U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to visit North Texas this week to commemorate a significant multi-billion dollar project.
Secretary Buttigieg is set to journey to Texas on Thursday, April 4, to spotlight an $80 million grant destined for Dallas and McKinney. The funding, a component of President Biden’s Investing in America Agenda, seeks to reestablish connections in communities that were previously divided by transportation infrastructure. These divisions left entire neighborhoods without direct access to essential resources such as schools, employment opportunities, medical facilities and places of worship.
The Bridging Highway Divides for DFW Communities initiative aims to construct four pedestrian caps throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth region, with three of them located in Dallas. The first component involves the installation of support structures for three pedestrian caps/parks across Interstate Highway 30. This infrastructure will synchronize with the timing of TxDOT’s reconstruction of IH 30.
Buttigieg will be joined by Congressman Marc Veasey, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett and local leaders for a press conference, emphasizing how this initiative will foster community cohesion and introduce fresh opportunities and transportation alternatives throughout the Dallas Fort Worth region.
The State Highway 5 project in McKinney will involve constructing an inverted pedestrian cap, incorporating a bridge within the corridor and featuring a pedestrian plaza below the bridge to mend the community and mitigate the adverse impacts of highways.
Funding will also be allocated to extend Klyde Warren Park-Phase 2, further south, expanding an existing pedestrian cap/deck park to enhance access and fulfill the community's vision. Following this, the Southern Gateway Park - Phase 2.0 project will finalize an initial pedestrian crossing to link two roadways and complete the plaza, facilitating seamless connections.
“While the purpose of transportation is to connect, in too many communities past infrastructure decisions have served instead to divide,” Buttigieg previously said in an official statement. “Now the Biden-Harris administration is acting to fix that.”
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