ICYMI: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Kicks off Summer of Construction Tour in North Carolina, Visits Construction Sites and Groundbreakings with Governor Cooper

WASHINGTON - This week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Governor Roy Cooper in North Carolina, where they visited active construction sites and groundbreakings for critical infrastructure projects that were made possible by President Biden's Investing in America Agenda, and met with local leaders, union representatives, workers, and small business owners.

The trip marked the beginning of the Secretary's summer of construction tour where he is visiting new and ongoing infrastructure projects across the country.

The Secretary began his trip in Raleigh on Monday, where he joined Governor Cooper and North Carolina DOT Secretary Joey Hopkins for a groundbreaking ceremony and press conference celebrating the beginning of construction on the Raleigh to Richmond rail line - an idea finally made possible by the Biden-Harris Administration's historic commitment to infrastructure investments and public transportation, including $1.1 billion in federal funding toward this project.

Secretary Buttigieg and Governor Cooper then traveled to the AFL-CIO in Raleigh, where they joined North Carolina AFL-CIO leaders and representatives from several North Carolina union locals for a roundtable conversation about local needs and issues, as well as President Biden's support for organized labor.

Following the roundtable event, the Secretary visited the ongoing construction along I-440 to receive a briefing on the progress on the Blue Ridge Road project and meet with construction workers at the site. This project received $15.2 million in funding from President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will improve traffic flow, access, and efficiency along the Raleigh Beltline.

On Tuesday, Secretary Buttigieg began his morning in Winston-Salem by touring construction sites for the ongoing Winston-Salem Northern Beltway Project, which has received $350 million in federal funding from the Biden-Harris administration.

The Secretary then joined Governor Cooper, Mayor Allen Joines, NC Board of Transportation Chairman Mike Fox, and local leaders outside Truist Stadium to break ground on the Salem Parkway Multi-Use Path project, which is partially funded by President Biden's infrastructure package

Secretary Buttigieg and Governor Cooper then traveled to North Carolina A&T State University's Transportation Institute for a discussion about transportation research and innovation with university administrators, faculty, and students.

To close out the trip, the Secretary traveled to Durham to highlight some of the major RAISE grant investments in North Carolina - including the recently announced $12 million grant to the City of Durham to improve 33 intersections along Holloway Street, Durham's busiest transit route. He joined Governor Cooper, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, and local leaders to tour Holloway Street and meet with local business owners and workers.

See below to see what they're saying about the Secretary's visit to the Tar Heel State:

Charlotte Observer: USDOT's Pete Buttigieg helps kick off $1.1 billion passenger rail project in Raleigh

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg will take part in a groundbreaking ceremony in North Raleigh on Monday for a bridge that will carry Durant Road over a railroad line.

The bridge is part of a $1.3 billion project to provide passenger service between downtown Raleigh and Wake Forest by 2030. It's the first leg of what state and federal officials say will be a direct high-speed rail connection between Raleigh; Richmond, Virginia, and the Northeast.

Spectrum News 1: All aboard: Officials break ground on the new Raleigh to Richmond rail line

Gov. Roy Cooper joined U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Monday to break ground on a new high-speed rail line, according to a release from the Department of Transportation. Once complete, the new rail line will link Raleigh to Richmond.

The stop will mark the first on Buttigieg's national summer construction tour. The funding for the infrastructure projects in North Carolina comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed by Congress in 2021.

Newsweek: Construction Begins on New High-Speed Rail Line

Speaking at Monday's event in North Raleigh, Buttigieg thanked North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis who was one of 18 Senate Republicans who crossed the floor to support the infrastructure bill in 2021. Buttigieg said he hoped "more of that bipartisan spirit prevails on more efforts that we have underway in Washington."

Winston-Salem Journal: Buttigieg to attend groundbreaking for path beside Salem Parkway on Tuesday

NC Newsline: Buttigieg, Cooper break ground on new Raliegh-to-Richmond high speed rail line

"North Carolina has done very well in investments from the federal government with this bipartisan infrastructure legislation," said Cooper. "I'm so grateful that President Biden got this and other major pieces of legislation through that really are generational investments that will help our children and our children's children."

WXII 12 News: US secretary of transportation joins with governor to celebrate multi-use path groundbreaking in WS

Buttigieg said this project will benefit an area that's growing rapidly.

"The best moments are when projects become reality," he said. "People are deciding where to live, where to locate businesses. Knowing that there's that kind of quality of place really matters in that decision-making, and it's just an investment in a better future for a new generation."

Richmond Times-Dispatch: Work starts on Raleigh-Richmond passenger rail line

"Every one of those projects - and the 57,000 others that are funded, and counting, through President Biden's infrastructure package - is really about one simple purpose, which is to make everyday life easier for the American people," Buttigieg said, speaking at a podium that bore the president's name in an empty lot near the Durant Road crossing.

WFMY News 2: Pete Buttigieg in Winston-Salem for National Summer Construction Tour

Buttigieg checked out the Northern Beltway Project under construction in Winston-Salem. This project aims to build a multi-lane freeway that loops around the northern part of Winston-Salem to help alleviate traffic congestion and improve safety.

It's for the Secretary's National Summer Construction Tour as he highlights how the infrastructure law improves our region.

WRAL News: Buttigieg, Cooper break ground on $1 billion direct rail connecting Triangle to Richmond, Virginia

Buttigieg said the project will create a lot of good before it's done in 2029 or 2030.

"It's creating good-paying jobs," Buttigieg said. "It's helping businesses grow. It means presents under the tree. It means homeownership, means a new car truck in the driveway for so many families in and around Raleigh who were involved in the project, but then when it's complete, then you have a whole new chapter of economic benefit from having that high-quality passenger rail."

Video: WRAL News: Transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg in Durham Tuesday to tour Holloway Street safety project

ABC 11 Raleigh-Durham: Pete Buttigieg continues infrastructure tour, stops in Durham

As part of his infrastructure tour, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg will make a stop in Durham Tuesday while visiting North Carolina.

Last week, it was announced that the Bull City was awarded $12 million by the U.S. Department of Transportation. The funding will help provide improvements for 33 intersections along Holloway Street and is expected to benefit small business owners as well as the rest of the community.

Video: ABC 11 Raleigh-Durham: Construction starts on railroad connecting Raleigh to Richmond

Railway Age: S-Line Project Kicks Off in North Carolina

"Thanks to Secretary Pete [Buttigieg], USDOT, the Federal Railroad Administration and all our partners for making the S-Line passenger rail a reality!!" NCDOT Secretary Joey Hopkins said in a July 1 LinkedIn post. "Thanks to the hard work of our NCDOT team we broke ground on the first construction project in the Raleigh to Wake Forest segment, a $19M project to grade separate Durant Road 7 months after the grant announcement!!"

WNCN - CBS 17: Raleigh-Richmond rail line groundbreaking prompts visit from U.S. Transportation Secretary

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visited the Triangle Monday to mark the beginning of construction on a high-speed rail line from Raleigh to Richmond, Virginia.

"This really represents the beginning of a new era of passenger rail in North Carolina," Buttigieg said.

Buttigieg was joined by Governor Roy Cooper and other state officials who said this groundbreaking was years in the making.

"Now, it's coming together not just on paper, not just in dollars and cents, but with extraordinary speed, actually turning into physical movement," Buttigieg said.

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