U.S. General Services Administration
Bridge of the Americas Land Port of Entry to be Modernized Under Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Signed by President Biden
El Paso, TX - The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) today announced that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden will enable the modernization of the Bridge of the Americas (BOTA) Land Port of Entry (LPOE) in El Paso, Texas, strengthening supply chains and enhancing security and trade throughout the region.
“America’s land ports are vital to our economy and our security, with billions of dollars in goods and services crossing our borders each and every day,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “These bipartisan investments are a historic opportunity to modernize our land ports in ways that will create good-paying jobs and strengthen supply chains, while enhancing safety and security.”
The $3.4 billion in direct spending by GSA under the law is estimated to support, on average, nearly 6,000 annual jobs over the next 8 years; add $3.23 billion in total labor income across the United States; contribute an additional $4.5 billion to the National Gross Domestic Product (GDP); and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue for state, local, and federal governments.
“Our underfunded and outdated infrastructure has real costs to families, our economy, and our global competitiveness,” said Senior Advisor & White House Infrastructure Coordinator Mitch Landrieu. “President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is investing in strengthening our supply chains, including our land ports which are vital for moving goods across our borders.”
The project, which will involve a more than $600 million* investment, will fully modernize the facility, helping to improve traffic flow and decrease wait times. The project will also allow U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to more effectively deploy technology to identify high risk activity and shipments, combat drug trafficking, and increase operational security.
“Investing in our land ports of entry helps GSA support our customer agencies like the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration,” said Acting Regional Administrator Giancarlo Brizzi. “By modernizing our facilities, we will be able to better support their mission to secure our borders while also boosting the U.S. economy.”
“The economic prosperity of El Paso and the strength of our national supply chain relies on the trade flowing across our outdated land ports of entry,” said Congresswoman Veronica Escobar. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the much-needed modernization and expansion of the Bridge of the Americas Land Port of Entry will be fully funded. I look forward to working closely with the General Services Administration, the Department of Homeland Security, and community partners and stakeholders in our binational region to ensure this project creates good-paying jobs, promotes economic growth and development, and reduces air pollution in the borderland.”
The Bridge of the Americas LPOE is one of 26 major construction and modernization projects at LPOEs that will be funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The average LPOE is nearly 40 years old and long overdue for upgrades. Investment in port modernization will strengthen supply chains, improve operational capabilities and facility infrastructure, spur economic growth, and bolster the country’s security.
These projects also provide the opportunity to incorporate sustainability features that will sharply reduce greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate the impact of buildings on the environment, and simultaneously increase the mission readiness of the federal government by increasing resilience to climate change. Additionally, these projects will be conducted in a way that strives to be responsive to local community needs and meets the Administration’s overall commitment to support the livability and vitality of communities where federal facilities are located.
The other major border projects in Texas that will move forward under the law are the Brownsville-Gateway LPOE, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and paving projects at a number of LPOEs. The legislation will invest in projects which will also foster economic growth and job creation in surrounding communities.
*Note: Estimated project costs are planning estimates and subject to change due to time and market conditions.
For more information on how GSA is modernizing land ports of entry, please visit gsa.gov/lpoe.
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About GSA: GSA provides centralized procurement for the federal government, managing a nationwide real estate portfolio of nearly 370 million rentable square feet and overseeing approximately $75 billion in annual contracts. GSA’s mission is to deliver value and savings in real estate, acquisition, technology, and other mission-support services across government, in support of the Biden-Harris administration’s priorities. For more information, visit GSA.gov and follow us at @USGSA.