Tribal leaders cite I‑10 widening and SR‑347 as priorities in state‑tribal partnerships
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Summary
Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis praised state‑tribal collaboration that secured funding for the I‑10 widening across tribal land and urged lawmakers to tackle transportation safety and SR‑347 improvements this session.
Governor Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community highlighted state‑tribal collaboration that helped secure funding for widening Interstate 10 across 22 miles of tribal reservation and urged lawmakers to prioritize transportation safety and SR‑347 improvements.
"We were able to find the funding, to fund and the widening of the I‑ten as it crosses 22 miles of our community reservation," Lewis said, describing the project as an example of successful partnership among tribal, state and federal actors. He noted the project required direct tribal involvement to succeed.
Lewis said transportation — including roads and safety — is a life‑and‑death priority for many tribal communities and asked lawmakers and the governor to commit to working together on major transportation problems in the coming months, singling out SR‑347 as a route his community wants to fix alongside state partners.
He framed transportation work as an example of how tribes can bring practical solutions to statewide problems when engaged as partners rather than after the fact.