Wyoming’s congressional delegation is backing new bipartisan legislation aimed at expediting infrastructure development by reforming the federal permitting process for transportation projects, Sheridan Media reports.
US Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barrasso, along with Representative Harriet Hageman, introduced the Small Projects Expedited Execution and Delivery (SPEED) Act this week to help reduce delays in road and bridge construction across Wyoming and the nation.
The bill proposes amendments to the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), with the goal of expanding access to categorical exclusions—federal exemptions that allow certain transportation projects to bypass more extensive environmental reviews. Specifically, the SPEED Act would double the thresholds that qualify projects for streamlined review.
Under the proposed changes, transportation projects with federal assistance of up to $12 million (up from $6 million) and total project costs of up to $70 million (up from $35 million) would be eligible for a faster approval process. According to Sen. Lummis’ office, the measure is designed to maintain environmental safeguards while accelerating project timelines.
“Reducing red tape is critical to delivering the transportation infrastructure Wyoming communities rely on,” said Lummis in a statement. “This bill will allow smaller-scale projects to move forward more efficiently without sacrificing environmental protections.”
Supporters of the bill argue that lengthy permitting processes have historically hindered the timely completion of essential transportation upgrades, particularly in rural and sparsely populated areas where smaller projects are common.
The SPEED Act has bipartisan support in Congress and is positioned as part of a broader effort to improve infrastructure efficiency nationwide.
