Padilla, Schiff Announce Over $53 Million to Repair Highways, Roads Across California

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) announced that four road and highway repair projects in Amador, Kern, Riverside, and Orange counties were awarded a combined $53.8 million from the Department of Transportation (DOT). The funding comes through the DOT's Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant program, which provides grants for locally and regionally significant surface transportation infrastructure projects.

This federal investment in California was made possible through Padilla and Schiff's championing of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

"For millions of Californians, a safer road can mean a shorter commute, a faster emergency response, or a more reliable evacuation route," said Senator Padilla. "These federal investments will make a real difference for communities across our state, and I'm proud to have helped deliver this funding through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law."

"These grants will fund critical projects that help construct and improve bridges, roadways, off-ramps, bikeways, pedestrian crossings and other transportation infrastructure," said Senator Schiff. "This federal investment will also support local economic growth and construction jobs, and I look forward to seeing the positive impact on communities in Amador, Kern, Riverside, and Orange counties."

The four projects receiving funding are:

• Riverside County's I-15/SR 74 (Central Avenue) Interchange Improvement Project - $25 million: This project will improve the I-15/SR-74 interchange in the City of Lake Elsinore, California in Riverside County including upgrades to on and off-ramps, new traffic signals and freeway signage, ADA-compliant pedestrian and bicycle facilities, drainage improvements, and reconfiguration of the interchange.
• Riverside County's State Route 91 Eastbound Corridor Operations Project - $25 million: This project will add an operational eastbound lane on State Route 91 from the State Route 241 general purpose connector to the State Route 71 connector lane in Riverside County. It will also widen bridges, construct retaining walls, replace overhead signs, among other improvements.
• Amador County's Fiddletown Road Rural Resilience and Safety Rehabilitation Project - $2.5 million: This project will rebuild approximately 3.12 miles of a structurally deficient roadway that serves as an evacuation route in Amador County.
• Kern County's I-40 Corridor Extension Project - $1.37 million: This project will invest in studying the feasibility, safety and economic benefits of a potential extension of the I-40 corridor along State Route 58 in Kern County.

Since voting to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in 2021, Senator Padilla has secured billions for California infrastructure improvements. Last year, Padilla announced over $258 million for nine transportation infrastructure projects across California through the DOT's Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Grant Program, and the Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) Program.

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