The Carson City Freeway, Highway 50 between Fernley and Fallon, and a new Interstate 80 interchange at Fernley received added funding in the Transportation Equity Act approved by the House of Representatives Thursday.
Those three projects are already on the list for major funding through the Nevada Department of Transportation. The funding announced Thursday is in addition to NDOT project funding.
A total of $5 million was added to help pay for widening Highway 50 between Fernley and Fallon. That stretch of road is considered one of the most dangerous by NDOT officials. Rep. Jim Gibbons, R-Nev., said the plan is to make it into a divided four-lane highway.
The growth of Fernley is driving the need for a new interchange connecting that town's commercial and warehousing area to Interstate 80. A total of $2 million was added to the legislation to help get the interchange project started.
And $1 million is in the bill for the Carson City Freeway project.
In addition, the federal bill contains $2 million for the Meadowood Mall interchange in south Reno, $1 million for Reno's train trench project, $4 million for Reno-Sparks Intermodal Transportation terminals and $1 million for the Industrial Park interchange on I15 in Mesquite.
All are part of a $284 billion transportation package that includes more than 4,000 projects nationwide.
The big issue, however, is President Bush's threat to veto anything over $256 billion.
The bill was approved by the House this week. The Senate is expected to approve its bill - also worth about $284 billion - next week.
n Contact reporter Geoff Dornan at gdornan@nevadaappeal.com or 687-8750.
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