Washington, D.C. - Colorado U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D) and Cory Gardner (R) today announced the Department of Transportation has awarded the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe a $2 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for a project aimed at improving access and safety along a 2.5-mile segment of US Highway 160.

"For over a decade, the Ute Mountain Ute tribe has advocated for this project to modernize the roads in its community," Bennet said. "We applaud the tribe's efforts to secure this grant and commit to working with Southwest Colorado to help further federal investment in our local communities."

"This is great news for the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe as these Department of Transportation funds will help make critical upgrades on this stretch of highway," Gardner said. "Going forward, I'll continue my efforts to ensure our local communities across Colorado have adequate resources from the federal government and ensure no corner of Colorado is ever forgotten."