​ Federal Funds

 to benefit California District #8

Infrastructure, Water Improvements, Road Repairs& other Projects


 

July 30, 2021_ Washington D.C. ___ U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (CA-08) has secured $11 million in funding for necessary projects within California’s District#8, that passed the U.S. House of Representatives as part of the week’s major appropriations package. 

District #8 distribution of Federal Funds are:   

·        $2 million for street improvements to Maple Avenue in Hesperia

o   Will improve the portion of Maple Avenue from Ranchero Road to Main Street, helping to boost connectivity for residents and business centers, lower response times for emergency vehicles, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs and facilitate growth for the community.

o   The project will widen the roadway to five lanes, creating two travel lanes in each direction plus a center turn lane. It will also add pedestrian and bicycle facilities, widen the California Aqueduct Bridge and add traffic signals. 

 

·        $2 million for the Victoria Avenue Improvements Project in Highland

o   The $2 million in federal funding will go towards improvements on Victoria Avenue between 9th Street and Highland Avenue, including pavement reconstruction, curbs, gutters, driveways, sidewalks, a raised median, wet and dry utilities and undergrounding of existing utility lines. 

 

o   Design of the project is currently at 85 percent completion.

·        $757,803 for road and water infrastructure improvements in Needles

o   Allocated towards the First Year Paving Replacement Phase 3 project in Needles as part of the city’s street pavement rejuvenation program to restore streets to good condition while improving the deteriorated water infrastructure underneath.

o   The city’s road system is currently in urgent need of maintenance and repair with residents unable to cover the cost. The town of Needles has a population of approximately 4,320 with the median household income of $39,022. 

 

·        $960,000 for Replenish Big Bear Lake /Big Bear Valley   

o   Funding will go to the Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency (BBARWA) to support the Replenish Big Bear Project, a recycled water project aimed at recovering local water resources currently discharged outside the Santa Ana Watershed to replenish the local water supply, protect the Big Bear Valley environment, and strengthen the tourism industry that drives Big Bear Valley’s recreation-based economy.

o   Currently, about 800 million gallons of water, or half of Big Bear Valley’s annual water supply, is disposed of each year. Replenish Big Bear will recapture and treat this lost water to drinking water standards and use it to enhance water levels in the Big Bear Lake, other near area water bodies, and the groundwater basin. 

 

·        $800,000 for Adelanto’s wastewater treatment plant

o   Adelanto’s wastewater treatment plant, located in the northeast portion of the city between State Route 395 and the former George Air Force Base, began working to provide water for irrigation purposes in 2010. Original capital infrastructure improvements failed to yield satisfactory results and attempts to provide irrigation water were put on hold.

o   The $800,000 in funding will provide the means for rehabilitating and retooling existing infrastructure to improve results and meet treatment goals that will allow the city of Adelanto to conserve water. 

 

·        $1,932,00 for Apple Valley’s Desert Knolls Wash Phase III Project

o   Will provide for the construction of an earthen channel with rock bank protection and rock drop structures designed to slow the flow of water where the channel converges with the Mojave River high water area.

o   The rock bank protected channel will join with the existing concrete lined channel downstream of Apple Valley Road and the Mojave River to stabilize the wash banks and stop erosion from occurring through the Lewis Center property and school area. 

 

·        $1 million for a street and sidewalk improvement project in the City of Bishop 

o   Will help to revitalize the downtown area and eliminate congestion and unsafe sidewalks along Main Street. 

Representative Obernolte saw the need for this project firsthand during his recent visit to Bishop, California.