“I am pleased to announce these additional funds for Starr County road projects,” Congressman Cuellar said. “Thanks to the federal highway bill, Texas is estimated to receive more than $18 billion over the next five years. That is $2 billion more than provided under current funding levels. The Starr County road projects will include work on US 83 and FM 755, local roads used daily by residents and travelers. These road improvement projects will help the commuting experience for local residents and enhance the flow of commercial traffic through the county.

“Since 2000, the population of Starr County has increased from 53,597 to approximately 62,955, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a population increase of 17.5 percent. This increase has led to a boom in traffic that slows down private vehicle traffic as well as the commercial traffic that drives the county’s economy. This is why the new federal highway authorization legislation is so vitally important to Starr County.”

The federal highway authorization bill was passed last week by both the House and Senate with resounding majorities. The bipartisan legislation was the first long-term highway authorization bill to be passed by Congress since MAP-21 in 2012.