ARLINGTON, VA – The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) recently announced that 60 organizations from across the agriculture and agribusiness sectors have expressed support for legislation introduced by Representative Mike Bost and Representative Josh Riley — the Agricultural and Rural Road Improvement Program Act (H.R. 4585 / ARRIP Act). This bill aims to improve the rural roads and bridges that are essential to rural communities and the rural economy, especially farmers and the industries that support and serve American agriculture.
TFI led the letter signed by national, regional, and state ag associations and sent to the bipartisan leadership of the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. The groups pointed out that the United States’ rural road network includes a significant number of outdated, weight-limited, and limited-capacity roads and bridges on the local routes that provide critical first- and last-mile connectivity between highways, farms, and the facilities involved in the production, supply, storage, and transportation of agricultural inputs and products.
Rural local roads and rural minor collectors are the one- and two-lane routes that provide first- and last-mile connectivity between farms and the places, essential products, and key facilities farmers and rural communities depend on for successful harvests, market access, and a vibrant economy. The same holds true for rural manufacturers shipping and receiving goods. These roads are vital to ensuring Rural America is competitive and connected to key markets.
Despite the essential role these roads and bridges play for farmers, supply chains, and rural communities, too many need modernization to address outdated designs, weight restrictions, capacity limitations, and safety challenges. These challenges lead to delays, increased costs, and greater safety risks for all motorists.
The agriculture sector directly feels these impacts, with the USDA finding that the first and last miles of an agricultural truck trip — the portion using rural local and minor collector roads — are the costliest part of the journey for a farmer or a farm-focused business due to delays and less direct routes. Further, the USDOT has found that 80% of the Nation’s weight-restricted bridges are on local roadways where agricultural equipment commonly travels. All these impact farmers, the efficiency of rural supply chains, and the prices consumers pay for food and other goods. The ARRIP Act would make important progress in addressing these challenges.
With state and local funds frequently focused on basic maintenance of these roads and bridges, the ARRIP Act reprioritizes nearly $1.5 billion over five years in existing highway formula funds toward replacing or rehabilitating rural bridges to eliminate posted weight limits, providing or increasing first- and last-mile access to a farm, agricultural facility, or other site supporting the economy of a rural area, or improving highway safety all while maintaining these funds’ formula status and important flexibilities for states.
View the letter and signatory organizations here.
