Rep. Grijalva Announces $20 Million in Infrastructure Projects for Southern Arizona in INVEST in America Act

Press Release

Today, Representative Raúl M. Grijalva announced the inclusion of 6 Member-designated projects, totaling $20 million, in the INVEST in America Act slated to advance to the full House later this month. The bill is a five-year surface transportation reauthorization bill with $547 billion in funding. Earlier this year, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee announced that it would accept requests from House members to designate specific surface transportation projects for priority funding.

"Southern Arizona is in dire need of the investments that will help repair our long-neglected infrastructure while providing countless good-paying jobs to those who need them," said Rep. Grijalva. "From bridges and roads to public transportation and pedestrian pathways, I'm pleased to have secured $20 million for Southern Arizona in this legislation. Investing in our infrastructure is a great way to creatively rebuild our communities and get people back to work, and I'll keep fighting to get these projects past the finish line."

The projects Rep. Grijalva submitted that have been included for potential funding are listed below:

Project Sponsor: City of Nogales

Project Name/Location: Pathway Project on Grand Avenue, Nogales, AZ

Project Summary: The project, located on Grand Avenue and Frank Reed Road, is part of the City of Nogales General Plan and the City of Nogales Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan.

Amount Included: $1,220,169

Project Sponsor: City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility

Project Name/Location: Tucson Regional North-South Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Corridor,

15-mile route, from Stone/Wetmore on north end, south along Oracle Rd/Stone Ave/S. 6th Ave to Irvington, east to Park Ave, south to Valencia Rd, east to Tucson Blvd, south to Tucson International Airport

Project Summary: This project would fund preliminary design, planning and environmental review process for a proposed new fixed guideway bus rapid transit (BRT) project along a major 15-mile north/south regional corridor in Tucson.

Amount Included: $3,256,000

Project Sponsor: City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility

Project Name/Location: Drexel Road Extension and Bridge Project, 1100 block W Drexel Road, 85706

Project Summary: The Drexel Road Extension and Bridge project fills a vital gap in Tucson's multi-modal transportation network that will support enhanced economic vitality, remove barriers to opportunity for vulnerable populations in Tucson, and reconnect communities long separated by the Santa Cruz River and Interstate 19.

Amount Included: $5,000,000

Project Sponsor: City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility

Project Name/Location: South Campbell Avenue Complete Streets Project, Benson Highway to Valencia Road, 85706

Project Summary: The project, which would improve South Campbell Avenue between Valencia Road and Benson Highway, is in an area of Tucson with a particularly high concentration of mobility-vulnerable residents--that is, residents who face the greatest transportation barriers due to age, poverty, disability, lack of vehicle access, and other factors.

Amount Included: $6,209,831

Project Sponsor: City of Tucson Department of Transportation and Mobility

Project Name/Location: 5th/6th Street Complete Streets Project, Downtown Links to Wilmot Road Tucson, AZ 85711

Project Summary: 5th/6th Street passes through the heart of Tucson connecting neighborhoods and commercial areas with the University of Arizona and Downtown Tucson. The currently funded projects include two projects the first of which will reconstruct the pavement, install curb ramps, and upgrade signal detection between Country Club Road and Wilmot, while the second will install continuous sidewalks and landscaping between Campbell Avenue and Alvernon Way.

Amount Included: $3,500,000

Project Sponsor: San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation

Project Name/Location: San Xavier Road Pedestrian Pathway Project, San Xavier Road, between Little Nogales Road on the west, and the Santa Cruz River on the east. The Project is located on the San Xavier District of the Tohono O'odham Nation, in southern Arizona, Zip Code 85746, in Congressional District 3.

Project Summary: The San Xavier Pedestrian Pathway Project will help ensure that pedestrians are able to safely gain access to health facilities on the East side of I-19.

Amount Included: $814,000

"On behalf of the City of Tucson, I want to thank Congressman Grijalva and our federal delegation for their efforts to secure funding for several local infrastructure projects in the City of Tucson," said Tucson Mayor Regina Romero. "From re-building the Drexel Bridge, to investing in a new bus-rapid transit system, these dollars would provide the seed funding for transformational projects to improve mobility, promote climate-friendly travel options, and increase access to multi-modal transportation for historically underinvested communities."

"HR 3684 will fund a vital transportation infrastructure project on the Tohono O'odham Nation that will make it safer for pedestrians in the San Xavier Community to access the Indian Health Services Complex," said Tohono O'odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris, Jr. "The 3,300 foot, ADA compliant pathway funded under this bill is especially important for tribal elders and citizens using wheelchairs, who currently have to traverse dirt shoulders beside major arterial roads in order to reach essential health services. It will also benefit many individuals and families who walk from the Tucson community to the San Xavier Mission for religious reasons. On behalf of the Tohono O'odham Nation, I urge Congress to pass this important legislation."

"On behalf of the City of Nogales, Arizona, I thank U.S. Congressman Grijalva and the U.S. Federal Government for providing the funds needed to complete a vital infrastructure project that will save lives and improve the health of the community", said Juan Guerra, City of Nogales Engineer.

For projects to ultimately receive funding, a final list will need to be included in the report to accompany the final surface transportation reauthorization legislation that is passed in the House and Senate and is signed into law. The Senate committees with jurisdiction over surface transportation legislation have not yet announced their own process for member-designated projects.

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