Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler
The city of Ridgefield is set to get $5.8 million from the U.S. Dept. of Transportation for infrastructure upgrades on Pioneer Street, in part due to support from U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, a release from the congresswoman’s office stated Sept. 10.
The funding comes from a Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to the city, the release stated, and will be used to extend and expand Pioneer Street to improve freight and vehicle mobility, address safety issues and expand land development in the Ridgefield Junction area. The increase in access to development is anticipated to result in 8,600 new full-time jobs and more than $580 million in private investments over a 20-year period, according to the release.
The release noted that Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, is a senior member in the U.S. House Appropriations Committee, allowing her to help secure the funding.
“Ridgefield is one of our state’s fastest-growing cities and we need infrastructure that can match this growth and allow more employment opportunities to come here, too,” Herrera Beutler said in the release. “I worked in Congress to secure this critical funding so that Southwest Washington communities like Ridgefield can safely accommodate more jobs, offer more educational resources, and keep it a wonderful place to live as it grows in the coming years.”
Ridgefield Mayor Don Stose was excited to hear of the grant approval, saying in the release that it wouldn’t have had such strong support without the help of Herrera Beutler.
“The project will be a boon for our region for decades to come.” Stose said in the release. “This is a great day for Ridgefield and opens up exciting opportunities for our future quality of life.”
— The Reflector
