Today, U.S. Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28) joined state and local leaders in Laredo for the groundbreaking ceremony to upgrade State Highway 359 in Laredo.

“As Laredo continues to grow with commercial and non-commercial traffic, securing robust federal transportation funding for South Texas remains a top priority of mine in Congress,” said Dr. Cuellar, a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee. “The State Highway 359 upgrade will help improve traffic and safety while encouraging future economic development – a major win for Laredo. Thank you to my state and local partners for working with me to make this expansion possible, including the Texas Department of Transportation, State Senator Judith Zaffirini, State Representative Richard Raymond, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, the Webb County Commissioners, Mayor Victor Treviño, and the Laredo City Council.”

The upgrades to State Highway 359 will widen approximately 6 miles of the road. Construction is expected to begin soon. The expansion project will help improve traffic congestion and passenger safety while encouraging future economic development in Laredo.

Dr. Cuellar has long worked to secure federal transportation funding for Laredo. Earlier this year, he announced $360 million for the US 59 Loop project, of which $288 million is federal funding. In the 2024 TxDOT Unified Transportation Plan, the Laredo District is authorized to receive over $1.9 billion, of which nearly $1.5 billion is federal funding.

Key Takeaways:

• The State Highway 359 upgrade project will improve traffic and safety while encouraging future economic development
• The total cost is $48 million, including $38 million in federal funding
• Webb County is authorized to receive nearly $1.5 billion in federal transportation funding over the next ten years

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