Official US Government Icon

Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure Site Icon

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

“INVESTING IN AMERICA: Mississippi” Short-Form Documentary Highlights How the Biden-Harris Administration is Strengthening Rural Communities in the American South

Thursday, July 25, 2024

Click here to view the fourth installment of the Investing in America short-form video series. 

WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. Department of Transportation released the fourth installment of its “Investing in America” video series focused on U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s two-day visit to Mississippi in June. During the trip, Secretary Buttigieg toured projects funded by President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and highlighted how investments from the Biden-Harris Administration are strengthening local economies, creating good-paying jobs, improving the safety and efficiency of supply chains, and connecting communities often overlooked. The video highlights critical improvements to the Port of Rosedale and the reconstruction of the historic Medgar Evers Boulevard, named after the civil rights leader, in Jackson, Mississippi. 

On the first day of the trip, Secretary Buttigieg joined local leaders to visit the Port of Rosedale, a river port that is critical to the local economy and that received a $8.7 million grant from the Port Infrastructure Development Program, to upgrade and expand the port. The funding will benefit rural communities and farmers, improve the efficiency of port operations, and speed up the movement of agricultural goods. 

On the second day, Secretary Buttigieg joined U.S. Congressman Bennie Thompson for the groundbreaking of the Medgar Evers Boulevard project, a historic street and a major thoroughfare. The project received a $20 million RAISE grant to reconstruct a 1.5-mile section of the boulevard into a pedestrian and transit-friendly road, enhancing safety for all modes of transportation and improving connectivity for the once vibrant neighborhood.

The Biden-Harris Administration has dedicated more than $44 billion over five years to rural communities to rebuild and modernize critical transportation infrastructure, including roads, bridges, transit, and airports. In Mississippi, President Biden’s Investing in America agenda has delivered more than $5.4 billion in public investments in infrastructure, clean energy, and manufacturing.

The first video in the series, released, highlighted the Blatnik Bridge, which connects Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin, and would have to close if not for the federal investments the Biden-Harris Administration is making to repair the bridge. The second video, released, showcased Philadelphia’s Chinatown Stitch project, which received $159 million from the Biden-Harris Administration to cap the Vine Street Expressway and address historic inequities. The third video, released last month, featured members of United Steel Workers in Coatesville, Pennsylvania, who produce American-made steel that is used in infrastructure projects across the country. 

###