U.S. Rep. Josh Harder delivers $250,000 for key Altamont Pass corridor
The San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) has secured $250,000 in new federal funding for planning and design of the I-205 Managed Lanes project, a critical transportation corridor connecting the San Joaquin Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area.
The funding was included in the federal appropriations package approved Feb. 3, through a Community Project Funding request submitted by U.S. Rep. Josh Harder.
The I-205 Managed Lanes project would improve the 15-mile stretch of Interstate 205 in both directions from its interchange with Interstate 5 to the West Grant Line Interchange. The project is currently in the environmental study stage.
“This is a huge win for the tens of thousands of Central Valley super commuters who are already spending hours in the car every single day,” Harder said. “Our communities deserve safer roads and better commutes, and this is an important step toward delivering on that goal. I’m committed to continuing to bring more federal funding back to the Central Valley for critical infrastructure projects that improve our community.”
Harder credited SJCOG Board of Directors’ leadership and its San Joaquin One Voice® advocacy in Washington, D.C., for highlighting the need for funding of the project.
“This is great news for our region and everyone who travels along I-205 between the San Joaquin Valley and the Bay Area,” Stockton Mayor and SJCOG Board Chair Christina Fugazi said. “I want to thank Rep. Harder for helping SJCOG to fund this project and opening the door to other federal funding opportunities. This is possible because the SJCOG Board made this project a regional priority. These results showcase just how effective we are when we use a unified voice.”
SJCOG identified the I-205 Managed Lanes project as one of its federal funding priorities through the agency’s One Voice® advocacy program, which coordinates regional priorities with the county’s congressional delegation, including an annual trip to Washington, D.C.
