Bennet, Hickenlooper, Polis announce more than $45 million in federal funds for transportation projects

The offices of Colorado U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet on Wednesday issued the following press release on nearly $46 million in federal transportation funding to be spent on projects from Pueblo to Alamosa to Grand Junction, including Glenwood Spring and Rifle closer to home:

Today, Colorado U.S Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper and Colorado Governor Jared Polis welcomed $45.8 million for three Colorado projects from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. The funds are part of this year’s $1.5 billion in RAISE grants from the Bipartisan Inflation Law. 

The Westward Three project in Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, and Rifle will receive $24.2 million; the Rio Grande Intermodal Transportation Project in Alamosa will receive $4.7 million; and the West Side Connector Project in Pueblo will receive $16.8 million.

“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the biggest investment in America’s roads, bridges, and transportation since Eisenhower. Now the law is delivering $46 million in federal funding to support Colorado projects that will connect communities, reduce congestion, and strengthen local economies,” said Bennet. “I urged the Department of Transportation to support these worthy projects across our state, and I look forward to welcoming additional investment in Colorado’s infrastructure from this historic legislation in the years ahead.”

“Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill funding continues to roll into Colorado. These projects are bridging transportation gaps in Alamosa and Pueblo as well as Glenwood Springs.  We hosted Secretary Buttigieg on a tour earlier this year to show Roaring Fork Transportation Authority’s value in connecting the region,” said Hickenlooper.

“These exciting federal grants build upon our work at the state level to fix our roads, making it easier, safer, and faster for Coloradans to get where they need to go. Our administration’s focus on rural Colorado has delivered over 600 miles of rural roads fixed and upgraded across the state, and we are excited to use this federal support to expand transit options in Grand Junction, Rifle, and Glenwood Springs, update the Alamosa pedestrian connection, fix the roundabout in Pueblo, and provide real results to Coloradans to reduce traffic and improve convenience,” said Governor Polis.

“This is a huge win for our workforce, pedestrians, bicyclists and the city’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Glenwood Springs Mayor Jonathan Godes. “Projects like these are only possible with strong cooperation and the support of our senators. On behalf of the City, we can’t thank the senators enough for being there to promote these critical projects and CDOT for leading this regional partnership. We can now make significant strides in transit connectivity and address critical safety issues at one of our busiest intersections.”

“The City of Rifle is grateful to Senator John Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennet and their staff for supporting the Colorado Department of Transportation’s application for a RAISE grant.  We would also like to thank the Executive Director of CDOT, Ms. Shoshana Lew, for championing this project.  Proceeds from the grant will support the relocation and construction of a new Park-n-Ride in Rifle which will double the parking capacity of our current facility. This project will afford Rifle residents greater opportunity to rideshare and utilize RFTA and Bustang buses for transportation,” said Tommy Klein, Rifle City Manager. 

“The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority (RFTA) received very exciting and welcome news this morning from the offices of Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper!  The USDOT awarded $24 million in RAISE grant funding for CDOT’s MOVE: 3 project! RFTA and I could not be more grateful to Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper for throwing their wholehearted and invaluable support behind CDOT’s MOVE: 3 grant application, and for their tireless efforts to share the importance of this grant application with USDOT Secretary Peter Buttigieg.  It is clear to me that without the crucial backing of both Senators, this award from the highly-competitive discretionary RAISE grant program would not have been possible. RFTA’s share of this collaborative grant effort, spearheaded by CDOT Executive Director, Shoshana Lew, is approximately $10.8 million.  The grant will help fund mobility infrastructure projects in Grand Junction and Rifle, as well as in Glenwood Springs.  The grant will provide RFTA critical funding needed to develop its West Glenwood Springs Transit Station into a regional mobility hub.  It will also help RFTA complete the 27th Street Pedestrian Underpass project, which will make it possible for pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross State Highway 82 and 27th Street in Glenwood Springs, while improving the flow of traffic at one of the City’s most congested intersections,” said Dan Blankenship, CEO, Roaring Fork Transportation Authority.

“The Regional Transportation Planning Office (RTPO) is thrilled that CDOT was successful in the RAISE grant application for the Westward Three Mobility Project. This application represents a collaborative effort between CDOT, the RTPO and local governments and is the next step to making the Grand Junction Mobility Hub a reality,” said Dana Brosig P.E., Grand Valley Metropolitan Planning Organization Director.

“This announcement is like a lightning spark for the Alamosa community that has been decades in the making. This bridge will be a tremendous asset to our community that will connect neighborhoods and Adams State University to the Rio Grande, our trail system and other outdoor amenities that will enhance our quality of life, help us retain our workforce and help our City thrive into the future. I want to thank the Revitalize the Rio Committee, San Luis Valley Great Outdoor Coalition and our hard working staff, especially John Reesor, for getting this project to this point,” said Alamosa Mayor Ty Coleman. 

“What an incredible opportunity for Alamosa to see this bridge come to a reality. It has been a long time coming for our community, this will not only benefit outdoor recreation but will add another transportation alternative directly to Adams State. I’m so proud of the work John Reesor and the City of Alamosa put into this proposal,” said Mick Daniel, Executive Director, San Luis Valley Great Outdoors. 

“The news of funding from the RAISE Grant for the City of Pueblo’s West Side Connector project is appreciated for much needed investment in infrastructure and connectivity in our city,” said Mayor of Pueblo Nick Gradisar. “This project will modernize roads and main streets in Pueblo’s West Side and prepare the City to build a bridge to provide a critical linkage to the neighborhood. Seventy West Side bus stops will be rehabilitated to comply with ADA standards which provides better access for Pueblo residents. The RAISE Grant was made possible by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law with President Biden and we are grateful for the opportunity to receive this funding for Pueblo.”

“Alamosa County is pleased to be a contributing partner to the success of the pedestrian project.  This bridge will complete a walking and biking loop that the citizens of Alamosa County will enjoy for years to come,” said Commissioner Michael Yohn, Chair, Alamosa County.

“Multi-modal projects such as this bridge have become increasingly important to communities within the region as they develop new initiative to improve pedestrian and bicycle routes to recreational opportunities and commercial centers.  The San Luis Valley Transportation Planning Region is please to support this proposal,” Keith Baker, Chair and Vern Heersink, Vice Chair, San Luis Valley Transportation Planning Region.

The RAISE grant program allows the federal government to invest directly in road, rail, and transit projects that achieve national transportation objectives. Funding can support multi-modal, multi-jurisdictional projects that are more difficult to fund through traditional DOT grant programs. To help meet the overwhelming demand for these grants,  the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law  provided $7.5 billion for RAISE grants over the next 5 years. 

Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper provided letters of support to DOT for all of the recently funded projects. 

Project	Applicant	City	Award	Description
The Westward Three Project	CDOT	Grand Junction, Rifle, and Glenwood Springs	$24,248,940	This project will construct three new mobility hubs in Grand Junction, Rifle, and Glenwood Springs. The Grand Junction component includes bicycle, pedestrian, and parking improvements in addition to I-70 Business Loop complete streets improvements. The Glenwood Springs component redevelops the current park-n-ride into a transit center where I-70 and SH82 intersect, and also creates a grade-separated bicycle and pedestrian underpass at 27th St. and SH82. The Rifle component expands and relocates the Rifle Park-n-Ride which is currently exceeding capacity.
Rio Grande Intermodal Transportation	City of Alamosa	Alamosa	$4,777,640	The project will fund the construction of a new pedestrian bridge across the span of the Rio Grande River channel in the Adams State University neighborhood. This project includes acquisition of right-of-way, design, permitting, engineering, and construction of the following: trailhead parking lot, ADA accessible ramp and surfacing of the approach to the bridge, and construction of the tied arch bridge (approximately 320 feet long and 14 feet wide) with steel reinforced abutments.
West Side Connector	City of Pueblo	Pueblo	$16,834,725	This project has three distinct components related to reconnecting the West Side of the City of Pueblo to downtown. In the first component, Spaulding/Sun Mountain Blvd. will be extended from 24th Street to 31st Street and two roundabouts will be constructed on where Spaulding intersects 27th Street and 31st Street. The second component will rehabilitate 70 West Side bus stops to comply with ADA standards. The third component, which will be funded as a planning project component, consists of planning and design for a 24th Street bridge and Downtown Corridor.