The Dry Creek Pomo tribe could provide up to $2 million for Sonoma County road and bridge projects under an agreement approved by the county Tuesday.
The money would come from a federal transportation program that helps Indian tribes improve roads on and off their reservations.
The Dry Creek tribe owns and operates River Rock Casino off Highway 128 in Alexander Valley.
Under the agreement, the tribe will provide $200,000 to the county this year for the overlay of Geyserville Avenue between the Highway 101 interchange and Highway 128.
Next year, the tribe will seek up to $1 million from the federal program to repair the Jimtown Bridge over the Russian River on Alexander Valley Road.
The county-owned routes provide access to the casino. The tribe approved the joint agreement last month.
Future projects could include pedestrian improvements on Highway 128, storm sewer replacement on Canyon Road, repair of Healdsburg Avenue north of Healdsburg and repaving Moody Lane from Highway 128 to Geyserville schools.
All the projects are dependent on the tribe getting the funds from the Federal Highway Administration and Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The tribe would transfer the money to Sonoma County, which would award contracts for engineering and construction of the projects.
The Dry Creek agreement could become a model for county road projects funded by other local tribes, according to a county report.
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