The Atwater-Merced Expressway (AME) is an extremely important infrastructure project that will provide new high-speed expressway road infrastructure connecting CA-99 to the Mid-California International Trade District (MCITD), Castle Airport and the University of California Merced. The AME will provide vital direct access to the State’s major north-south commercial ground transportation corridor, providing additional capacity for inter-regional economic activity. The first-phase of the project has already completed, an $80M interchange at Buhach Road and CA-99 and Merced County has developed a delivery plan for the next phase of construction which will extend the road to Santa Fe Road/MCITD which will allow direct, no stoplight access from the MCITD project.