Calvert applauds $50M federal grant to relieve traffic congestion in Temecula, Calif.

A California infrastructure improvement project supported by U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA) recently received a $50 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

The federal funds are designated for improvements on the Interstate 15 freeway and the French Valley Parkway interchange in Temecula, Calif.

“I’ve been proud to work with Temecula officials to advocate for this project and ensure the folks at the Department of Transportation understand why it’s needed,” Rep. Calvert said on Monday. “I truly appreciate Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao’s decision to award the grant and for all the time she took with me to understand the challenges in our region.”

Rep. Calvert said that the federal grant award “will provide desperately needed resources for a critical congestion relief project.”

“The people who commute on the [Interstates] 15 and 215 experience the traffic throughout the Temecula corridor every day and are looking for solutions like this project to become a reality,” said Rep. Calvert.

In fact, according to a Feb. 14 letter Rep. Calvert sent to Secretary Chao, traffic between the I-15 and I-215 junction in Riverside County and San Diego County to Gopher Canyon Road “can back up for over 20 miles.”

“This is an essential corridor for tourism, freight, commerce, trade, and commuter traffic,” wrote Rep. Calvert. “It is the direct connection from San Diego County to Nevada, Utah and beyond.”

The congressman advocated for the City of Temecula’s application seeking funds authorized under the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant program, noting in his letter that the city’s request was “narrowed from its 2017 application to request significantly less INFRA program funds — $50 million instead of $120 million — in order to be more competitive.”