The trip marked the beginning of the Buttigieg's summer of construction tour, where he is visiting new and ongoing infrastructure projects across the country.
Buttigieg began his trip in Raleigh, where he joined Cooper and North Carolina Department of Transportation Secretary Joey Hopkins for a groundbreaking ceremony and press conference celebrating the beginning of construction on the Raleigh to Richmond rail line — an idea 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.
Buttigieg and 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 Biden’s support for organized labor.
Following the roundtable event, Buttigieg 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 Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will improve traffic flow, access, and efficiency along the Raleigh Beltline.
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The next day, 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.
Buttigieg then joined 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 Biden’s infrastructure package.
Buttigieg and 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, Buttigieg 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 Cooper, Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams, and local leaders to tour Holloway Street and meet with local business owners and workers.
