Today Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX-28) announced that under the newly passed and signed five-year federal highway authorization bill, new money would be made available for $19,770,699 worth of transportation projects in the portion of La Salle County that he represents. Congressman Will Hurd (R-TX-23) represents the other portion of La Salle County. A full list of these projects can be found in the attached documents labeled Funding and Projects and Map provided by the Texas Department of Transportation.

“I am pleased to announce these additional funds for La Salle 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 La Salle County road projects will include work on SH 97 and IH 35, both local roads used daily by La Salle County 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 La Salle County has increased from 5,866 to approximately 7,474, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, a population increase of 27.4 percent. This, along with the energy sector activities, 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 La Salle County.”

The federal highway 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.