As the debate over Mexican truck rules rages on in the U.S. Congress, a federally-sponsored initiative to promote the movement of goods from border to border took one step forward. The Colorado Transportation Commission has agreed on an in-state truck route for the federal government's Ports to Plains corridor.

The favored route will extend from Dumas, TX, on U.S. 287 to Limon, CO, and then I-70 to Denver. The commission rejected a proposal for the route to follow U.S. 87 from Dumas to Raton, NM, where it would follow I-25 north to Denver.

The commission reportedly favored the route on U.S. 287 because it has excess capacity for truck traffic and will for two decades or more, especially after improvements are made on the route. It is expected to carry an estimated 4,000 to 5,000 trucks each day.

The I-25 corridor from Pueblo to Denver is already heavily traveled. According to the Denver Post, between 19,000 and 25,000 trucks travel the corridor daily.

Officials from each of the four regional states (Colorado, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) are scheduled to meet this week to reach a "unified consensus" on the route. If an agreement is not reached by Sept. 30, the Federal Highway Administration will make a route recommendation to Congress.