The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) has completed its first project at a Land Port of Entry (LPOE) funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). The Lukeville, Arizona, LPOE asphalt repair project was completed only 25 days after it began and used newly-established GSA standards to install low embodied-carbon asphalt. On May 2, OCS construction, a small disadvantaged business and certified 8(a) contractor, began the repairs and finished ahead of schedule on May 27.
GSA also used BIL funding to award $1.98 million for architectural engineering services to Smith-Miller + Hawkinson Architects to design new facilities at the LPOE in Rouses Point, New York. The firm is a woman-owned small business based in New York.
“We’re thrilled that much-needed land port projects at both of our borders are out the door with the help of innovative small businesses,” said GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan. “We look forward to seeing how all of our projects funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will boost security, supply chains, jobs, and sustainability in the months and years ahead.”
The Lukeville LPOE is a five-lane port 150 miles southwest of Tucson that handles about 1 million passengers and 400,000 vehicles annually. It had experienced lane closures due to potholes and other asphalt damage, leading to longer wait times for both travelers and commercial traffic. The backfilled, compacted, and resurfaced areas will modernize the port creating a smoother experience for officers and travelers alike.
“This quick investment immediately made the Lukeville LPOE safer, more efficient, and more sustainable,” said Dan Brown, GSA’s PBS Regional Commissioner for the Pacific Rim Region. “We’ll work toward those same goals with the longer-term BIL projects along the Southern Border.”
The BIL includes a total of $3.4 billion for GSA to build and modernize land ports of entry on the country’s northern and southern borders. The investments will improve commerce and trade, create good-paying construction jobs, and incorporate new and innovative sustainability features.
At Rouses Point LPOE, a multimodal location that processes auto, pedestrian, boat, and train traffic, the project includes the construction of new inspection lanes and a rail inspection platform.
“We’re thrilled to have a designer on board to help us complete this project,” said Michael Gelber, GSA’s PBS Regional Commissioner for the Northeast and Caribbean Region. “I look forward to seeing how a vision comes together for a sustainable, accessible facility that better meets the needs of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as port users.”
