Appalachian Development Highway System


The Appalachian Development Highway System is a series of highway corridors in the Appalachia region of the eastern United States. The routes are designed as local and regional routes for improving economic development in the historically isolated region. It was established as part of the Appalachian Regional Development Act of 1965, and has been repeatedly supplemented by various federal and state legislative and regulatory actions. The system consists of a mixture of state, U.S., and Interstate routes. The routes are formally designated as "corridors" and assigned a letter. Signage of these corridors varies from place to place, but where signed are often done so with a distinctive blue-colored sign.
The Appalachian Regional Commission forecast benefits of ADHS' completion by FY 2045 as the creation of 47,000 new jobs and $4.2 billion in gross regional product.

History

In 1964, the President's Appalachian Regional Commission reported to Congress that economic growth in Appalachia would not be possible until the region's isolation had been overcome. Because the cost of building highways through Appalachia's mountainous terrain was high, the region's local residents had never been served by adequate roads. The existing network of narrow, winding, two-lane roads, snaking through narrow stream valleys or over mountaintops, was slow to drive, unsafe, and in many places worn out. The nation's Interstate Highway System, though extensive through the region, was designed to serve cross-country traffic rather than local residents.
The PARC report and the Appalachian governors placed top priority on a modern highway system as the key to economic development. As a result, Congress authorized the construction of the Appalachian Development Highway System in the Appalachian Development Act of 1965. The ADHS was designed to generate economic development in previously isolated areas of the 13 Appalachian states, supplement the interstate system, and provide access to areas within the region as well as to markets in the rest of the nation.
The ADHS is currently authorized at, including added in January 2004 by Public Law 108–199. A decade into construction, delays and cost increases mounted, attributed to:
  • highway construction cost inflation
  • upgraded construction guidelines following then-current Interstate Highway standards
  • revised relocation assistance requirements
  • delays associated with environmental protection, and
  • Federal funding limitations
Periodic ADHS Completion Plan Reports were compiled to assess construction and the remaining cost-to-complete forecasts, excerpts listed below.
By FY 2023, – 91.8 percent of the authorized distance – were complete, open to traffic, or under construction. Many of the remaining miles will be among the most expensive to build. The ARC remain involved prioritizing, sequencing remaining corridor work. By 2040, 100% of ADHS' project miles are expected to be complete and open to traffic or, at least, partially complete.
Corridor Z across southern Georgia is not part of the official system, but has been assigned by the Georgia Department of Transportation.

Economic results

Historically, highway investment has served as the basis for many US regional development policies and in 2008 the ADHS was deemed one of the more comprehensive programs to use the approach. To evaluate the effectiveness of such investments, land change modeling was used to compare 1976 "pre-" and 2002 "post-" highway conditions. The study focused on Ohio's SR-32 portion of Corridor D and the 15 counties in close proximity; Adams, Athens, Brown, Clermont, Gallia, Highland, Hocking, Jackson, Meigs, Morgan, Pike, Ross, Scioto, Vinton, and Washington Counties. Using data acquired from the Landsat system of earth observational satellites, the comparison revealed slight, yet significant, levels of urban expansion within a band surrounding the new highway. Beyond this band land use was more stable, indicating even minor distance increases from the highway reduced the likelihood of further development.
Detrimentally, by 2016 new business growth along the corridor was drawing consumer traffic away from adjacent towns causing revenue loss and unintended consequences for the preexisting town-centered businesses.
A 2016 economic assessment of ADHS' construction found regions of Appalachia benefitting differently. Case studies found some boosting tourism income, while others increased industrial activity or commercial/retail activity. Some regions had strong economic growth while others were dormant, the effects dependent on the pre-existing nature of the corridor, its population and workforce, its economic profile and proximity to surrounding business centers or markets. Case study excerpts from five corridors were:
  • Corridor B. Though in total, this case study focused on the segment of Corridor B completed in 2003, passing through the Blue Ridge Mountains to connect western North Carolina with northeastern Tennessee. This project enabled improved access to the Port of Charleston and new residential and commercial developments near Weaverville, North Carolina. The highway led to a direct increase of around 4,600 new jobs in the area.
  • Corridor D. Its eastern segment was completed in 1977, connecting interstates I-77 and I-79. This eastern segment shifted its economy from heavy industry into healthcare, education, government and education services. The highway also helped retain indigenous manufacturing activities and enabled around 1,000 new jobs.
  • Corridor E. Completion of this link enabled the region to boost its pre-existing tourism economy by drawing residents from Washington, DC and Baltimore; expand its pre-existing manufacturing and create new distribution activities. The highway project enabled an estimated 900 new jobs in the region.
  • Corridor Q. Improved connectivity through this mountainous region increased commuting range, facilitated commercial and retail development in several communities, development of an industrial park and a small business incubator. The highway had direct impact adding around 6,250 new jobs along the corridor.
  • Corridor T. Locally known as the Southern Tier Expressway and becoming I-86 in 1998, this project saw economic gains with manufacturing jobs at several industrial parks, tourism jobs at a ski resort and a casino and service jobs at a call center. The corridor was critical in the establishment and expansion of manufacturing facilities for diesel engines, furniture and advanced ceramics – all needing interstate trucking connectivity. Over time, the highway was credited with generating over 3,200 jobs in the region.
A 2016–2019 study reported that the cumulative ADHS construction efforts had led to economic net gains of $54 billion and had boosted incomes in the Appalachian region by reducing the costs of trade. The 2021 ADHS Cost-to-Complete Estimate Report reiterated previous compilations that construction investments made between 1965–2015 contributed to the annual generation of over $19.6 B additional Appalachian business sales, representing $9+ B added GRP. Usage of the ADHS was saving 231 million hours of travel time annually, equivalent to a $10.7 B savings in transportation costs and worker productivity per year. The increased economic activity was helping to maintain or create over 168,000 jobs across the 13 Appalachian states. In 2021 ARC forecast that by 2045 ADHS' construction expenses would yield a return on investment of 3.7, meaning $3.70 in benefits for every $1.00 invested in construction.
Employment gains credited to the ADHS were 16,270 new Appalachian jobs as of 1995; 42,190 by 2015.

List of ADHS corridors

Corridor A

Corridor A is a highway in the states of Georgia and North Carolina. It travels from Interstate 285 north of Atlanta northeast of I-40 near Clyde, North Carolina. I-40 continues east past Asheville, where it meets I-26 and Corridor B.
In Georgia, Corridor A travels along the State Route 400 freeway from I-285 to the SR 141 interchange southwest of Cumming. From here to Nelson, near the north end of I-575, Corridor A has not been constructed; its proposed path is near that of the cancelled Northern Arc. It begins again with a short piece of SR 372, becoming SR 515 when it meets I-575. SR 515 is a four-lane divided highway all the way to Blairsville. From Blairsville to North Carolina, the corridor has not been built, and SR 515 is a two-lane road.
The short North Carolina Highway 69 takes Corridor A north to U.S. Route 64 near Hayesville. Corridor A turns east on US 64, and after some two-lane sections, it becomes a four-lane highway. Corridor A switches to US 23 near Franklin, and meets the east end of Corridor K near Sylva. From Sylva to its end at I-40 near Clyde, Corridor A uses the Great Smoky Mountains Expressway, which carries US 23 most of the way and US 74 for its entire length.

Corridor A-1

Corridor A-1 uses US 19/SR 400 from the point that Corridor A leaves it, at SR 141 near Cumming, northeast to SR 53 near Bright. SR 400 continues northeast as a four-lane highway from SR 53 to SR 60 south of Dahlonega; this section was built "with APL funds as a local access road".

Corridor B

Corridor B is a highway in the states of North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. It generally follows U.S. Route 23 from Interstate 26 and I-40 near Asheville, North Carolina, north to Corridor C north of Portsmouth, Ohio.
Corridor B uses I-240 from its south end into downtown Asheville, where it uses US 23 to Kingsport, Tennessee. The US 23 freeway ends at the Tennessee–Virginia state line, but US 23 is a four-lane divided highway through Virginia and into northeastern Kentucky.
At Greysbranch, Kentucky, Corridor B leaves US 23 to turn east on Kentucky Route 10 over the two-lane Jesse Stuart Memorial Bridge into Ohio. The short Ohio State Route 253 connects the bridge to US 52, a freeway that takes Corridor B north to Wheelersburg. US 52 continues west to Portsmouth, the proposed alignment of Corridor B continues north and northwest along Ohio State Route 823 to US 23 near Lucasville. The part of Corridor B north of SR 253 is also part of the I-73/74 North–South Corridor.