House transportation budget: less for North Spokane Corridor, more for dangerous U.S. 195 intersection…
The $7.5 billion House budget plan, released this afternoon, includes $4.6 billion for more than 400 transportation construction projects across the state.
In the face of shrinking revenues, the plan maintains -- mostly -- funding for the state's "mega-projects": $2.4 billion for Seattle's aging/sinking/crumbling Alaskan Way Viaduct replacement, $1.5 billion for a Tacoma-area HOV-lane project. Interstate 90 at Snoqualmie Pass would get $600 million, and the SR 520 floating bridge replacement would get $1.2 billion in new money, much of it from tolls on that bridge.
But instead of the $350 million proposed over the next several years for Spokane's mega-project, the $3 billion North Spokane Corridor, the House sets aside $302 million.
What happened? According to House transportation committee member John Driscoll, some of the difference ($14 million) would instead be spent to build a bridge separating traffic at the dangerous intersection of U.S. 195 and Cheney-Spokane Road. A 16-year-old motorist trying to cross traffic died there in January after being broadsided by a pickup traveling down the highway.
The accident sent community- and family members flocking to Olympia to call for changes at the intersection, which Driscoll said saw two more collisions just last week.
"We're looking at that intersection as very dangerous," said Driscoll. "We need to get on that right away." The House plan, he said, would have the bridge finished within four years.
The Senate plan had far less -- $250,000 -- for work at the intersection. That would have paid to realign a turn lane to improve visibility for cars trying to cross.
Driscoll also said that many projects included in a $341 million project list for federal stimulus dollars now look like they'll come in under-budget. If so, he said, the Spokane region might be able to get some of that money for North Spokane Corridor work.
Also in the House budget: local repaving and other road-maintenance work, projects on U.S. 2 north of Spokane, and work on the port of entry on I-90 at the Idaho border.
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