Grand Canyon Times

Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema announced RAISE grants for transportation projects in Phoenix, Cochise County, Navajo Nation, Pima County, and Yuma County totaling $60,777,742. Kelly and Sinema both ensured their bipartisan infrastructure law increased the RAISE grant program’s ability to invest in Arizona projects.  

The transportation projects range from enhancing pedestrian and bicycle facilities, to connecting communities by constructing new roadways, to making much-needed improvements along highways – all increasing safety, efficiency, and accessibility in Arizona communities.   

“Our bipartisan infrastructure law continues to support long-overdue infrastructure investments in communities throughout Arizona. Today, we’re announcing grants which will support infrastructure upgrades in Yuma County, Cochise County, Phoenix, Tucson, and on the Navajo Nation. These projects will create good paying jobs and improve transportation infrastructure in communities across Arizona. I’ll continue working closely with local leaders to ensure Arizona takes full advantage of this historic investment in America’s infrastructure,” said Senator Kelly.  

“I wrote our bipartisan infrastructure law to help everyday Arizonans build better lives for themselves and their families. Thanks to our leadership, our law is reaching all corners of our state – connecting communities, improving transportation safety, and fueling a healthy economy where everyone benefits,” said Sinema, co-author and lead negotiator of the bipartisan infrastructure law.    

Earlier this year, Kelly and Sinema urged the U.S. Department of Transportation to support these infrastructure projects, including safety improvements to U.S. Highway 95 along Wellton-Mohawk Canal to Aberdeen Road Project in Yuma and West Valencia Road in Pima County.  

RAISE – Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity – grants are awarded based on applications from local municipalities, allowing the Department of Transportation to invest in road, rail, transit, and port projects that promise to achieve national objectives. Sinema and Kelly both ensured their bipartisan infrastructure law included increased funding for RAISE Grants, helping to boost Arizona infrastructure projects for years to come.   

Complete list of RAISE grant recipients:  

Project Name	Applicant	Place of Performance	Applicant State	Amount Awarded	Project Description
PHX Cultural Corridor Project	City of Phoenix	City of Phoenix	Arizona	$10,220,242	This project will add approximately 3.3 miles of American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant sidewalks and improve roadway between Downtown Phoenix and the Airport with enhanced pedestrian and bicycle facilities, wayfinding signage, and pavement markings.
Davis Road Planning Project	Cochise County	Cochise County	Arizona	$2,057,500	This planning project will complete the preliminary engineering and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) planning for an approximate 22-mile segment of Davis Road, a major East-West connector between SR-80 and US-191.
N15 Highway Reconstruction, Phase II Project	Navajo Nation	Apache County	Arizona	$20,000,000	This project will reconstruct approximately 7.1 miles of BIA Route N15 from Sunrise Springs to Cornfields by widening the roadway, adding a shoulder, elevating the roadway, improving drainage structures, and installing livestock underpasses.
West Valencia Road: Creating Safe and Equitable Community Connections	Pima County	Pima County	Arizona	$20,000,000	The project will improve approximately 1.3 miles of West Valencia Road, from Camino de la Tierra to Mission Road.  The improvements will include sidewalks, buffered bike lanes, lighting, sheltered bus stops, landscaping (including shade trees), additional travel lanes, intersection improvements, drainage improvements, and public art.
US 95 Safety Improvements: Wellton-Mohawk Canal to Aberdeen Road Project	Yuma Metropolitan Planning Organization	Yuma County	Arizona	$8,500,000	This planning project will complete the final design and environmental clearance for approximately 9 miles of safety improvements on US Highway 95.

Last year, Sinema and Kelly announced RAISE grants for transportation projects across Arizona totaling $75,250,150.  

Sinema led bipartisan Senate negotiations with Republican Senator Rob Portman of Ohio that included Senator Kelly and senators from both parties.  

The bipartisan infrastructure law was supported by groups including The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Business Roundtable, The National Association of Manufacturers, The AFL-CIO, The National Retail Federation, The Bipartisan Policy Center, North America’s Building Trades Unions, the Outdoor Industry Association, The American Hotel and Lodging Association, The National Education Association, as well as hundreds of mayors across all 50 states.  

Original source can be found here.