Rep. Norma Torres Secures $25 Million For State Route -71 Gap Closure Project in Pomona
Torres previously urged the Department of Transportation to support the project, which will reduce congestion, improve safety, and strengthen a critical freight corridor
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Norma Torres (CA-35), a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee that oversees all federal transportation funding, announced that the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LA Metro) will receive $25 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for Phase 2 of the State Route 71 (SR-71) Gap Closure Project in Pomona.
The funding, awarded through the DOT’s Fiscal Year 2026 Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects (INFRA) Grant Program, will help upgrade the existing four-lane expressway between Interstate 10 (I-10) and Mission Boulevard into an eight-lane freeway. The project will add one high-occupancy vehicle lane and one mixed-flow lane in each direction, construct auxiliary lanes, replace aging railroad bridges, install soundwalls, and construct an ADA-compliant pedestrian overcrossing at 9th Street.
Congresswoman Torres previously wrote to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in support of LA Metro’s application, emphasizing the project’s importance to commuters, public safety, the regional economy, and the movement of goods throughout Southern California.
“Anyone who drives the 71 knows how badly these improvements are needed,” said Congresswoman Torres. “I urged the Department of Transportation to support this project because families in Pomona and across the Inland Empire deserve safer roads, shorter commutes, and infrastructure that can keep up with our growing region. This $25 million investment will help eliminate a major bottleneck, improve the movement of goods, and strengthen a corridor that our communities and economy depend on every day. I am thrilled to see federal dollars coming home to move this critical project forward.”
“Metro is pleased to be receiving a $25 million INFRA grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation for the State Route 71 Gap Closure Project,” said Metro CEO Stephanie Wiggins. “We are grateful for the remarkably strong support for this project from Congresswoman Norma Torres, a senior member of the House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. This Measure M voter-approved project will significantly reduce congestion and travel times, improve safety and connectivity – all while enhancing the movements of goods and people across our region. I welcome this infusion of federal funding that will help complete this project and express my appreciation to the local, state, and federal stakeholders whose collaboration are making this project a reality.”
The SR-71 corridor connects communities across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, and Riverside counties and serves as an important route for commuters and freight movement. Phase 2 will address approximately two miles between I-10 and Mission Boulevard and help create consistent improvements along SR-71 from SR-91 to I-10.
The INFRA program provides competitive federal funding for highway and freight projects of national and regional significance that improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of moving people and goods.
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