SH 4 is the road that leads to Starbase. An official says the amount of traffic using it is ‘unreal’

MISSION, Texas – At a recent TxDOT Border Trade Advisory Committee meeting in Brownsville, Kathryn Lueders, Starbase’s general manager, stressed the importance of State Highway 4 to SpaceX.

She did so more than once.

Lueders said SpaceX has more than 2,100 staff driving to and from work on SH 4 every day, in addition to over 500 contractors that are helping support the company’s work at Starbase.

“We have construction in our village area, we have construction in the Star factory area. We’re building another megabank and we’re building a second pad. So, all of that needs people and material and commodities to support all these activities.”

Lueders said there is no way other than SH 4 to get in or out of Starbase. Asked whether SpaceX brings anything into Starbase by rail, Lueders said it does get material delivered by sea into the Port of Brownsville. However, it is then taken to the facility by truck.

“Right now, we’re in the process of… everything that is going that is huge, water, gas, everything else, it is going down Highway 4,” Lueders said. “And we are working on setting up and working with the Public Utility Commission here to be working on a water pipeline. But we’re also getting our utilities in place for us to be able to minimize some of that traffic. But Highway 4 is still our major artery for our materials coming in and out.”

After reporting on Lueders’ presentation to BTAC, the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service sought the views of TxDOT.

In an interview following a roundtable discussion on transportation infrastructure at Anzalduas International Bridge, Pedro ‘Pete’ Alvarez, TxDOT’s Pharr district engineer, said improving SH 4 is a high priority.

“We are currently wrapping up an emergency contract to basically rehabilitate nine miles or so of that highway. We’re about to go into the bidding process for the remaining length of that project here next month in May. And so that’ll enable us to basically rehabilitate the entire corridor, a state highway from FM 1419 to basically Boca Chica beach,” Alvarez said.

Asked what rehabilitate means, Alvarez said: “Basically reconstruction of the roadway, reconstruction to the current configuration, which is two lanes and two shelters.”

The rehabilitation does not mean more lanes on SH 4, Alvarez stressed. However, he said, plans are underway for an expansion.

“We have another project identified in 2026. That will add some passing lanes to improve safety in the area.”

Asked if TxDOT has noticed an increase in traffic on SH 4, Alvarez said:

“Oh, yes. It’s unreal, the amount of traffic. And it’s not just regular vehicular traffic. We’ve seen an increase in overweight, oversize, large trucks, rocket ships, all sorts of things that are coming into the area.”

So, a tremendous increase in traffic in that area?

“Most definitely, (but) we’ve been working on these projects. We issued an emergency contract, a rehabilitation contract, coming later this year, and then another project coming in 2026.”

Here is a video interview with TxDOT Pharr district engineer Pete Alvarez about State Highway 4:

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