Mayors Romero and Gallego Greet Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and The Gift of Bipartisan Infrastructure Grants to Build Tucson and Phoenix Bridges

Today (August 11, 2022) thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,  was a great day for Tucson and Arizona Bridge Projects.

Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg came to both cities today to publicly confirm that Tucson and Phoenix would each receive R.A.I.S.E. (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) grants.

Tucson qualified for a $25 million dollar grant to expand and modernize the bridge at the “22nd Street bridge connecting Kino Parkway to Tucson Boulevard.”

Phoenix will also receive a $25 million grant to build the “Rio Salado Bike and Pedestrian Bridge, which will cross the river bed in alignment with 3rd Street.”

Please watch the presentations with Mayors Romero and Gallego along with Secretary Buttigieg, Senator Mark Kelly, Representative Anne Kirkpatrick, Representative Ruben Gallego, and Representative Greg Stanton.

Both Mayors Romero and Gallego expressed their joy with today’s announcements on social media.

Mayor Romero posted:

Today I welcomed @SecretaryPete and @SenMarkKelly to announce a $25M transformative investment in #Tucson's infrastructure. The re-envisioned 22nd Street Bridge will reconnect our communities and create safer ways for residents to drive, walk, bike, and move about. pic.twitter.com/EGOkWkp0om

— Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) August 11, 2022

I am grateful to our Congressional delegation for fighting to bring this funding to Southern Arizona, especially @SenMarkKelly, who was a key negotiator for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and pushed for more funding for this RAISE grant. pic.twitter.com/U1b9lje85C

— Regina Romero (@TucsonRomero) August 11, 2022

Mayor Gallego relayed:

Whether you walk, run, or roll: a new $25M grant will build a bike/pedestrian bridge across Rio Salado, linking downtown and South Phoenix! Huge thanks to USDOT @SecretaryPete for celebrating with us today. Thanks also to @gregstantonaz and @reprubengallego for their help! pic.twitter.com/SulGmhspVp

— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) August 11, 2022

Thanks to @SecretaryPete Buttigieg and @POTUS Joe Biden, we will have a new, $25M bike/pedestrian bridge across Rio Salado. Our federal partners are making our city better! https://t.co/DAPo8eAde1 #PhoenixistheFuture #RAISEgrant pic.twitter.com/KiKBltMusC

— Mayor Kate Gallego (@MayorGallego) August 12, 2022

Construction on the Tucson bridge should commence at the end of August 2022.

The Rio Salado Bridge in Phoenix will now undergo the design and planning review process which should be completed this fall.

Stay tuned because these will probably not be the last infrastructure projects Mayors Romero and Gallego announce in the coming months.