On Tuesday, lawmakers reached a bipartisan deal on President Biden's trillion-dollar infrastructure bill after weeks of negotiations and roadblocks.

Now, the Rio Grande Valley is expected to benefit from the new infrastructure plan if it's passed.

In 2015, a Dallas Reserve study showed at least 500,000 people in Texas live in low-income colonias. Out of six counties with the highest number of colonias, the Valley has Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr.

"It's difficult for us to continue to grow and diversify our economy when we have [a] limited area to develop in," President of the Starr County Industrial Foundation Rose Benavidez said.

Benavidez works to add jobs and economic growth to Starr County, a population shy of 65,000. But with just one highway in the Valley, her community members are limited.

"We need to connect FM 755, our north-south corridors into our international ports," Benavidez said. "And have a direct connection to those ports of entry."

Last week, U.S. Rep. Filemon Vela, D-Brownsville, announced $3.75 billion to upgrade ports of entry, included in the Infrastructure and Jobs Act.