Press Releases

Congressman Salud Carbajal announced that he had secured over $4,000,000 in direct federal funding for community projects to benefit residents of San Luis Obispo County in the federal funding bills drafted and passed today by the U.S. House of Representatives.

The funding bills, written to cover federal spending for the upcoming Fiscal Year 2023, provide funds to help construction of a new 101 interchange in San Luis Obispo, renovate a key bridge in Arroyo Grande, and make upgrades to a critical multi-use pier in Morro Bay.

“I have, and always will, use my seat in Congress to work to deliver real results for Central Coast residents. I am proud to have secured more than $4 million for San Luis Obispo County that will improve our quality of life once approved by the Senate and signed into law for the upcoming fiscal year,” said Rep. Carbajal. “With these funds, we will be able to make critical upgrades to our roads and highways, bridges and piers to keep commerce and people moving smoothly throughout our region.”

Rep. Salud Carbajal specifically requested and pushed for funding for these and other Central Coast projects through the House Appropriations Committee.

In total, Rep. Carbajal secured $22,466,540 for 14 projects across the House’s funding bills. The House advanced six of its twelve funding bills to the U.S. Senate this week, which includes twelve of Carbajal’s projects.

The full list of projects secured for San Luis Obispo County can be found below:

$2,065,000 to help fund the Prado Road Bridge Replacement project in the City of San Luis Obispo, which includes improvements and modifications to the adjacent intersection of Prado Road/South Higuera Street to provide additional capacity to serve existing and future traffic demands.

The planned replacement would not only widen the bridge, but also add bike lanes and lighting to improve pedestrian and public safety.

"We greatly appreciate Rep. Carbajal’s including the Prado Bridge replacement project in his request for Community Project Funding. Replacing this 70-year-old bridge with a structurally sound bridge that includes bike lanes, improved lighting, and pedestrian walkways will make the intersection safer and prepare the intersection for the future Prado Road overpass,” said San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica Stewart.

$500,000 for the rehabilitation and retrofit of the Swinging Bridge in Arroyo Grande, which connects residential neighborhoods with the downtown commercial district known as The Village.

“On behalf of the City of Arroyo Grande, we thank Congressman Carbajal’s office for selecting the City’s Swinging Bridge Project to be included in the FY 2023 Community Project Funding allocations. The Swinging Bridge is an important historical asset of the Arroyo Grande community, providing connectivity across Arroyo Grande Creek to the City’s historic Village. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity that this funding will provide to preserve the Swinging Bridge as a vital benefit to the community of Arroyo Grande and the State of California,” said Arroyo Grande City Manager Whitney McDonald.

$1,500,000 to make key replacements and upgrades to Morro Bay’s North T-Pier, which is utilized for Morro Bay’s commercial fishing industry, Coast Guard operations, recreational tourism, and residential communities.

Upgrades are essential to improve the safety of the pier, as it will also serve as the primary hub for operations of any offshore wind infrastructure constructed off the Morro Bay coast.

"This project will repair the T-Pier and improve safety and operations at our harbor,” said Morro Bay Mayor John Headding. “From the US Coast Guard to local fishing companies, tourism, and the soon-to-come offshore wind energy industry, this project will have many dramatic positive impacts on safety and our economy locally and regionally. We could not undertake this work at this time without the federal funding secured by Rep. Salud Carbajal.”

The funding for these three projects was passed by the House this week and heads to the U.S. Senate for its consideration and approval.

The full list of projects requested by Carbajal for Fiscal Year 2023, as well as more information on the rules governing what projects could be requested, can be found here.

This is the second year that Rep. Carbajal and his colleagues have been permitted to request specific Community Project Funding (CPF). In Fiscal Year 2022, Rep. Carbajal delivered nearly $18 million for nine community projects on the Central Coast.

More information on those CPFs can be found here.