A major interchange improvement project in the City of Tracy received a $41.35 million boost in federal funds in part due to the San Joaquin One Voice® advocacy effort led by the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG).
Tr
acy’s I-580/Corral Hollow Road Interchange project received the funding and was among the projects for which the One Voice® delegation advocated in May. One Voice® is SJCOG’s program for promoting projects, programs and issues of regional significance to federal lawmakers and agencies, typically via an annual trip to the nation’s capital. The One Voice® delegation usually includes elected officials, SJCOG Board members, government and SJCOG staffers, and other supporters who meet with federal lawmakers and agency officials.
“This is proof that SJCOG’s One Voice® delegation of elected leaders from the entire county is paying off to the benefit of our residents,” said San Joaquin County Supervisor and SJCOG Boardmember Robert Rickman, whose district includes Tracy. “SJCOG views this as a tremendous funding boost for a much-needed project in the City of Tracy that will improve traffic safety and goods movement, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and increase pedestrian and bicycle access.”
The funding will be far reaching for the region.
“SJCOG wants to recognize the tremendous effort of so many to bring back this extraordinary victory not only for the City of Tracy, but also for the entire region because this transportation improvement has far-reaching economic development and mobility benefits,” newly sworn San Joaquin County Supervisor and former SJCOG Chair Sonny Dhaliwal said. “It shows that our voice is heard when we go to Washington, D.C., to talk about the region’s transportation priorities.”
Tracy’s aw
ard was the largest of 25 in California totaling $258 million and was announced by U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla in a statement. The grants come from three programs funded by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program, the Reconnecting Communities Pilot (RCP) Grant Program, and the Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) Program. Tracy’s grant came from the latter of the three programs.
According to Padilla’s statement, “The project includes three elements: 1) I-580/Corral Hollow Road Interchange improvements constructing two roundabouts at the freeway ramp intersections, widening the overcrossing at I-580, and installing a Class I path; 2) Corral Hollow Road Improvements widening the two-lane roadway to a divided four-lane roadway with multimodal facilities and replacing the bridges over the California Aqueduct and Delta Mendota Canal; and 3) Corral Hollow Road/Linne Road intersection improvements with a new traffic signal, turn lanes, and a strengthened at-grade crossing.”