Reid backed planned bridge near his land

Reid backed planned bridge near his land
Could affect value of property he owns nearby

Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., backed funding for a bridge between Nevada and Arizona that could affect the value of property he owns nearby.

The planned span over the Colorado River between Laughlin, Nev., and Bullhead City, Ariz., got an $18 million boost in last year's massive federal transportation bill.

Reid, who's in line to become Senate majority leader after last week's election, owns 160 acres of undeveloped property in Bullhead City, several miles from the proposed bridge sites. Development is booming in the area and local officials in Laughlin and Bullhead City support a new crossing to ease traffic on the one existing bridge. They also expect it would add to property values.

Reid aides said his support for the bridge has nothing to do with his ownership of the Bullhead City property, which he values between $500,000 and $1 million on his annual financial disclosure forms. His spokesman said he had no plans to develop the property.

After the Los Angeles Times published a story on the issue Monday, Reid's office issued a five-page fact sheet in response.

According to the statement, Laughlin officials began pushing for another bridge after the nearby Hoover dam crossing was closed because of security concerns after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, pushing traffic onto a single Laughlin-Bullhead City bridge.

Reid and others in the Nevada delegation responded, securing $500,000 for planning in 2004. Reid and Rep. Jon Porter, R-Nev., then pushed for the $18 million in last year's $286 billion highway-mass transit bill.

A final location has not been designated for the bridge, which is projected to cost $30 million to $40 million.

"Sen. Reid's support for the bridge had absolutely nothing to do with property he owned," said the statement from his office. "Sen. Reid supported this project for one reason only _ his continuing efforts to move Nevada forward."

Reid and other incoming Democratic leaders have promised to bring more openness to the practice of earmarking, where lawmakers insert funding for pet projects into legislation with little scrutiny.

House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., was criticized after it was disclosed that he sold property near his home in Kendall County, Ill., for a $1.8 million profit last year after championing a $207 million earmark in the same bill for a nearby connector road.