Once billed as the "NAFTA Superhighway," little has been done to construct a new interstate that would link Canada to Mexico, ease truck congestion and speed the flow of goods, according to media reports.

In 1997, Congress authorized the construction of I-69, expected to cost at least $8.5 billion. Little pavement has been laid since because of state-level disputes about where to locate sections of the highway, The Washington Times reported.

Today, there are renewed debates over whether the highway is still needed and whether Congress will follow through with funding.

The Department of Transportation will ask Congress next year for $6.6 billion for I-69 as part of reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century, James Newland, executive director of the I-69 Mid-Continent Highway Coalition, told the newspaper. The remaining funding would come from matching funds by individual states.

The interstate would go through Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. It already exists from Canada, through Michigan, to Indianapolis.

The new route is expected to cut four hours in travel time between Indianapolis and the Mexican border, and help ease an increase in truck flow caused by the 1993 North American Free Trade Agreement.