Jeff Bingaman United States Senator from New Mexico

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Jeff Bingaman and Pete Domenici today reported that President Bush has signed into a law a measure that sets aside $14 million for road and other improvements in Santa Teresa to prepare for the relocation of El Paso rail yard.

The law redirects $14 million from the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA) originally slated for the relocation of the Union Pacific rail yards in El Paso to Santa Teresa, for road infrastructure and other projects related to the relocation of the new yard. The New Mexico lawmakers worked to redirect that funding in a law that makes technical corrections to SAFETEA.

“The relocation of the Union Pacific Rail Road to southern New Mexico will be very good for the economy of the border region. We need to ensure that the Santa Teresa infrastructure is prepared, and this new law will make that happen,” Bingaman said.

“The economic power of this Union Pacific Railway facility partially depends on the presence of appropriate transportation infrastructure. I am happy this legislation will direct federal funding toward roadway improvements to ensure the facility’s success in the southern New Mexico border region,” said Domenici.

Union Pacific Rail Road announced in October 2006 that it would relocate some of its El Paso facilities to an area four miles west of Santa Teresa at a cost of $150 million, binging 285 jobs to New Mexico. The state of New Mexico agreed to help with some of the basic infrastructure to support the new rail yard and intermodal center. The state will use $14 million for new roads to connect the rail yard to the international border crossing at Santa Teresa and to NM highway 136.

The SAFETEA technical corrections law was signed by the president Friday.