Photo credit: TxDOT

What happened: The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $24 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to reconstruct the Interstate 20 and South Lamesa Road interchange in Midland County, a project aimed at eliminating frequent congestion and recurring bridge strikes by oversized oilfield loads along one of the Permian Basin’s busiest freight corridors.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) will rebuild the interchange by replacing the existing Lamesa bridge with a new bridge that carries I-20 over Lamesa. The current bridge does not provide enough clearance for some oversized loads traveling on the interstate, leading to repeated bridge strikes.

The project also will convert the frontage roads from two-way to one-way traffic, add travel lanes, turn lanes, and traffic signals, and upgrade drainage, lighting, and other infrastructure to better accommodate heavy truck traffic. Rep. August Pfluger announced the award, saying he was proud to help secure the funding and that it will “widen and improve one of the busiest corridors in the Permian Basin.”

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The big picture: According to TxDOT, Texas received about $105 million in BUILD funding this year, funded by federal tax dollars, the largest total awarded to any state, for highway, freight, rail, transit, port, and border infrastructure projects.

Permian Strategic Partnership (PSP) President and CEO Tracee Bentley said the award builds on a years-long regional push. The PSP is a coalition of energy companies that invests in Permian Basin infrastructure and quality-of-life initiatives, with road safety one of its primary focuses.

“The acceleration of this critical project will further leverage those efforts and help make the Permian Basin a safer place to live and work while our region continues to deliver energy for the state, our country and the world,” Bentley said.

What’s next: TxDOT expects construction to begin in October 2027 and finish in late 2029.