U.S. 93 widening plans near dam back on track
KINGMAN, Ariz. -- An appropriation measure signed Monday by President Bush puts back on track an improvement project that will widen to four lanes a 15-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 93 leading to the Arizona approach of the new Colorado River bridge that will serve as a Hoover Dam bypass, expediting travel between Nevada and Arizona.
The project, and five others in Arizona, had been placed on hold when spending exhausted the Federal Highway Trust Fund. Ninety-five percent of the $107 million U.S. 93 upgrade is to be financed with money from the fund, which has been replenished with an $8 billion appropriation.
"This one-year fix has been approved, so we're going to move forward with federally-funded projects," said Victor Mendez, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation.
"Congress and federal leaders need to be more innovative and work on diverse solutions to pay for improvements that are vital to our transportation system and quality of life," Mendez said.
The Transportation Department plans to open bids for the U.S. 93 widening project on Sept. 26.
The widening effort is expected to take two years, and the hope is that the job will be finished about the same time that the Colorado River bridge is put into use.
