NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD) – U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and South Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn toured local infrastructure and the airport during today’s visit and discussed critical investments to the Charleston-area infrastructure.

“What has been accomplished here today,” Clyburn said, “bringing all these groups together, this is monumental.”

Clyburn praised Buttigieg’s commitment to improving infrastructure in our area.

“Secretary Buttigieg is providing significant, beneficial leadership,” Clyburn said.

Buttigieg toured the Tri-County to assess roads, ports, the airport and public transit systems.

“It’s just so inspiring to see how those federal dollars are going to be put to work,” Buttigieg said.

The secretary says those federal dollars will have major benefits for our region.

“It’s going to reduce congestion on the roadways,” Buttigieg said. “It’s going to be good for businesses that can engage new workers and find new customers, and it’s going to improve quality of life at a scale that we can only achieve when we work together.”

And positively impact many people in our area, also.

“The work that’s going to have to be done means job creation and that also means chances to build generational wealth,” Buttigieg said.

The representatives met with airport leaders to discuss how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law can help them as well.

“Everything from the sort of what I would call the back-of-the-house,” Buttigieg said. “The aprons, the air traffic control systems, that sort of thing, to an airport terminal program to support the things that passengers see every day.”

Secretary Buttigieg says political stance is not a factor when improving infrastructure. Their only goal is to make sure the funding goes where it is needed most.

“There’s nothing Republican or Democrat about the port,” he said, “or the airport, or about the roads or the bridges. Indeed, I am especially encouraged when I see people working across party lines to get stuff done.”

Secretary Buttigieg says he’s excited to see what comes from the money spent on infrastructure here in the Lowcountry.