Arizona awarded $12.4 million in federal grants for roads

More than $8 million will go towards improving roadways on tribal lands

PHOENIX - The Arizona Department of Transportation has been awarded $12.4 million in federal grants to fund an array of highway-related efforts across the state ranging from paving a heavily used gravel road on tribal land and building a new bridge near Yuma to enhancements to pedestrian safety in downtown Winslow. 

More than $8 million will be directed to five improvement and safety projects in the tribal communities of Cocopah Tribe in Yuma County, Kaibab Band of Paiute Indians in Coconino County, Tohono O’odham Nation in Pima County, Colorado River Indian Tribes in La Paz County, and the Chemehuevi Tribe in Mohave County.

“An additional $12.4 million will help to make necessary improvements to roadways across the state – especially projects important to local economies such as Fortuna Wash Bridge in Yuma. This was a highly competitive process, with every state vying for funding,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “The additional federal funding for these nine projects will help to sustain and create jobs in our communities, and demonstrates our commitment to bring home Arizona’s fair share of federal transportation funds.”

The Federal Highway Administration invited states to apply in June for federal funding from 14 grant programs. Requests poured in from every state, Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C. – more than 1,800 applications, totaling nearly $13 billion. Arizona’s grant portion was higher than all, but 10 states.

“Transportation investments like these will create jobs and improve the quality of life for Arizona residents as well as strengthen the state’s economy,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a written statement. “The demand from the states for these funds shows just how critical the need is for infrastructure investment.”

Congress created the discretionary grant programs to give FHWA the latitude to support projects that maintain the nation's roads and bridges, improve roadway safety and make communities more livable.
Arizona received funding ($12,479,355) for the following projects:

• Construction of new Fortuna Wash Bridge on US 95 in Yuma ($3,261,000)
• Purchase of new vessel to improve Chemehuevi Transit Authority's service to a Native American community with limited access to vital services in Mohave ($2,915,000)
• Construct a new bridge over the Artesia Wash on Main Street Indian Reservation Road (IRR) 101 in Sells ($2,800,000)
• Relocation of intersection of Colorado River Indian Reservation Road and State Route 95 in Parker ($1,753,000)
• Safety improvements for pedestrians in downtown Winslow ($488,285)
• Technical assistance for disadvantaged business enterprise firms statewide and to prepare them to compete for work on highway projects ($407,400)
• Construction of a four-mile pedestrian/bike path from Kaibab Paiute Tribal Administration building to Community Center building near Pipe Springs Road in Fredonia ($304,670)
• Paving Chapay Street, the North Reservation Community access road in Yuma ($300,000)
• Development of a pre-apprenticeship program to provide highway construction training seminar ($250,000)

A complete state-by-state list of this year's grant recipients is available online at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/pressroom/fhwa1137/.