and putting a quarter mile of it right into the Pacific Ocean.
This was the largest landslide and the longest closure along that stretch of the world's most scenic roadway. Unfortunately, it prevented many people from traveling on that route and many businesses in Big Sur from benefiting from that tourism.
But now, 3 months ahead of schedule, the California Department of Transportation, Caltrans, finished rebuilding this road, literally on top of the slide, and it will open today.
I recognize the opening of Highway 1 because it is an example of what can happen when people work hard, work smart, and, most importantly, work together.
Congratulations, and all of us in this body can learn from this.
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