Southern California Tribes Are Expanding Highways

This was an interesting little article I found.

Casino Pauma in San Diego County is looking to expand. They are embarking on a $300 million expansion program. However in order to do so they need to pay for infrastructure improvements which includes some highway construction projects. They have committed to paying $38 million to widening the state route 76.

Currently Casino Pauma is housed in metal-framed tents with a 400-room gambling resort. The proposed casino includes a nineteen story hotel and an expanded gambling floor. However in order to be responsive to the neighbors they scaled back the project slightly.

One elephant in the room is whether CalTrans is ready to expedite this project. Charles Mathews is quoted as saying:

“Some of that cash has a fuse on it, it has to be spent before 2011,” he said. “Clearly the onus now moves to the county and to Caltrans to make sure that available money is spent, is well spent.”

But with the background of a budget battle and a potential raid on transportation funding there may be delays for the implementation of transportation projects throughout the state.