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U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg recently embarked on a tour of Western Montana as part of the Biden-Harris Administration's ongoing Investing in America Tour. The purpose of his visit was to observe the progress made on transportation and infrastructure projects, which have been funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
Secretary Buttigieg commenced his trip with a visit to the Missoula airport, which is currently undergoing expansion due to unprecedented federal funding from the Biden-Harris Administration. He then toured the University of Montana’s Missoula College Construction Trades and Technology Program where he interacted with apprentices and members of the Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers.
On his second day, Secretary Buttigieg met with Missoula Mayor Andrea Davis over coffee to discuss the city's transportation and infrastructure goals. He later visited the Flathead Reservation for a roundtable discussion with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes about their transportation challenges and goals.
To conclude his visit, Secretary Buttigieg highlighted funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law aimed at making U.S. 93 safer for everyone by visiting a wildlife crossing on this route.
During his tour, various comments were made about Secretary Buttigieg’s visit:
Airport director Brian Ellestad said, “This would not be possible without the help of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.”
Secretary Buttigieg stated that they've given out over $2.4 billion to modernize transportation across Montana. He added that it's a level of financial support from the federal government that hasn't been seen in his lifetime.
Mayor Andrea Davis mentioned that federal dollars used for transformative projects significantly improve quality of life for all Missoulians.
According to Secretary Buttigieg, even with historic funding levels, there is always more demand than available funding. Hence, it is crucial to get maximum value out of every penny spent.
Finally, he noted that part of the scope for this project is to ensure that there's protected and separated paths for people, which will make everyday life a little bit easier.