Senate unveils road plan

By DAVID AMMONS | The Associated Press • Published March 28, 2007

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Senate transportation leaders Tuesday threw their bipartisan support behind a new $8.1 billion highway budget plan for Washington that would get hundreds of road projects back on schedule and cover hefty cost overruns.

The two-year spending proposal earmarks nearly all of the billions needed to build a new state Route 520 floating bridge across Lake Washington and adopts a $915 million plan for initial work on a replacement for Seattle's waterfront Alaskan Way Viaduct. Both are considered at risk of failing in a big earthquake.

Those two "mega-projects" in the congested Puget Sound region are atop a list of 432 road and bridge projects that would get a big boost from the new budget.

The proposal, higher than the $7.4 billion version that cleared the state House a day earlier, accelerates some major road projects and pledges to eventually build all of the road and bridge projects that were promised when lawmakers approved gasoline-tax inceases.

The Legislature boosted the tax by a nickel four years ago and, with the voters' approval, adopted a four-step, 9 1/2 -cent increase two years ago.

The state tax is now at 34 cents a gallons and rises 2 cents in July, with a final 1.5 cents one year later.

Other work

Besides "mega-projects" such as the viaduct and floating bridge, the proposal includes freeway improvements, new connector roads, safety improvements on many highways, four new ferry boats, freight rail and road projects, car pool lanes, and passenger rail and other non-highway approaches to moving goods and people.

Many of the projects, such as improvements on Interstate 90 over Snoqualmie Pass, are racking up big cost overruns, mostly because of the soaring cost of materials as China and others beef up their own infrastructure.

Senate Transportation Chairwoman Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, noted that her budget includes no new projects and that many expensive and necessary proposals eventually will need money. She said new taxes will be required, including state, regional, and federal money as well as tolls. She didn't have a timeline or further specifics.

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