JPA seeking proposals.
[view:node_ad=5] Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich has announced that the High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority has approved a formal request for proposals regarding the High Desert Corridor. The corridor will connect State Route 14 in Palmdale to Interstate 15 in Victorville to accommodate the explosive growth in international trade that is pouring thousands of trucks onto the region’s already congested thoroughfares. Southern California ports handle 40 percent of the international freight that enters the United States.
“The High Desert Corridor is a vital component in our regional transportation network,” said Antonovich. “In conjunction with the proposed inland port complex and LA/Palmdale Airport, this corridor improves mobility, air quality, traffic safety and brings manufacturing and industrial jobs to the High Desert."
The High Desert Corridor Joint Powers Authority is comprised of elected representatives from Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties, and they took a major step forward in the creation of the new expressway by seeking consultants to coordinate project financing and construction.
“This is a great step toward building a much-needed alternative to our jammed freeways,” said San Bernardino County Supervisor Brad Mitzelfelt. “By spring time, we’ll be evaluating how this project can be funded with a combination of public and private monies.”
Proposals are due back to the JPA by mid-March and must include a creative financing plan that features a private funding component, likely financed through tolls, along with preliminary design and cost estimates.