U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced $38.9 million for four key infrastructure projects in Texas, part of a broader $1.8 billion allocation from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program. This initiative, stemming from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, supports 148 projects nationwide, pushing the total investment from the Biden-Harris Administration to over $7.2 billion for more than 550 projects.

Read also: Biden-Harris Administration Unveils 31 Tech Hubs in Nationwide Economic Boost

“After decades of underinvestment, the condition of America’s infrastructure is now finally getting better instead of worse,” said Buttigieg. “Through President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, we’re funding projects across the country to make roads safer, improve community mobility, make transportation infrastructure more resilient to extreme weather, and enhance supply chains.”

The RAISE program, receiving $1.5 billion annually thanks to the infrastructure law, supports projects in both urban and rural areas, with a focus on historically disadvantaged regions. Eligible applicants include state and local governments, tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, allowing for multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that often struggle to secure funding from other sources.

Texas Projects Funded:

1. El Paso County Equitable Mobility Plan ($900,000)

Development of a county-wide plan addressing transportation disparities, promoting social equity, enhancing access to transportation resources, and guiding future design plans and projects. The plan aims to increase access to daily destinations, promote denser development, and encourage the use of public transit options like Sun Metro Mass Transit.

2. Chapin Street Corridor Planning Project, Edinburg ($5,081,700)

Preliminary engineering for the redesign of approximately 3.8 miles of Chapin Street, including roadway upgrades, a shared-use path, pedestrian crossings, traffic signal upgrades, bridge upgrades, infrastructure removal, drainage improvements, and an EV charging station. The redesign will enhance pedestrian and cyclist accessibility to Valley Metro stops.

3. Culebra Road Improvement Project, San Antonio ($8,000,000)

Planning, design, and environmental work for safety and multimodal improvements along a 5-mile segment of Culebra Road from I-410 to General McMullen Drive. The project includes ADA-compliant sidewalks, crossings, dedicated bicycle facilities, transit stops, street trees, traffic calming, and green infrastructure, improving transportation options in a low-income community.

4. Dallas County Inland Port Multimodal Connectivity Project ($25,000,000)

Upgrades to Belt Line Road and Sunrise Road, widening 2-lane roads to 4-lane divided facilities with side paths and sidewalks. The improvements aim to reduce traffic congestion, protect pedestrians and bikers, and enhance the resilience of infrastructure to withstand extreme weather events.

The full list of projects can be viewed here.

Nationwide Impact

The RAISE program is a cornerstone of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, aimed at rebuilding critical infrastructure with American-made materials, stimulating private sector investment, and creating good-paying union jobs. Despite high demand for RAISE funding, with almost $13 billion in requests for the $1.8 billion available this year, the program continues to deliver substantial benefits across the country.

The full list of projects can be viewed on the U.S. Department of Transportation’s website. To date, nearly $454 billion in funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has been announced for over 57,000 specific projects across all 50 states, D.C., and U.S. territories, marking significant progress in America’s infrastructure development.