Reno, Nev. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Department of Transportation (DOT) Secretary Buttigieg and local Reno officials to celebrate the groundbreaking of the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) of Washoe County’s Arlington Avenue Bridges project. The project will make infrastructure and safety upgrades to two aging bridges across the Truckee River that connect Wingfield Park to downtown Reno. Cortez Masto secured support for this project through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law she helped pass, as well as through the Congressional Community Projects funding.
“The Arlington Avenue bridges are among some of the oldest in Reno. It’s time to upgrade these bridges and make them safer and more accessible for pedestrians and cars alike,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I’m proud to deliver investments that are making a difference in downtown Reno, and I’m going to keep working with Secretary Buttigieg, this administration, and our Congressional delegation to support accessible, efficient infrastructure for all Nevadans.”
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which I was proud to help write and pass, has enabled us to make historic investments to improve our infrastructure across Nevada, including funding the replacement of the Arlington Avenue Bridges, ” said Senator Rosen. “This project will help revitalize downtown Reno, helping improve the visitor experience and boosting local tourism. I’ll keep working across the aisle to ensure Nevada gets the resources it needs to improve our state’s infrastructure and transportation.”
“The Reno community gave a lot of input to ensure leaders were taking this opportunity to not just rebuild the Arlington Avenue Bridges, but to make them even better–and the Biden-Harris Administration listened,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “These new bridges are about safety, they’re about quality of life for residents, and they’re about people’s livelihoods, and this Administration is thrilled that this work is getting started.”
“The Arlington Avenue Bridges are vital to transportation, recreation and the culture of downtown Reno,” said Sparks Mayor Ed Lawson, RTC Washoe Board Chair. “Thanks to our strong partnerships with local, state and federal agencies, we were able to secure the money needed for this critical infrastructure improvement, which includes local and federal funding.”
Through her Innovation State Initiative, Senator Cortez Masto has been working to boost Nevada’s economy and create good-paying jobs. She introduced comprehensive legislation to develop innovative transportation solutions for Nevadans and promote cleaner transportation. She successfully pushed to include many of these measures in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Package to solve transportation challenges, expand clean transportation options, make traveling to school safer for students, and make important upgrades like bringing high-speed rail in Nevada. Cortez Masto has helped deliver more than $65 million in federal funding for the purchase of new hydrogen fuel cell buses in Northern Nevada, safety improvements along East Sixth Street in Downtown Reno, construction for the Pyramid Highway project, and upgrades to improve safety and efficiency on Lemmon Drive.
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