Cortez Masto, Rosen Announce Nearly $12 Million for Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe to Construct “Indian Route 35”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen(D-Nev.) today announced $11,975,000 in funding for the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe to build “Indian Route 35,” also known as Wadsworth Bypass Road, through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Nationally Significant Federal Lands and Tribal Projects (NSFLTP) program. This road will help create a means for through-traffic to bypass Wadsworth, Nevada, and provide a safer and more efficient route for everyone.

“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.”

The Wadsworth Bypass Road is a singular, continuous federally-owned Tribal transportation facility proposed as a two-lane 2.91 mile long rural road with 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 and it increased the federal share for Tribal transportation projects to 100 percent.

Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been strong advocates on behalf of Tribes in Nevada and across the country. 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, she has worked to protect and support Tribal languages. Senator Cortez Masto has continuously highlighted the ongoing crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women (MMIW), and she was instrumental in passing Not Invisible Act and Savanna’s Act into law.

###