Rep. Gallego Joins Sec. Buttigieg, Phoenix Leaders, to Announce Funding for Rio Reimagined Bridge
PHOENIX, AZ – Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07) and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, along with Rep. Greg Stanton (AZ-09) and Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego, gathered today at the Audubon Center in South Phoenix to announce $25 million in funding for the Rio Reimagined 3rd Street Bicycle-Pedestrian Project, a bicycle and pedestrian bridge across the Rio Salado along the 3rd Street alignment between Central Avenue and 40th Street.
"Building out infrastructure, especially in South Phoenix, is key to growing our district’s economy, getting more people to work, and connecting communities across the Valley,” said Rep. Gallego. “Thanks to the leadership of this administration, we’re now seeing much-needed investments made in historically underserved communities like South Phoenix. I’m excited to join Sec. Buttigieg today to announce this $25 million grant and will continue to push for more dollars to come back to Arizona to meet the demand of our growing city.”
Rio Reimagined will build a new bike and pedestrian bridge that connects the north and south banks of the Rio Salado trail systems, creating an accessible, safe, and direct crossing between South Phoenix and Downtown. Once completed, the project will connect the underserved South Phoenix community-- a majority-minority area where one-fifth of households lack access to a car-- to education and employment opportunities in Downtown Phoenix.
“We are proud to support so many outstanding infrastructure projects in communities large and small, modernizing America’s transportation systems to make them safer, more affordable, more accessible, and more sustainable,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “Using funds from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, this year we are supporting more projects than ever before.”
In May, Reps. Gallego and Stanton wrote Sec. Buttigieg supporting the RAISE grant application for the project. In the letter, they noted that the infrastructure would improve safety, increase mobility, and encourage economic development in a historically disadvantaged area that has among the highest pedestrian fatality rates in the country.
Reps. Gallego and Stanton also noted the climate- and environment-conscious project will promote no- and low-emission transportation and improvements along the Rio Salado banks.
In Arizona, there are 132 bridges and over 3,193 miles of highway in poor condition. Under the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, over the next five years, Arizona can expect to receive:
- $5.3 billion for roads and bridges
- $903 million for public transportation
- $76 million for EV charging
- $348 million for airports
For more on how the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law benefits Arizona click here.