South Dakota Rep. Herseth Sandlin announces $10 million in recovery act funding for Pine Ridge Indian Reservation road improvements

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin announced Wednesday afternoon that the South Dakota Department of Transportation will receive $10 million for the reconstruction and surfacing of a deteriorating segment of US 18 on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act’s (ARRA) Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Discretionary Grant Program. The South Dakota Department of Transportation applied for this TIGER grant last fall, identifying this shovel-ready project as their top priority.

“The much-needed improvements to US 18 from Oglala to Pine Ridge, a high priority for the state and the tribe, will improve access, safety, and connectivity for tribal and nontribal members, " Rep. Herseth Sandlin said. "This grant award is a prime example of how Recovery Act funds are going to work in South Dakota, helping communities most in need while at the same time providing economic development and employment opportunities through the new construction work.”

The Department of Transportation’s TIGER Discretionary Grant Program was included in the Recovery Act to spur a national competition for innovative, multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional transportation projects that promise significant economic and environmental benefits to an entire metropolitan area, a region or the nation.

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