When we invest in transportation, we create long-term benefits for people across regions, states, and the nation.
And yesterday, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez joined Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval in Reno to celebrate the benefits of one such investment at the opening of the I-580 freeway extension.
Administrator Mendez and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval ride in a 1913 Pearce Arrow during the I-580 ribbon cutting. In the background, the beautiful Galena Creek Bridge, one of nine new bridges in the project. Photo courtesy Nevada DOT.
The new extension, which covers 8.5 miles and includes the construction of nine bridges, marks the completion of the state’s bold plan to build an interstate connecting two of Nevada's economic centers, Reno and Carson City. This corridor is helping to strengthen Nevada’s economy for generations to come by providing people and businesses with a safer, faster way to get where they need to go.
That’s an outstanding use of our highway dollars to meet some of our most important priorities: job creation, economic growth, relief from congestion, and – most importantly – safety.
Yesterday, we announced more than $363 million in grants to fund a wide variety of highway improvements, from interstate rehabilitation and reconstruction to technologies that result in improved safety and reduced construction congestion.
Administrator Mendez at I-580 ribbon-cutting with NDOT's Susan Martinovich, a recent White House Champion of Change.
And the new transportation bill, MAP-21, will put more people back to work repairing our roads and bridges and strengthening our economy.
MAP-21 will also help projects move from plans to reality faster, and that means Americans will see the benefits of transportation projects faster. This is something we’ve been working on with our state partners like Nevada through the FHWA's Every Day Counts initiative.
The guiding principle behind Every Day Counts is innovation--from planning all the way through construction--and it was exciting to learn about the innovations built into the I-580 extension. For example, the Nevada DOT has included new anti-icing technology on the major bridges; this will help make the roadway even safer for cars, trucks, and buses.
Projects like the I-580 extension are exactly what President Obama means when he talks about an America built to last, and DOT will continue to making crucial investments in them.
Congratulations to the Nevada Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration for transforming I-580 from an exciting plan into a terrific new roadway.
Congratulations on the new extension! Transportation is thought to be the life line of America's economy and it's for this reason that the continuous development of safer, more efficient roads and interstates is so necessary. Planning is equally as important to stray away from congested, accident prone intersections like our infamous malfunction junction at Interstate 275 and I-4. Also a huge plus for our developing economy.
Posted by: FreigthCenter | August 07, 2012 at 09:16 AM