The 2026 Ports-to-Plains Alliance Annual Conference will convene Sept. 8-10 in Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico, to examine transportation priorities affecting the I-27 System in Texas and the entire nine-state corridor.
The conference will focus on the policies, funding strategies and partnerships needed to move the I-27 System in Texas — which has been congressionally designated as a Future Interstate — from planning toward implementation while supporting safer, more efficient transportation connections beyond Texas.
More than 250 attendees are expected to participate in discussions involving infrastructure investment, freight mobility, border connectivity and economic development.
Existing I-27 connects Lubbock and Amarillo. Developing the remainder of the designated Texas system will require phased improvements to bring existing highways up to Interstate standards.
Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Marc Williams will deliver the keynote
address.
A featured session, “ASREC Ports: Advancing Secure, Redundant and Economic Corridor from Designation to Delivery,” will present the Alliance’s vision for integrating three High Priority Corridors on the National Highway System into a single ASREC Corridor: Ports-to-Plains (No. 38),
Heartland Expressway (No. 14) and Theodore Roosevelt Expressway (No. 58).
The Alliance envisions ASREC as a modern, smart international corridor supporting trade with Canada and Mexico. Lauren Garduño, president and CEO of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, will lead the discussion.
“We are grateful to the cities of Del Rio and Ciudad Acuña for hosting this year’s conference,” said John Osborne, chairman of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance and president and CEO of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance. “Trade plays a crucial role in every economy. The impact of I-27 continued buildout will expand growth of businesses, communities, and regions, and fast-track the overall economic development of our states and nations.”
Registration is complimentary, but advance registration is required. For planning, security and transportation purposes, walk-in registration cannot be accommodated.
Conference information, registration and the latest schedule are available through the Ports-to-Plains Alliance website.
About the Ports-to-Plains Alliance
The Ports-to-Plains Alliance is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization advocating for a modern transportation corridor that connects communities, businesses and international markets across North America.
Working with Heartland Expressway and Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, the Alliance advocates for long-term improvements throughout the nine-state corridor to strengthen trade, freight mobility, safety, rural infrastructure and economic opportunity.
