The Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe will build a new highway known as “Indian Route 35″ with assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) program.
The NSFLTP program provides funding for the construction, reconstruction, and rehabilitation of nationally-significant projects within, adjacent to, or accessing Federal and tribal lands. The new road will create a bypass through Wadsworth, Nevada, and provide a safer and more efficient route for everyone. “Indian Route 35” is also known as the Wadsworth Bypass Road.
‘Indian Route 35’
In a joint statement, U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) announced the $11,975,000 in funding for the highway. “Building ‘Indian Route 35’ will make a big difference for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe by improving safety and reducing traffic congestion in a critical corridor in Tribal territory,” said Senator Cortez Masto. “I will always work to make sure Native communities in Nevada get the federal support they need, and I will continue working to bring in resources to rebuild our roads and bridges and create more good-paying jobs in Nevada.”
“I’m proud to announce that the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that I helped write and pass is continuing to deliver for Nevadans by connecting our state,” said Senator Rosen. “This new funding will build a new road to better connect the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe with communities in northern Nevada.”
New Highway Supported by Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
The Wadsworth Bypass Road is proposed as a two-lane 2.91 mile long rural road. It will have grading and drainage, asphalt pavement, and intersection improvements. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen championed required at least 50 percent of federal program funding go toward Tribal transportation projects. The Law also increased the federal share for Tribal transportation projects to 100 percent.
In addition to advocating for infrastructure like roads, Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen championed other causes for Tribes. Cortez Masto and Rosen have consistently advocated for robust federal funding to benefit tribal families and children in Nevada. Understanding the importance of preserving Native heritage, they have worked to protect and support Tribal languages. Senator Cortez Masto has continuously highlighted the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW). She was also instrumental in passing Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act into law.
Learn More
Visit the U.S. Department of Transportation website to learn more about the Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) program.
You can learn more about the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe by visiting its website.
