PHOTO RELEASE: Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine L. Chao Meet with Miami-Dade Transportation Leaders

MIAMI – Today, Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), Chairman of the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Subcommittee, welcomed U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao to South Florida. After her arrival at Miami International Airport, Secretary Chao and Congressman Diaz-Balart participated in a transportation and infrastructure stakeholder meeting with Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez, Miami-Dade County Commission Chairman Esteban "Steve" Bovo, MIA Director Emilio Gonzalez, PortMiami Director Juan Kuryla, FDOT Director of Development Harold Desdunes, Miami-Dade Expressway Authority Executive Director Javier Rodriguez, Miami-Dade County Department of Transportation and Public Works Director Alice Bravo, and Miami-Dade Transportation Planning Organization Executive Director Aileen Boucle.

All photos should be attributed to the Office of Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart.

In the afternoon, Secretary Chao and Congressman Diaz-Balart visited Florida International University's Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC) and the Wall of Wind. The university's ABC-UTC focuses on the improvement of accelerated bridge construction, maintenance, and replacement. The Wall of Wind is a state-of-the-art facility that simulates hurricane-strength wind gusts for engineering and resilience testing. Both of these federally-designated research centers allow for the study of best practices and research and development in infrastructure construction.













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