The Texas Department of Transportation has been awarded a $24 million federal Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to rebuild the Interstate 20 interchange at South Lamesa Road in Midland County. The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the funding to advance the project, known as Fueling Economic Growth: I-20 Energy Sector Interchange, according to a July 8 news release from TxDOT.
The interchange sits along one of the most heavily traveled freight corridors in the Permian Basin, and the agency said the investment will enhance safety, improve mobility and strengthen the nation’s energy supply chain. Texas received approximately $105 million in BUILD funding in total, the largest amount awarded to any state in this funding round, according to the release. The awards will support improvements to highway, freight, rail, transit, port and border infrastructure in communities across the state.
“This investment represents a major step forward for safety and economic vitality in West Texas,” said TxDOT Odessa District Engineer Saul Romero in the release. “By modernizing this critical interchange, we are improving travel for Texans, supporting the energy industry, and ensuring this corridor can meet the demands of a growing economy.”
The I-20 corridor serves as a key artery for transporting oil, gas and other energy-related materials across the Permian Basin, one of the most productive energy regions in the world. The existing interchange at Lamesa Road experiences frequent congestion, extended travel times and recurring bridge strikes caused by oversized freight vehicles, the agency said, creating safety risks for drivers and costly delays for industry.
The redesign will replace the existing Lamesa Road bridge with a new configuration that carries I-20 over the roadway, eliminating the vertical clearance issues that lead to bridge strikes. Plans also call for reconfiguring the frontage roads from two-way to one-way traffic, adding new travel lanes, turn lanes and traffic signals, and improving drainage, lighting and infrastructure to support heavy truck traffic, according to the release.
Permian Strategic Partnership Executive Director Tracee Bentley said in the release that the organization, its 29 member organizations and regional partners “have been laser focused on improving road safety outcomes in the Permian Basin for several years.” She said the acceleration of the project will help make the Permian Basin “a safer place to live and work while our region continues to deliver the world’s largest supply of secure energy.”
Once complete, the upgraded interchange is expected to improve roadway safety for both passenger vehicles and commercial trucks, reduce congestion and lower transportation costs, strengthening supply chains critical to the energy sector, the agency said. Construction is anticipated to begin in October 2027 and finish in late 2029.