SR 37, Fairgrounds Interchange Would Get $4M: Infrastructure Bill

SOLANO COUNTY, CA — The U.S. House of Representatives approved a $715 billion infrastructure plan, and if the Senate passes it, it will mean $4 million for the SR 37, Fairgrounds Drive Interchange in Vallejo.

If President Joe Biden signs it into law, it would be the nation’s largest infrastructure investment in about 75 years: a 50 percent increase over the last infrastructure budget, according to The New York Times.

California would be a big winner under the proposed law. The bill includes more than $900 million for projects throughout the Golden State. They include bridges, bike lanes and express lanes, railway expansions, electric vehicle charging stations, zero-emission transit fleets, tunnels, transportation hubs, wastewater and drinking water projects and other infrastructure to prepare for rising sea levels.

Locally, $4 million is earmarked for the interchange project at state Highway 37 and Fairgrounds Drive in Vallejo. The funds were requested by U.S. Rep. Mike Thompson, D-Napa.

"Improving traffic flow and safety along State Route 37 and the Fairgrounds Drive Interchange is a crucial part of investing in infrastructure in our district," Thompson said in a news release. "This spot is the gateway to Vallejo and improvements will keep employees at Six Flags safe, connect the region to the Solano 360 project and boost the redevelopment of the Solano Fairgrounds. That’s why I was proud to request $4 million in Federal funding as one of my top Member Designated Projects and why I will continue working to ensure this funding reaches our district."

The surface transportation and water spending bill prioritizes a Democratic wish list of projects for combating climate change. Democratic legislators argued that the funding is needed to contend with the effects of climate change and reduce the nation’s carbon footprint.

The unprecedented heat wave gripping the Pacific Northwest, killing dozens, added a sense of urgency among Democrats, who pushed the bill forward this week over Republican objections in the House.

“We have to rebuild in ways that we never even thought about before,” Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, told The New York Times. “This is the moment. We have to be bold.”

Click here to see all California projects that would be funded under the current bill.

Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.