Sacramento, CA…The California Transportation Commission (CTC) today approved more than $2 billion to improve and maintain a transportation system that serves as the backbone for the world’s fifth largest economy. The approved funding will support the next generation of transportation projects, ranging from bridge maintenance and rail system upgrades to enhanced railroad safety features and increased access for bicyclists and pedestrians. These benefits will help power economic opportunity as well as mitigate the effects of climate change.

The latest allocations include more than $483 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (IIJA) and approximately $443 million from Senate Bill (SB) 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

“We are committed to providing a world-class transportation system by making smart investments to upgrade our infrastructure and better serve all travelers,” said Caltrans Director Tony Tavares. “Increasing mobility for Californians demands a multi-modal approach that prioritizes improved safety, system-wide resiliency and sustainability, equitable access, and continued support for the efficient movement of goods and services that help fuel the state’s economic engine.”

Today’s investments include $103 million for the North Coast Corridor Rail project in San Diego County, a transformative effort designed to expand and upgrade passenger facilities, decrease rider travel times with a second rail line to bypass slower freight locomotives, and construction of a new bridge spanning the Batiquitos Lagoon.

The funding allocations include $17.8 million to improve Highway 99 and State Route 68 in Tulare County; $10 million to provide Santa Barbara residents with cleaner, climate-friendly electric buses and chargers; and expand facilities for people who walk and bike, such as $3.5 million for Stockton’s East Channel Street Streetscape, which will install bike lanes and sidewalk extensions. In addition, projects approved will enhance safety at railroad crossings, including $5.9 million for improved signaling, signage, and gates at two commuter rail crossings in the city of Montebello. The latest CTC-approved projects also include:

• $1,484,000 in funding to help support the Merced County Association of Governments (MCAG) improve pedestrian facilities and traffic flow in Merced County. The funding will be used to support the installation of a traffic signal, a raised median, new turn pockets, ADA curb ramps, a new crosswalk, overhead utilities, and to widen roadway approaches to four lanes on Pioneer Road in the City of Los Banos.

• $130,000 in funding to help support construction of a new bridge project in Mariposa County. The funding will be used to help replace an existing structurally deficient single lane bridge with a new bridge. The project will replace the Harris Road Bridge just off State Route 49 in the Poderosa Basin community.

• $20,000,000 in funding to help support the Stanislaus Council of Governments (StanCOG) construct phase one of the North County Corridor Project. The North County Corridor Project consists of 4 separate phases of construction totaling 18 miles in length and will ultimately construct a high-capacity bypass corridor around the cities of Modesto, Riverbank and Oakdale. Phase one of the project will be construction of a 6-lane divided expressway from Claribel Road to Clause Road which will include new railroad grade separations over Roselle Avenue and Terminal Avenue for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) tracks. The project will construct new pedestrian bike lanes, curbs, crosswalks, intersections, and serve as a west-east expressway improving regional connectivity from Modesto to the City of Oakdale in Stanislaus County.

• $140,000 in funding to help support the Tuolumne County Transportation Council (TCTC) improve pedestrian facilities with the Jamestown Community Connectivity Project. The funding will be used to support construction of approximately 4,200 feet of new sidewalk, 600 feet of new bike path, and the installation of new curbs, gutters, crosswalks, and ADA improvements. The project is located State Route 49 in the community of Jamestown in Tuolumne County. IIJA, known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” is a once-in-a-generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure to improve the sustainability and resiliency of our energy, water, broadband and transportation systems. Since 2021, California has received more than $42 billion in IIJA funds, including more than $29 billion for transportation-related projects. In addition, SB 1 provides $5 billion in transportation funding each year that is shared between state and local agencies. Road projects progress through construction phases more quickly based on the availability of SB 1 funds, including those partially funded by SB 1. For more information about California transportation projects funded by IIJA and SB-1, visit RebuildingCA.ca.gov and www.build.ca.gov.

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