WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, Third District Congressman Jon Porter announced that he has secured $36 million in funding for surface transportation projects in Southern Nevada.  The funding comes through the reauthorization of the Transportation Equity Act, which sets federal funding levels for highway and transit projects nationwide.  Porter pushed for the inclusion of the Nevada projects as a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where the House version of the reauthorization was originally drafted.  The conference report on the legislation will now be voted on in the House and Senate before going to the President for his signature.

“Nevada’s Third Congressional District continues to be one of the fastest growing areas in the nation, and we must respond to that growth with appropriate expansion and development of our highways and roadways,” said Porter.  “In addition, by bringing more infrastructure dollars into Southern Nevada, we’ll help strengthen our economy by creating jobs for hard-working Nevadans.”

Porter ensured that $36 million would go to Southern Nevada to begin or improve the following projects:

• Boulder City Bypass, Boulder City—$8 million to connect the Hoover Bypass to US Route 93/95/515
• Starr Interchange, Henderson—$8 million to provide Interstate access to a West Henderson master planned community
• Cactus Avenue Interchange, Henderson—$8 million to ease congestion and safety concerns due largely to incredible growth rates in the area
• Horse Interchange, Las Vegas—$4.8 million to improve access to rapidly developing Northwest Las Vegas and a connection to and across US Route 95
• Las Vegas Beltway/Airport Connector Interchange—$3.2 million to modify low speed loop ramps to decrease congestion at McCarran International Airport
• Lake Mead Parkway, Henderson—$2.4 million for the construction of an overpass and roadway improvements at the entrance of Lake Las Vegas and Lake Mead Parkway
• Laughlin-Bullhead City Bridge, Laughlin—$1.6 million for a new bridge crossing the Colorado River to increase safety and decrease traffic delays

Additionally, the Drug Impaired Driving provision authored by Porter to combat drugged driving was included in the legislation.

“As a former state legislator who passed a law to address this problem on the state level, I am pleased we have moved forward to address this on a national scale.  The consequences of millions of people per year driving under the influence of illegal drugs are simply too great to ignore,” Porter stated.

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