ICYMI: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Visits Wyoming, Receives Update on Teton Pass Landslide and Visits Infrastructure Projects Funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law

WASHINGTON – On Monday, June 17, U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg was in Wyoming, where he joined Governor Mark Gordon, WYDOT Director Darin Westby and WYDOT staff, and Cheyenne Mayor Patrick Collins. As part of the visit, Secretary Buttigieg received operational updates on the emergency response to the landslide that shut down a portion of Teton Pass on June 8. USDOT has been closely coordinating with WYDOT to support emergency repairs for this vital route, which has a major impact on thousands of workers who commute daily to and from Jackson, WY. 

Secretary Buttigieg also saw progress on a project on U.S. 30 in Cheyenne., which is supported by $15 million in funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The project, set to be complete before the end of the year, is in a fast-growing part of Cheyenne where more homes are being built near a highway that has seen deadly crashes. The project will reconfigure the road and making a number of safety enhancements, including a new bike/pedestrian path that goes under U.S. 30, as well as new turn lanes and signals. Mayor Collins noted that without the federal funding, it's possible it would've been years before the city could have the ability to take it on. 

After the news conference, Secretary Buttigieg visited WYDOT’s Transportation Management Center for a look at how the center operates, and its importance to the traveling public in Wyoming, especially during winter storms. He thanked Wyoming transportation employees for their work and learned about additional infrastructure projects underway across the state. Secretary Buttigieg then took a windshield tour of the improvements being made to the decades-old I-25/I-80 interchange, which recently received a $13 million competitive grant from the President’s infrastructure package. Other notable infrastructure safety investments in Wyoming include a major wildlife crossing project in Southeastern Wyoming, as well as hundreds of new truck parking spaces along U.S. 89, a priority for many long-haul truck drivers who keep our supply chains running and need safe places to park for rest. Before heading out, Secretary Buttigieg joined several Wyoming journalists to provide updates on what he saw and learned during his time in the Cowboy State. 

See below to see what they’re saying about the Secretary’s visit to the Cowboy State: 

Wyoming Tribune Eagle: Buttigieg visits Cheyenne to promote infrastructure funding 
“There’s no such thing as a Republican bridge or Democratic potholes,” Buttigieg said. “Transportation is about getting people to where they need to be, whether it’s at our offices in Washington, D.C., or out here in Wyoming.”  

Buttigieg said safety must remain a top priority as Wyoming continues to invest $1.4 billion in federal funds in transportation projects, including $15 million toward the Highway 30 project. 

Oil City News: Buttigieg highlights infrastructure progress, Highway 22 landslide in Cheyenne visit 
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg visited Cheyenne on Monday to discuss the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA, and its impact on Wyoming. 

During his visit, Buttigieg addressed the recent Highway 22 landslide in Teton County and the $20 million road expansion project in Cheyenne. 

The Cheyenne Post: Cheyenne Hosts U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg 
Mayor Patrick Collins, Gov. Mark Gordon, and WYDOT Director Darin Westby joined Buttigieg for a transportation-focused press conference at the new U.S. 30 Greenway underpass, which is a component of the larger WYDOT-led U.S. 30 widening project in eastern Cheyenne. 

Many transportation projects in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and the rest of the United States use federal transportation dollars to help cover the cost of design and construction, and officials cited positive working relationships at the local, state, and federal levels as contributing to the success of such projects. 

Wyoming News Now – KGWN: U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg visits Wyoming 
$1.4 billion federal dollars are going to efforts in the state, with $15 million for the safety work on US30. 
“The whole idea of President Biden’s Infrastructure package is to take Federal dollars and get them out here to make a difference,” said Buttigieg. 

President Biden’s Infrastructure Law is the biggest investment into roads and bridges since the 1950s. 

Cowboy State Daily: Biden’s Transportation Czar Buttigieg In Wyoming To Hype Infrastructure Act 
“You can’t have a one-size-fits-all approach,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg told Cowboy State Daily. “What’s going to work in Baltimore isn’t the same as what’s going to work in Cheyenne.” 

Buttigieg was in Wyoming to promote a $20 million pedestrian underpass that was recently opened in Cheyenne that was paid for with $15 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law money. As of March, $3.8 billion has been provided to Wyoming as part of the $1.2 trillion package that was passed in 2021. 

###