Congressman John T. Salazar, Third District of Colorado

Congressman Salazar's Funding Priorities for Transportation and Housing and Urban Development

As a new member of the Appropriations Committee, I have new oversight responsibilities for the spending of federal dollars, as well as an increased role in the prioritization of federal spending.

For too long, the process of Congressional funding requests lacked transparency and accountability, leading some members of Congress to abuse it and the public trust. Since assuming the majority in 2007, Congressional Democrats have significantly reformed the process, including ensuring that every American can easily determine which member of Congress has submitted a requests.

Below you will find a list of my funding requests for the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill.

SH 172 Resurfacing
$3,000,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This project will resurface a four-mile-long segment of SH 172, beginning at its intersection with US 160. The project will also include minor widening for turn lanes at Florida Mesa Elementary School. The SH 172 corridor is used extensively by the oil and gas industry, commuters, agricultural vehicles, tribal members, and other travelers, and surface treatment is required to maintain the system quality.

SH 125: Michigan River Bridge
$880,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This project will remove the existing narrow, functionally obsolete, bridge on SH 125; and replace it with a triple cell box culvert. The bridge is located a mile north of the Town of Walden, in Jackson County. SH 125 is heavily used as a truck route between Colorado and Wyoming.

Montrose Regional Airport Taxiway Bravo Extension
$3,000,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This funding request will help fund the extension of taxiway bravo which parallels runway 13/31 at the Montrose Regional Airport. This project is consistent with the airport layout plan. The project is also key in addressing airfield safety issues such as back taxiing on a runway and providing primary access to several areas of the airport. Matching funds will be made available through Montrose County.

Project LIVE (Livability Inspiring Vitality and Efficiency)
City of Durango
949 East Second Avenue
Durango, CO 81301
$1,700,000
The facility will provide parking and storage for the transit fleet; serve as a park and ride for regional transit commuters; provide charging stations for electric vehicles and secure, covered, and heated bicycle storage.

U.S. 160: East of Aztec Creek
$3,045,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This appropriation, combined with other funding, will provide a full reconstruction, with culvert extensions and eight-foot shoulders for 6.3 miles on U.S. 160 near the Four Corners. U.S. 160 is the major east/west transportation corridor in the region. The highway is rated Poor with zero remaining years of service life at this location, and reconstruction is required to maintain the system quality.

SH 141: Unaweep Canyon
$331,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This project will resurface the existing pavement including widening to add 2’ paved shoulders. Additional work will include guardrail upgrades and the lining of culverts that are in critical condition. Approximately 22 percent of all vehicle traffic on this highway are trucks and the surface is in poor condition. This section of highway has a 4.16 Weighted Hazard Index which indicates that this segment of highway is performing below the statewide average in terms of safety when compared to similar highways. The distribution of accident types is such that, on this section, there is a slightly higher percentage of accidents having an injury or fatality.

US 160/US 285 Monte Vista
$1,500,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This project will remove the existing asphalt pavement from the intersection and reconstruct it in concrete for 300 feet in each direction. This will prevent the severe “shoving” of the pavement and deep grooves in the asphalt from heavy truck traffic.

Roaring Fork Valley Bus Rapid Transit
$24,163,000
Roaring Fork Transportation Authority
2307 Wulfsohn Road
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority proposes to implement Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) improvements (the BRT project) along the 40-mile State Highway 82 corridor in the Roaring Fork Valley, connecting Glenwood Springs and Aspen in order to provide safe, frequent, and attractive transit services.

Interstate 25: North of Trinidad Resurfacing
$3,500,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This project will resurface 3.4 miles of Interstate 25 between mile markers 23.2 and 26.6

Interstate 70: Glenwood Canyon Concrete
$5,500,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This project will remove the existing asphalt and resurface with 11” of concrete pavement on portions of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon. Concrete pavement is more sustainable and will require less maintenance. Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon currently has an ADT of approximately 16,700. This segment of Interstate 70 has seen significant increases in truck and commuter traffic because of oil and gas exploration in Western Colorado.

Aspen Pitkin County Airport/Sardy Field Runway 15/33 Extension
$13,000,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This funding request will help fund an extension of runway 15/33 at the Aspen Pitkin County Airport. This project is consistent with the long range airport master plan by providing commercial aircraft to more efficiently use existing capacity. The project is also key in improving safety by providing additional runway length for aircraft operating into and out of the facility. Matching funds will be made available through the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport.

U.S. 50 Gunnison River Bridge
$400,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This project will repair and rehabilitate two 1926 vintage steel truss bridges. The project will include minor stream channeling to mitigate scour critical issues. The bridges are located on the U.S. 50 Frontage Road, less than a mile east of the Town of Gunnison Colorado.

Grand Junction Regional Airport Wildlife Fencing
$7,000,000
Colorado Department of Transportation
4201 E. Arkansas Avenue
Denver, CO 80222
This funding request will help fund the installation of wildlife fencing at the Grand Junction Regional Airport. This project is consistent with the airport layout plan. The project is also key in enhancing both safety and security for the airfield facilities. Matching funds will be made available by the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority.

Ute Mountain Housing
$6,500,000
Ute Mountain Housing Authority
120 Mike Wash Road
Towaoc, CO 81334
This project is used in supporting and providing housing for this nation’s first people. The tribe has 2012 members. This project is phase one of a 20 year housing project to provide homes for the growing population. Phase one consists of water & sewer, roads, power, planning and housing construction.

Parachute West Interchange
$5,000,000
Town of Parachute
222 Grand Valley Way
Parachute, CO 81635
Project is needed to relieve congestion at the lone exit for the Town of Parachute. Congestion is caused by gas and oil field traffic servicing the Roan Plateau. Traffic is then routed through sensitive downtown corridors, school zones, senior living facilities. The lack of additional access has also stymied business development and hampered a main street revitalization project. Interstate 70 bisects the Town of Parachute and emergency responders lack a secondary access to travel between both halves of the city when the exit is grid locked resulting in delayed response times.

Dillon Interchange
$4,000,000
City of Pueblo, Department of Public Works
211 East D Street
Pueblo, CO 81003
Replacing existing interchange that is functionally obsolete by constructing a split diamond interchange and new bridge at I-25, Platteville Blvd / Dillon Drive and Eden Road in Pueblo, Colorado.

Rio Blanco County Road 5
$5,000,000
Rio Blanco County
570 Second Street
Meeker, CO 81641
This project will replace sub-standard bridge structures, make needed intersection improvements, add passing lanes, and increase the structural integrity of the road to accommodate the large trucks used by the energy industry

Colorado Transit Coalition Statewide Bus and Bus Facilities
$6,000,000
Colorado Association of Transit Agencies
1580 Lincoln Street
Denver, CO 80203
This statewide request will help transit agencies in the 3rd Congressional District and across the State of Colorado make the bus purchases and facility improvements necessary to provide safe, reliable and adequate transit service to Coloradans. These agencies provide essential connections to employment, commercial and activity centers, as well as to schools and medical centers, in addition to providing mobility solutions for transit dependent populations including many of Colorado’s senior citizens.

Homelake Disabled Veterans Training Center
$1,200,000
Veterans Green Jobs
2627 W. 6th Avenue
Denver, CO 80204
Nearly 25% of the 755,000 service personnel who served in OIF / OEF and were discharged through 2008--181,000--are now receiving disability assistance. Their successful return to civilian life will depend substantially on their ability to find productive and meaningful work and social roles in their communities. Veterans Green Jobs has spent the past two years working with the Colorado Department of Human Services preparing for the development of a specialized disabled veterans training center that can create opportunities for disabled veterans to get training and job preparation support in a variety of rapidly emerging green job sectors--energy efficiency, renewable energy, land conservation, and sustainable agriculture. VGJ requests funding to design, plan such a facility--the first in the Nation--that will simultaneously renovate and repurpose portions of an existing veterans assisted living facility that has existed and been in use since the late 1800s. We believe this center can serve as a model to other States and local communities for creating comprehensive disabled veteran retraining in the fast growing green jobs sectors.

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Home About John Contact Helping You Issues Appropriations Kids' Page News Room Photo Gallery Third District Visit Washington, DC E-News Sign-up Name: E-mail: Subscribe Unsubscribe Search this site: Privacy Policy		Congressman Salazar's Funding Priorities for Transportation and Housing and Urban Development As a new member of the Appropriations Committee, I have new oversight responsibilities for the spending of federal dollars, as well as an increased role in the prioritization of federal spending. For too long, the process of Congressional funding requests lacked transparency and accountability, leading some members of Congress to abuse it and the public trust. Since assuming the majority in 2007, Congressional Democrats have significantly reformed the process, including ensuring that every American can easily determine which member of Congress has submitted a requests. Below you will find a list of my funding requests for the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development Appropriations bill. SH 172 Resurfacing $3,000,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This project will resurface a four-mile-long segment of SH 172, beginning at its intersection with US 160. The project will also include minor widening for turn lanes at Florida Mesa Elementary School. The SH 172 corridor is used extensively by the oil and gas industry, commuters, agricultural vehicles, tribal members, and other travelers, and surface treatment is required to maintain the system quality. SH 125: Michigan River Bridge $880,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This project will remove the existing narrow, functionally obsolete, bridge on SH 125; and replace it with a triple cell box culvert. The bridge is located a mile north of the Town of Walden, in Jackson County. SH 125 is heavily used as a truck route between Colorado and Wyoming. Montrose Regional Airport Taxiway Bravo Extension $3,000,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This funding request will help fund the extension of taxiway bravo which parallels runway 13/31 at the Montrose Regional Airport. This project is consistent with the airport layout plan. The project is also key in addressing airfield safety issues such as back taxiing on a runway and providing primary access to several areas of the airport. Matching funds will be made available through Montrose County. Project LIVE (Livability Inspiring Vitality and Efficiency) City of Durango 949 East Second Avenue Durango, CO 81301 $1,700,000 The facility will provide parking and storage for the transit fleet; serve as a park and ride for regional transit commuters; provide charging stations for electric vehicles and secure, covered, and heated bicycle storage. U.S. 160: East of Aztec Creek $3,045,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This appropriation, combined with other funding, will provide a full reconstruction, with culvert extensions and eight-foot shoulders for 6.3 miles on U.S. 160 near the Four Corners. U.S. 160 is the major east/west transportation corridor in the region. The highway is rated Poor with zero remaining years of service life at this location, and reconstruction is required to maintain the system quality. SH 141: Unaweep Canyon $331,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This project will resurface the existing pavement including widening to add 2’ paved shoulders. Additional work will include guardrail upgrades and the lining of culverts that are in critical condition. Approximately 22 percent of all vehicle traffic on this highway are trucks and the surface is in poor condition. This section of highway has a 4.16 Weighted Hazard Index which indicates that this segment of highway is performing below the statewide average in terms of safety when compared to similar highways. The distribution of accident types is such that, on this section, there is a slightly higher percentage of accidents having an injury or fatality. US 160/US 285 Monte Vista $1,500,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This project will remove the existing asphalt pavement from the intersection and reconstruct it in concrete for 300 feet in each direction. This will prevent the severe “shoving” of the pavement and deep grooves in the asphalt from heavy truck traffic. Roaring Fork Valley Bus Rapid Transit $24,163,000 Roaring Fork Transportation Authority 2307 Wulfsohn Road Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority proposes to implement Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) improvements (the BRT project) along the 40-mile State Highway 82 corridor in the Roaring Fork Valley, connecting Glenwood Springs and Aspen in order to provide safe, frequent, and attractive transit services. Interstate 25: North of Trinidad Resurfacing $3,500,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This project will resurface 3.4 miles of Interstate 25 between mile markers 23.2 and 26.6 Interstate 70: Glenwood Canyon Concrete $5,500,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This project will remove the existing asphalt and resurface with 11” of concrete pavement on portions of Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon. Concrete pavement is more sustainable and will require less maintenance. Interstate 70 through Glenwood Canyon currently has an ADT of approximately 16,700. This segment of Interstate 70 has seen significant increases in truck and commuter traffic because of oil and gas exploration in Western Colorado. Aspen Pitkin County Airport/Sardy Field Runway 15/33 Extension $13,000,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This funding request will help fund an extension of runway 15/33 at the Aspen Pitkin County Airport. This project is consistent with the long range airport master plan by providing commercial aircraft to more efficiently use existing capacity. The project is also key in improving safety by providing additional runway length for aircraft operating into and out of the facility. Matching funds will be made available through the Aspen-Pitkin County Airport. U.S. 50 Gunnison River Bridge $400,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This project will repair and rehabilitate two 1926 vintage steel truss bridges. The project will include minor stream channeling to mitigate scour critical issues. The bridges are located on the U.S. 50 Frontage Road, less than a mile east of the Town of Gunnison Colorado. Grand Junction Regional Airport Wildlife Fencing $7,000,000 Colorado Department of Transportation 4201 E. Arkansas Avenue Denver, CO 80222 This funding request will help fund the installation of wildlife fencing at the Grand Junction Regional Airport. This project is consistent with the airport layout plan. The project is also key in enhancing both safety and security for the airfield facilities. Matching funds will be made available by the Grand Junction Regional Airport Authority. Ute Mountain Housing $6,500,000 Ute Mountain Housing Authority 120 Mike Wash Road Towaoc, CO 81334 This project is used in supporting and providing housing for this nation’s first people. The tribe has 2012 members. This project is phase one of a 20 year housing project to provide homes for the growing population. Phase one consists of water & sewer, roads, power, planning and housing construction. Parachute West Interchange $5,000,000 Town of Parachute 222 Grand Valley Way Parachute, CO 81635 Project is needed to relieve congestion at the lone exit for the Town of Parachute. Congestion is caused by gas and oil field traffic servicing the Roan Plateau. Traffic is then routed through sensitive downtown corridors, school zones, senior living facilities. The lack of additional access has also stymied business development and hampered a main street revitalization project. Interstate 70 bisects the Town of Parachute and emergency responders lack a secondary access to travel between both halves of the city when the exit is grid locked resulting in delayed response times. Dillon Interchange $4,000,000 City of Pueblo, Department of Public Works 211 East D Street Pueblo, CO 81003 Replacing existing interchange that is functionally obsolete by constructing a split diamond interchange and new bridge at I-25, Platteville Blvd / Dillon Drive and Eden Road in Pueblo, Colorado. Rio Blanco County Road 5 $5,000,000 Rio Blanco County 570 Second Street Meeker, CO 81641 This project will replace sub-standard bridge structures, make needed intersection improvements, add passing lanes, and increase the structural integrity of the road to accommodate the large trucks used by the energy industry Colorado Transit Coalition Statewide Bus and Bus Facilities $6,000,000 Colorado Association of Transit Agencies 1580 Lincoln Street Denver, CO 80203 This statewide request will help transit agencies in the 3rd Congressional District and across the State of Colorado make the bus purchases and facility improvements necessary to provide safe, reliable and adequate transit service to Coloradans. These agencies provide essential connections to employment, commercial and activity centers, as well as to schools and medical centers, in addition to providing mobility solutions for transit dependent populations including many of Colorado’s senior citizens. Homelake Disabled Veterans Training Center $1,200,000 Veterans Green Jobs 2627 W. 6th Avenue Denver, CO 80204 Nearly 25% of the 755,000 service personnel who served in OIF / OEF and were discharged through 2008--181,000--are now receiving disability assistance. Their successful return to civilian life will depend substantially on their ability to find productive and meaningful work and social roles in their communities. Veterans Green Jobs has spent the past two years working with the Colorado Department of Human Services preparing for the development of a specialized disabled veterans training center that can create opportunities for disabled veterans to get training and job preparation support in a variety of rapidly emerging green job sectors--energy efficiency, renewable energy, land conservation, and sustainable agriculture. VGJ requests funding to design, plan such a facility--the first in the Nation--that will simultaneously renovate and repurpose portions of an existing veterans assisted living facility that has existed and been in use since the late 1800s. We believe this center can serve as a model to other States and local communities for creating comprehensive disabled veteran retraining in the fast growing green jobs sectors. Back to Appropriations
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