Washington, D.C. — Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet and John Hickenlooper, alongside U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette, Jason Crow, and Brittany Pettersen welcomed $38.6 million for three Colorado projects from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) grant program. Bennet and Hickenlooper sent letters supporting the applications for all three projects.
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is the most significant investment in America’s transportation infrastructure since President Eisenhower built the interstate highway system,” said Bennet. “This funding will help Golden, Aurora, and Denver rebuild essential roads and bridges, and protect Coloradans’ property from future flooding. I’ll keep working to ensure Colorado continues to benefit from this historic legislation.”
“Colorado is on the frontline of climate change and our infrastructure is bearing that brunt,” said Hickenlooper. “These Colorado PROTECT grants, funded by our Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will protect against flooding in Aurora and Golden and create a safe route to school in Denver.”
“Once again, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law led by Congressional Democrats continues to deliver for Coloradoans,” said DeGette. “Investing in modern infrastructure to improve safety and connectivity in Denver will ensure that our community remains resilient against natural hazards. I’m proud to have worked alongside my Colorado delegation colleagues to secure this funding, and I will continue to advocate for long-term resiliency improvement plans for Denver.”
“Coloradans are all too familiar with the climate crisis, from drought to flooding disrupting our families’ daily commute and impacting our economy. I supported the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to safeguard critical infrastructure and achieve our climate goals – and today it’s delivering for Colorado,” said Crow. “These federal dollars will continue to fix our roads, keep our economy on track, and pave the way to a more resilient future for our state.”
“Floods and other natural disasters have the potential to completely uproot families, destroy businesses, and damage infrastructure,” said Pettersen. “I’ve been fighting to protect our communities from damaging floods and other natural disasters since coming to office, and I’m thrilled that we were able to secure funding for such an important project that will protect families and businesses along Lena Gulch, while still prioritizing sustainability and access to outdoor recreation spaces.”
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created the PROTECT grant program to invest in surface transportation resiliency projects. These grants help communities across the country safeguard their critical infrastructure from the effects of climate change, flooding, extreme weather events, and other natural disasters.
Specifically, this funding includes:
- $23.8 million for Golden to control flooding in Lena Gulch and improve water flow during future flooding events;
- $10.8 million for Aurora to reconstruct the flood-damaged 56th Avenue and Hudson Road crossings and reduce future flooding risks; and
- $4 million for Denver to address flood risks as part of the Sanderson Gulch Resiliency Project.