Heinrich, Luján Welcome Regional Infrastructure Accelerator Designation of I-40 TradePort Corridor

CENTRAL, N.M. – U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) welcomed U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)’s designation of Central New Mexico as a Regional Infrastructure Accelerator (RIA) for an I-40 TradePort Corridor – an integrated supply chain system of clean energy-logistics-industrial hubs. The designation includes a coalition of Bernalillo County, Sandoval County and the Village of Los Lunas, together with tri-state partners including the Port of Los Angeles, CA, Kingman, AZ and Winslow, AZ. 

Over the next year, the USDOT RIA will help accelerate project delivery through a variety of ways, including project planning, studies and analysis, and preliminary engineering and design work. Initial seed funding to support the I-40 TradePort Corridor planning phase is $974,000. With the USDOT Build America Bureau, the I-40 TradePort will review the use of various agency financing programs to support infrastructure investment at the Corridor’s key hubs.  

“I-40 connects New Mexico communities and businesses to some of the largest markets and trade opportunities in America. I’ve been proud to advocate for and now welcome this strategic federal investment to modernize the I-40 corridor. This funding will help prepare the whole region for more clean and electric delivery vehicles on the road and maintain New Mexico’s central position in our nation’s supply chain and shipping network,” said Heinrich. 

“Our state trade ports and interstates serve as major trade hubs in New Mexico – delivering goods, supporting jobs, and driving economic growth across the southwest,”said Luján. “I’m proud to have supported the RIA designation for I-40. This designation and partnership with USDOT will help fuel economic opportunities and expand clean energy infrastructure in New Mexico.” 

“We are pleased to expand the Regional Infrastructure Accelerator program to 24 regions, helping communities build capacity and get much-needed transportation projects underway,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “DOT partners with these regions to help them secure financing and develop in-house expertise for innovative delivery of regionally significant projects.”  

Each of the RIA recipients will sign cooperative agreements with the Build America Bureau and establish work plans to bring their proposals to fruition. For more information on the RIA program and to learn more about the Build America Bureau, please visit here.  

Previous RIA grant recipients include Fresno Council of Governments (on behalf of TradePort California), Dona Ana County, New Mexico (Santa Teresa TradePort), Central Ohio Transit Authority, Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, Texas, Resilient SR 37 Program, California, Suffolk County, New York Midway Crossing Project, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency, Cleveland, Ohio, San Diego Association of Governments, and Pacific Northwest Economic Region, Seattle, Washington. 

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