The mission of the Roads Program is to improve the quality of life for Indian families and communities by providing safe roads, better access to housing, schools, healthcare, business and employment.
The Roads Program is a diversified program encompassing the needs of the communities and sensitive to the needs of Native Americans. The operational capacity for the Roads Program includes the ability to conduct contracting, transportation planning, right-of-way negotiations, surveying, design, environmental clearances, and construction inspections, of which all meet or exceed Federal Specifications.
Evaluations of the roads to be constructed are based on the percentage of Native American population and the changing needs of the community as a whole. The objectives of the projects are to supply direct routes to highways and towns, to upgrade and provide safer transportation for the total population of the project area.
These road projects are federally funded by the Federal Highway Administration. Indian Reservation Road (IRR) Funding is channeled through the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) for planning, engineering, and construction of IRR Roads. Though the BIA provides these services the Cherokee Nation Roads Program with its group of professionals are able to produce and monitor road projects from inception to construction completion. Motor Fuel Tax, Motor Vehicle Tax, and Special Bridge funds are set aside by the Cherokee Nation Tribal Council for road improvement projects which do not meet the standards for IRR funding.
Within 14 county Jurisdictional area