Title 40Public Buildings, Property, and WorksRelease 119-73

§14501 Appalachian development highway system

Title 40 › Subtitle SUBTITLE IV— - APPALACHIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT › Chapter CHAPTER 145— - SPECIAL APPALACHIAN PROGRAMS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - PROGRAMS › § 14501

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation may help build an Appalachian development highway system and local access roads to open up parts of the Appalachian region that lack good access. The main development highways must not total more than 3,090 miles. Local access roads that serve parks, homes, schools, businesses, industry, or similar needs must not total more than 1,400 miles. The Appalachian Regional Commission must send the Secretary corridor locations and end points, which local access roads to build, construction priorities, and other program criteria. Before a State member votes on those choices, they must get advice from their State transportation department. When a new development highway is finished and is not already on the Federal‑aid primary system, it must be added. States may prefer to use local materials. For research, the Secretary may require coal products to be used on up to 10% of the roads. Federal help for any project may pay no more than 80% of the cost. If a State builds a segment without federal money but follows the rules, it can apply, with Commission approval, to be paid up to 80% from allocated funds, but the federal government is not obligated to pay. Sections 106(a) and 118 of title 23 apply, and States must maintain these roads like other Federal‑aid highways; other applicable title 23 rules also apply if they do not conflict.

Full Legal Text

Title 40, §14501

Public Buildings, Property, and Works — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)To provide a highway system which, in conjunction with the Interstate System and other Federal-aid highways in the Appalachian region, will open up an area with a developmental potential where commerce and communication have been inhibited by lack of adequate access, the Secretary of Transportation may assist in the construction of an Appalachian development highway system and local access roads serving the Appalachian region. Construction on the development highway system shall not be more than three thousand and ninety miles. There shall not be more than 1,400 miles of local access roads that serve specific recreational, residential, educational, commercial, industrial, or similar facilities or facilitate a school consolidation program.
(b)(1)The Appalachian Regional Commission shall transmit to the Secretary its designations of—
(A)the general corridor location and termini of the development highways;
(B)local access roads to be constructed;
(C)priorities for the construction of segments of the development highways; and
(D)other criteria for the program authorized by this section.
(2)Before a state member participates in or votes on designations, the member must obtain the recommendations of the state transportation department of the State which the member represents.
(c)When completed, each development highway not already on the Federal-aid primary system shall be added to the system.
(d)(1)In the construction of highways and roads authorized under this section, a State may give special preference to the use of materials and products indigenous to the Appalachian region.
(2)For research and development in the use of coal and coal products in highway construction and maintenance, the Secretary may require each participating State, to the maximum extent possible, to use coal derivatives in the construction of not more than 10 percent of the roads authorized under this subtitle.
(e)Federal assistance to any construction project under this section shall not be more than 80 percent of the cost of the project.
(f)(1)When a participating State constructs a segment of a development highway without the aid of federal amounts and the construction is in accordance with all procedures and requirements applicable to the construction of segments of Appalachian development highways with those amounts, except for procedures and requirements that limit a State to the construction of projects for which federal amounts have previously been appropriated, the Secretary, on application by the State and with the approval of the Commission, may pay to the State the federal share, which shall not be more than 80 percent of the cost of the construction of the segment, from any amounts appropriated and allocated to the State to carry out this section.
(2)This subsection does not commit or obligate the Federal Government to provide amounts for segments of development highways constructed under this subsection.
(g)(1)section 106(a) and 118 of title 23 apply to the development highway system and the local access roads.
(2)States are required to maintain each development highway and local access road as provided for Federal-aid highways in title 23. All other provisions of title 23 that are applicable to the construction and maintenance of Federal-aid primary and secondary highways and which the Secretary decides are not inconsistent with this subtitle shall apply to the system and roads, respectively.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 14501(a)40 App.:201(a) (1st, 3d, last sentences).Pub. L. 89–4, title II, § 201, Mar. 9, 1965, 79 Stat. 10; Pub. L. 89–670, § 8(b), Oct. 15, 1966, 80 Stat. 942; Pub. L. 90–103, title I, § 106, Oct. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 258; Pub. L. 91–123, title I, § 103, Nov. 25, 1969, 83 Stat. 214; Pub. L. 92–65, title II, § 204, Aug. 5, 1971, 85 Stat. 168; Pub. L. 94–188, title I, § 110, Dec. 31, 1975, 89 Stat. 1081; Pub. L. 95–599, title I, § 138(a), (b), Nov. 6, 1978, 92 Stat. 2710; Pub. L. 96–506, § 3(3), Dec. 8, 1980, 94 Stat. 2746; Pub. L. 97–35, title XVIII, § 1822(a)(2), Aug. 13, 1981, 95 Stat. 767; Pub. L. 105–178, title I, § 1117(c), title II, § 1212(a)(2)(B)(iii), June 9, 1998, 112 Stat. 160, 193. 14501(b)40 App.:201(b). 14501(c)40 App.:201(c) (1st sentence, last sentence words before “and each”). 14501(d)(1)40 App.:201(d). 14501(d)(2)40 App.:201(e). 14501(e)40 App.:201(f), (g). 14501(f)40 App.:201(h). 14501(g)(1)40 App.:201(a) (2d sentence words before 6th comma). 14501(g)(2)40 App.:201(a) (2d sentence words after 6th comma), (c) (last sentence words after “to such system”). In subsection (c), the text of 40 App.:201(c) (1st sentence) is omitted as obsolete because appropriations were not authorized under 40 App.:201(g) after fiscal year 1982. In subsection (e), the text of 40 App.:201(g) is omitted as obsolete.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–199, which directed substitution of “three thousand and ninety” for “three thousand and twenty-five” in third sentence, was executed by substituting “three thousand and ninety” for “3,025” in second sentence of subsec. (a) to reflect the probable intent of Congress.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Appalachian Development Highway System Pub. L. 112–141, div. A, title I, § 1528, July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 582, as amended by Pub. L. 114–94, div. A, title I, § 1435, Dec. 4, 2015, 129 Stat. 1430, provided that: “(a) Sense of the Senate.—It is the Sense of the Senate that the timely completion of the Appalachian development highway system is a transportation priority in the national interest. “(b) Modified Federal Share for Projects on ADHS.—For fiscal years 2012 through 2050, the Federal share payable for the cost of constructing highways and access roads on the Appalachian development highway system under section 14501 of title 40, United States Code, with funds made available to a State for fiscal year 2012 or a previous fiscal year for the Appalachian development highway system program, or with funds made available for fiscal year 2012 or a previous fiscal year for a specific project, route, or corridor on that system, shall be up to 100 percent, as determined by the State. “(c) Federal Share for Other Funds Used on ADHS.—For fiscal years 2012 through 2050, the Federal share payable for the cost of constructing highways and access roads on the Appalachian development highway system under section 14501 of title 40, United States Code, with Federal funds apportioned to a State for a program other than the Appalachian development highway system program shall be up to 100 percent, as determined by the State. “(d) Completion Plan.—“(1) In general.—Subject to paragraph (2), not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of the MAP–21 [deemed to be Oct. 1, 2012], each State represented on the Appalachian Regional Commission shall establish a plan for the completion of the designated corridors of the Appalachian development highway system within the State, including annual performance targets, with a target completion date. “(2) Significant uncompleted miles.—If the percentage of remaining Appalachian development highway system needs for a State, according to the latest cost to complete estimate for the Appalachian development highway system, is greater than 15 percent of the total cost to complete estimate for the entire Appalachian development highway system, the State shall not establish a plan under paragraph (1) that would result in a reduction of obligated funds for the Appalachian development highway system within the State for any subsequent fiscal year.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

40 U.S.C. § 14501

Title 40Public Buildings, Property, and Works

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73