LaMalfa Supports the President’s Rural Infrastructure Proposal

(Washington, DC) –- (RealEstateRama) — Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-Richvale) issued the following statement after President Trump outlined his vision for an infrastructure plan that includes federal grants for rural areas to create funding for additional infrastructure projects and repair existing infrastructure.

LaMalfa said: “The President has shown a commitment to improving our nation’s aging infrastructure, and I am appreciative of funding programs intended specifically for rural areas like Northern California. While big cities have more resources to compete for existing federal grant programs, creating a program specifically for rural areas means we have more opportunities to fund projects like the expansion of State Route 70 in Butte County and Interstate 5 between Anderson and Redding. This plan would potentially lower costs on significant infrastructure projects to our state, such as Sites Reservoir, while also providing funds for highways, bridges, and waterways that are badly in need of expansion or repair. Additional transformative projects, like wholesale air traffic control reform, will help bring American Infrastructure into the 21st century. I agree with the President that the American people deserve the best and safest infrastructure in the world, and we will work together with the Transportation and Infrastructure committee to make that a reality.”

Federal infrastructure grants are rarely awarded to rural areas when in competition with larger cities. Below are three recent examples of badly-needed rural infrastructure that, under existing programs, must compete with large cities across the country:

State Route 70 Corridor Improvement Project: California State Route 70 connects Sacramento with the Oroville and Butte County area, yet is restricted to just two lines in most of Butte County. The lack of additional lanes negatively impacted evacuation during the Oroville Dam crisis, regularly causes unsafe highway conditions, and limits goods movement in the region. State and local transportation agencies are working to expand the highway by an additional lane in each direction.
REQUEST: Approve Butte County Association of Governments FASTLANE application for federal cost-share of $17.5 million of $43 million expansion.

Interstate 5 Redding to Anderson Six-Lane Project: While Interstate 5 serves as the primary goods movement corridor running from the California border with Mexico to the Washington border with Canada, this portion is increasingly congested due to growing urban populations and just two lanes in each direction. Adding an additional lane in each direction would have positive impacts on goods movement and safety across the region.
REQUEST: Approve California Department of Transportation and City of Anderson FLASTLANE application for $58 million federal cost share of $98.7 million lane expansion.

I-5/UPRR Bridge Replacement: In Shasta County, a substandard rail overcrossing threatens the most important interstate highway and rail connections on the West Coast. Should a derailment or simply a shifting load damage the overcrossing, the busiest North-South highway and busiest North-South rail connection could simultaneously be severed.
REQUEST: Approve CA Department of Transportations & Shasta County request for approximately $14 million to fulfill federal cost-share of $29 million bridge replacement.

Congressman Doug LaMalfa is a lifelong farmer representing California’s First Congressional District, including Butte, Glenn, Lassen, Modoc, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Shasta, Sierra, Siskiyou and Tehama Counties.