State Legislature Devises Plan to Fix Highway Trouble spots

The plan includes the state's share of major projects including the Alaska Way Viaduct and 520 Bridge replacement.

What does the 2005 Funding Package promise for future transportation investment in Washington?

The 2005 Washington State Legislature provided a 16-year expenditure plan to take care of some of Washington State's most critical transportation needs. Over 270 projects will be funded by package that will make roads and bridges safer as well as ease choke points on the system. The following is on overview of what type of projects are included in the funding.

At-Risk Structures - $2.98 billion for 30 projects

The "At-Risk Structures" category includes $2.98 billion to rehabilitate or replace 30 existing bridges. The work will extend the lifetime of the bridges to ensure they can continue to meet daily needs, as well as stand up to earthquakes and the eroding effects of moving water.

• Alaskan Way Viaduct - $2 billion
  This is the State's contribution towards replacing this aging and earthquake vulnerable structure.
  
  
• SR 520 Bridge - $500 million
  The State's contribution towards replacement of the SR 520 floating bridge. The money will complete the design work and some construction. Additional funding is expected from tolling and regional sources.
  
  
• Bridge Seismic Retrofit - Central Puget Sound $87 million
  These projects will strengthen supporting columns of bridges to resist earthquake damage. Central Puget Sound has two seismic zones with the highest ground movement in the state.

Other Seismic Improvements: 152 bridges for $87 million

• Bridge Replacements - $391 million, 26 projects:
  Replaces bridges that are deteriorating and/or are too narrow for current usage. The work will also improve the environment for fish and habitat.
  
  
• Safety Investments - $279 million for 106 projects
  Projects statewide with high accident histories, run-off-the-road or median crossover dangers.

Strategies include:

• Remove fixed objects on the roadside
  
• Install guardrail
• Build passing lanes to reduce or prevent head on collisions
• Illuminate county road intersections to avoid nighttime accidents
• Replace intersections with interchanges to prevent broadside collisions
• Widen roads to provide inattentive drivers an opportunity to recover prior to leaving the roadway
• Build sidewalks and pedestrian bridges and install pedestrian signals to provide pedestrians a safer walk.

These projects will provide the following performance outcomes:

• Fix problems at 52 specific high accident locations and corridors
• Install 73 miles of cable median barrier to protect motorists from crossover accidents on multi-lane highways
• Add approximately 25 new lane miles of roadway
• Reduce the number of injury accidents by approximately 1100 per year (24 percent reduction in the number of accidents within the project limits)

Multi Modal Improvements - $94.8 million for 8 projects

Passenger Rail

Improving Amtrak Cascades service with:

• Projects that will support better on-time performance
• Greater track capacity at King Street Station
• Upgrades to state-owned train equipment

Environmental - $108 million for 21 projects, plus funding for future fish barrier removal projects

Projects to address existing environmental impacts from previous highway construction.

This work includes:

• Removing fish passage barriers, which prevent fish from moving upstream to spawn
  
• Repairing a chronic roadway problem that repeatedly creates environmental impacts to fish as a result of in-stream work needed to protect the highway from failing.
• Building new storm water run-off projects to ensure the slow discharge of clean water into streams and lakes for fish and public use.