Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and LPOEs

President Biden signed the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) on November 15, 2021. The BIL is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure, competitiveness, and communities. This legislation is historic in its size and represents the largest ever investment in infrastructure. The BIL focuses on four major topics: 1) transportation; 2) climate, energy and the environment; 3) broadband internet; and 4) environmental remediation. As part of the transportation improvements, the BIL will upgrade our nation’s airports and ports to strengthen our supply chains, prevent disruptions that have caused inflation, create better jobs, and reduce emissions.

The program will provide funds to modernize and improve LPOEs at our northern and southern borders. The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) will fund land port construction and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will fund operations and support requirements. The BIL includes $3.4 billion for GSA, to remain available until expended, to construct, acquire, repair, and alter LPOEs. CBP received $330 million, to remain available until September 30, 2026, for furniture, fixtures and equipment for the LPOEs modernized by GSA under the program.

The program will eventually include over 50 projects divided into four categories:

• Major modernizations (26 projects)
• Paving replacements (21 projects)
• Lease purchases (3 projects)
• Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration locations

The projects are located in 12 states across seven GSA regions. Of the 26 major modernization projects, 16 are listed on CBP’s five-year plan and 10 are prioritized in the American Jobs Plan (AJP) submission. Geographically, 20 of the modernizations are on the northern border and six on the southern border.

Of the 21 paving projects, six are on the northern border and 15 on the southern border. All lease purchases are on the southern border. Please refer to the GSA BIL website for detailed information about the LPOE projects. There are 167 LPOEs at America’s borders. GSA owns and operates 102 facilities (61%) and leases another 22 (13%).