Que Pedo: SpaceX’s Ongoing Effects in the RGV and a Multi-Million Dollar Project for SpaceX’s Driveway
Story by Nina Alegre
Edited by Abigail Vela
Since SpaceX’s arrival to Cameron County, the American aerospace company has been threatening the existence of community enjoyment once found at Boca Chica Beach, from the fishing done by locals to spending a calm, relaxing day by the ocean waves without having to worry about whether or not the beach will be closed off.
Just within the last month, SpaceX has been able to create the city of Starbase, gain approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to increase the launches of Starship/Superheavy from five to 25 times per year and what’s even more upsetting is that the Texas Legislature gave authority to Starbase to shut down Boca Chica Beach for SpaceX launches.
There is also a multi-million-dollar project in the works that will improve and expand State Highway 4 (SH 4), the only highway that connects SpaceX and Boca Chica Beach.
This project will not only cost millions of dollars but will also continue to harm the environment in the areas that need to be cleared for its construction. Some of the preliminary constraints identified for this project include water resources (waters of the U.S. and wetlands), the Texas Coastal Management Program Coastal Zone, adjacent National Register of Historic Places sites, adjacent Coastal Barrier Resources, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lower Rio Grande Valley National Wildlife Refuge.
State Highway 4: Widening Project Details
In March, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) announced its proposal to widen SH 4 leading up to SpaceX’s Boca Chica launch facility. Ray Pedraza, TxDOT’s spokesperson, says the widening would start near the Border Patrol checkpoint at FM 1419 and end approximately 13 miles away at Joanna Street near Starbase (formerly known as Boca Chica Village). TxDOT hosted a virtual and in-person public meeting in late March to discuss the widening of SH 4 in Cameron County.
Environmental clearance for the SH 4 widening project is expected to be completed this summer, and construction is anticipated to begin as early as winter 2026. The proposed project would involve construction in wetlands, and the project widening would cost an estimated $179 million.
Data from TxDOT shows that in 2019, 645 vehicles drove down SH 4 in a day. That number jumped to over 4,600 in 2023 and is expected to grow to over 19,700 by 2050.
Bekah Hinojosa (she/her), co-founder of South Texas Environmental Justice Network (SOTXEJN), provided the following statement regarding the SH 4 widening project: “TxDOT’s proposal to expand and repair [SH 4] is another example of SpaceX reaping even more taxpayer dollars for their facility. Community members living along [SH 4] call this TxDOT project “SpaceX’s driveway.” Longtime Brownsville residents will tell you that [SH 4] didn’t need any major repairs until SpaceX came in with its construction trucks, heavy equipment, and rocket operations, which damaged the road. SpaceX should pay for the [SH 4] repairs because they destroyed the highway, not Texas taxpayers.”
SpaceX’s Continued Destruction of Boca Chica Beach
Hinojosa’s statement also further highlights SpaceX’s destruction of Boca Chica Beach, which is something that SOTXEJN has constantly advocated against, as well as other community members in Cameron County and surrounding areas.
“To make matters worse, the proposed [SH 4] expansion would encroach on and harm more of the pristine wetlands and habitat corridor along the highway,” Hinojosa commented.
The area that SpaceX occupies and the land around SH 4 were never meant to have major roadway operations or industrial development. As it stands, it should be a habitat mainly left untouched and preserved, serving as a sanctuary for endangered ocelots and providing locals with access to clean water for fishing, as it has been for previous generations—a practice that SpaceX does not respect.
“TxDOT is another state department that has not consulted with the Esto’k Gna Tribal Nation about plans to expand the highway onto sacred lands and build it up to allow Elon Musk to continue colonizing Boca Chica Beach. The TxDOT public meeting did not address the problems SpaceX is causing on the highway, including potholes and traffic congestion,” Hinojosa added.
With SpaceX’s continued destruction of Boca Chica Beach, we must continue to find ways to resist together, as SpaceX’s activities show no signs of stopping and pose a risk to our community’s safety.
However, SpaceX is not only harming our communities but also the environment. Boca Chica Beach serves as a breeding ground for the world’s most endangered species of sea turtle, the Kemp’s ridley, as well as other animals who are simply trying to exist. Please think of the environment and who SpaceX is harming in the name of space exploration. Don’t forget that our Earth matters, here and now!
If you are interested in doing more for Boca Chica Beach and protecting the land from Elon Musk’s colonization, make sure to explore and engage with what SOTXEJN is doing. Connect with your community as it needs you more than ever. Donate, volunteer, and do everything you can to help SOTXEJN in this fight. The battle for Boca Chica Beach does not stop until Musk and his people are out of Cameron County!
