Southwest Looks to Roads for Recovery

By Scott Blair, with Tony Illia and Neal Singer

The Southwest has been allocated more than $1.1 billion in stimulus funding, and of that amount, $400.4 million worth of projects are approved and will be out for bid in the coming weeks, say representatives from Arizona, Nevada and New Mexico transportation departments.

Arizona is receiving $522 million, of which $350 million will be allocated by the Arizona Dept. of Transportation to 41 shovel-ready projects. The mix of projects had to meet state distribution requirements and will provide Maricopa County with $130 million, Pima County with $46 million and Arizona’s 13 other counties with $175 million.

The remaining money will be distributed through set formulas and grant programs.

“This infusion of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds is estimated to create or sustain about 13,000 jobs,” says Timothy Tait, community relations director with ADOT.

The State Transportation Board on March 13 approved 14 projects worth $85.7 million to be advertised for bids, including a $43.2 million Interstate 10 widening from Sarival Avenue to Verrado Way in Maricopa County and $8.6 million in State Route 87 safety improvements from Payson to Pine in Gila County.

“There were opportunities for heavy roadway construction as well as faster and equally critical safety and roadway improvement projects,” Tait adds.

Additional funding includes $100.6 million for mass transit and $176.3 million for energy efficiency, weatherization and other state energy funding. Since much of this funding is released through grants, exact project details are not available.

New Mexico’s Dept. of Transportation was awarded $252.6 million. “In New Mexico, we’re ahead of the curve,” says Mike Gibson, executive director of Associated Contractors of New Mexico. “We’ll spend all our money by the end of May.”

NMDOT is prepared to begin work by May on six highway projects worth more than $106 million, including reconstruction of existing lanes of U.S. 84/285 between Pojoaque and Espanola, pavement preservation on U.S. 491 between Tohatchi and Shiprock and 20 mi of two new lanes for U.S. 62/180 between Carlsbad and the Texas state line. The work is expected to create 500 new construction jobs.

The stimulus is good, but only a temporary fix and not a continuing initiative, Gibson says. “We have $16 billion in unfunded work across New Mexico. The initiative is a badly needed Christmas present, but it’ll be short-lived.”

Nevada received $201 million for transportation projects, but approved $209.4 million in shovel-ready projects, of which 52% will be used for projects in Clark County, 13% to Washoe County and 35% among the state’s remaining rural counties.

Of the $209.4 million approved, all but four of the projects are paving projects. They include a $9 million landscape project on U.S. Highway 95, $3.6 million for a safety crossing over U.S. Highway 93 in Elko County, $3 million to add a mile of rail line to the V&T tourist railroad in Carson City and $27.6 million for an interchange off of U.S. Highway 395 in Reno.

The state has 120 days to allocate at least $73 million of the stimulus funding.

Jacob Snow, Transportation Commission general manager, says he hopes to meet the 120-day deadline so that if other states don't, Southern Nevada would be in a prime position to pursue any reapportionment funding.

Read more on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in the May issue of Southwest Contractor, which features a special stimulus section with updates from across the U.S.

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