Senate approves two-year, $109 billion transportation bill

WASHINGTON -- The Senate voted Wednesday to overhaul transportation programs and keep aid flowing to thousands of construction projects while strengthening highway and auto safety.

The 74-22 vote stepped up pressure for quick House action because the government's power to collect about $110 million a day in federal gasoline and diesel taxes, the main source of revenue for highway and transit programs, is set to expire March 31.

If a final bill isn't on the president's desk by then, Congress would have to approve a temporary extension to avoid a shutdown of the programs, including the furlough of Federal Highway Administration employees and the layoff of construction workers.

Obama administration officials praised senators for trying to address these critical national needs and expressed hope the House "will move swiftly" and follow suit. Efforts by House Republican leaders to pass their own, five-year bill without concessions to Democrats have fallen apart in recent weeks. The House returns next week from a weeklong recess.

The Senate's measure would spend $109 billion over about two years. It would increase the amount of money available for states by raising current spending levels to take into account inflation over the past several years. That is still far short of the dollars that two congressional commissions have said are needed to maintain aging highways, bridges and rail systems while expanding the nation's transportation network to accommodate population growth between now and 2050.

The measure would reduce the number of federal transportation programs by roughly two-thirds to eliminate duplication. Senators preserved bicycle, pedestrian, safe routes to schools and rails-to-trails programs, targeted for elimination by Republicans, under a compromise that means they would have to compete with other programs for money.

Of particular importance for Southern Nevada, the bill includes a provision designating a proposed Interstate 11 connecting Las Vegas to Phoenix as a federal corridor eligible for funding.

Local transportation officials for years have lobbied the Nevada delegation to approve Interstate 11, which they see as a critical commercial route between the cities.

The Senate's move means federal funding could be used to build the highway and have it designated as an interstate. It would follow the same footprint as the oft-discussed Boulder City bypass, a 12-mile alignment that dips into to the desert south of Boulder City.

Sens. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Dean Heller, R-Nev., supported the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Reid issued a statement praising senators for working across party lines.

"Today, a strong bipartisan majority voted to create or save nearly 3 million jobs rebuilding roads, bridges and railways in Nevada and across the country," Reid said.

Heller emphasized the economic importance of the bill for the state and the nation.

"Commerce is the lifeblood of our nation's economy," he said in a statement. "This highway bill will allow for long-term planning of Nevada's infrastructure -- providing the certainty needed to invest in our state's critical transportation projects."

Paul Enos, chief executive officer of the Nevada Transport Association, greeted the passage of the bill with skepticism. While he was pleased the Senate approved the legislation, he doubted that it would move through the House untouched, if at all.

Las Vegas Review-Journal reporter Adrienne Packer and Associated Press reporter Joan Lowy contributed to this report.