GSA completes first Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funded project at Lukeville LPOE

June 03, 2022

The U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) Pacific Rim Region recently completed the agency’s first Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funded project just in time for the Memorial Day holiday rush at a popular crossing point between Lukeville, Arizona and Sonoyta, Sonora, Mexico. OCS Construction Services.,a small disadvantaged business and certified 8(a) contractor, began its work to replace 50 thousand square feet of asphalt at the Lukeville Land Port of Entry (LPOE) on May 2 and reached substantial completion a short 25 days later.

The Lukeville LPOE, a five lane multimodal port, serves both commercial and non-commercial traffic and is located approximately 149 miles southwest of Tucson, Arizona. The port processes 1 million passengers and more than 400 thousand vehicles annually and plays an integral role in the trade and travel industry. 

Since the port’s original construction in 1976, the asphalt has declined. Potholes and other damaged areas regularly resulted in lane closures, increased wait times for travelers, and hazardous work conditions for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers. The BIL project included the removal and replacement of asphalt in the primary and secondary inspection areas without causing significant impact to the CBP operations or delays in northbound traffic into the United States. The backfilled, compacted and resurfaced areas now creates a smoother experience for officers and traveling public alike.

“Lukeville is a small project that is important to the travel communities and businesses it serves while at the same time enhancing national security, safety and trade at our borders,” said GSA Project Manager Brandon Wharton.

In addition to enhancing security and the traveler experience, the project was also designed to support GSA’s cleaner construction goals by adapting the agency’s newly established standards for concrete and asphalt. The new asphalt standard requires environmental product declarations and at least two environmentally preferable techniques or practices to be used during the material’s manufacture or installation.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is allowing us to make positive impacts on safe and secure border crossing while we continue our efforts in creating sustainable facilities,” Region 9’s Public Buildings Services Regional Commissioner Dan Brown. “BIL has provided $3.4 billion for GSA work at over 26 Land Ports of Entry along our northern and southern borders. We are excited to see additional projects begin in both Arizona and California.”