House passes Rep Ruiz’s infrastructure legislation, includes $20 mil for Indio’s Monroe/I-10 interchange project

The House of Representatives passed the "Invest in America Act" on Thursday. The $715 billion transportation bill includes several additions from Congressman Raul Ruiz that will go towards local projects.

The passing of the bill means that the city of Indio will receive $20 million upgrade and expand the Monroe St. / I-10 Interchange.

According to the city of Indio. some of the improvements the project will provide include:

• Reconstructing and widening the I-10/Monroe Street bridge overcrossing and the Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel bridge;
• Reconstructing and widening the existing on- and off-ramps;
• Adding an eastbound auxiliary lane between the Monroe Street and Jackson Street interchanges;
• Adding acceleration and deceleration lanes at the westbound Monroe Street on- and off-ramps and a deceleration lane at the eastbound Monroe Street off-ramp.

"The City of Indio is very excited and appreciative of Congressman Ruiz's efforts to include this project in the Invest in America Act,” said Indio Mayor Pro Tem Waymond Fermon. “Our community has outgrown the interchange at Monroe St. and Interstate 10. Monroe St. is one of the city’s main arterial roads within Indio, connecting our students, workforce, and businesses to Highway 111, Central Indio and the Entertainment District in South Indio. Investing in our infrastructure will be important to the continuance of the economic growth in Indio. Our city staff, partners and community has put us in a position to be shovel ready for this project.” 

The city lays out a timeline of events as the project moves forward. The final design of the project was expected to begin by Oct. 2020 and end in Oct. 2022. The city hopes to begin construction in July 2023 and finish up by June 2025.

Click here to learn more about the Monroe St. / I-10 Interchange project

The bill also includes $30 billion for the Passenger Rail Improvement, Modernization and Expansion (PRIME) grant program. Ruiz's office says this could provide critical funding for the next step in the completion of the Coachella Valley-San Gorgonio Pass Rail Corridor Service Project. The proposed project would bring a passenger rail service from downtown Los Angeles to the Coachella Valley. 

Learn More About the Coachella Valley Railway Project

The last local addition in the bill is the Clean Drinking Water Equity Act, which could open up more than $50 million nationally in additional annual funding to improve clean drinking water access for underserved communities.

“Today, I voted for the Invest in America Act to make our nation more competitive and fix our roads and bridges with safer, smarter, and more resilient infrastructure,” said Ruiz. “Once signed into law, our communities will see the direct results of this legislation, which includes $20 million for the much-needed Monroe Street Interchange project in Indio. I am also thrilled that the Invest in America Act includes my bill to expand access to clean drinking water for underserved communities and my priority to invest in transit programs that could help bring passenger service from Los Angeles to Coachella. With my priorities included, the Invest in America Act will help us Build Back Better, create more local jobs, and grow our local economy.” 

The Invest in America Act also includes legislation authored by Ruiz and Congressman Juan Vargas to establish the California New River Restoration program. The legislation would improve water quality and management at the New River, which flows from Mexicali, Mexico to the Salton Sea, bringing pollution and sewage water into the lake.

“I am pleased to report that the Invest in America Act includes the California New River Restoration Act to help bring much-needed funding to restore the New River,” Ruiz said. “The New River is one of the most polluted in the country, carrying toxins and chemicals from our southern border into the Salton Sea—jeopardizing the health of residents who live and work near the river. The inclusion of our bill in the Invest in America Act will improve health outcomes for my constituents and address the environmental crisis at the Sea.”  

News Channel 3's Morning Anchor Angela Chen looked into the toxic exposure of the Salton Sea in part 2 of her special series "Troubled Waters: The Salton Sea Project."