Deep-South Optimized Transportation System (DOTS)

Suggested Highways from South Carolina to Texas

2005 - 2050

Introduction

The Southern United States is expected to be home to 40 percent of the nations population by the year 2030. As populations have migrated south, highway and transportation systems development has struggled to keep pace. A bold vision and commitment are called for to accommodate the projected growth and to finally connect the South’s mature, present and emerging population centers.

The Deep-South Optimal Transportation System (DOTS) Project seeks to connect long ignored population centers of the Deep-South - areas of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to and as well as the Carolinas, Tennessee, Florida, Arkansas, Texas and beyond. A vastly improved network of Interstate highways is necessary to help connect tertiary and quaternary population centers to primary and secondary population centers. The improved network provides an alternative to bulging ‘Megapolitans’ (like Atlanta) for migrating populations while providing access to the amenities these primary population centers offer. In other words, the highways suggested in this document ‘connect the dots’ around the rest of the South.

This Project Report considers six broad justifications to review when discussing new Interstate System development. The subject areas focus on military installation security and connections, connecting population and economic centers, invigorating economic growth between economic centers, producing fuel economy between and around metropolitan areas, promoting coastal evacuation highway development, and utilizing existing highways, highway segments, and stubs where feasible. Yet, since some of these justifications are quite interconnected, it is difficult to consider any one independently.

Look here for a full detail of the six areas of justification.