Veto By Gov. Locke Stalls Funds For Sullivan Road Traffic Relief
Money that could have helped relieve an anticipated traffic jam on Sullivan Road stalled this week when Gov. Gary Locke cut new construction funds from the state transportation budget.
Locke vetoed a section of the transportation budget that would have appropriated $100 million for highway improvement projects statewide. The Evergreen Road interchange on Interstate 90 was among the projects that would have competed for the money, said Al Gilson, state Department of Transportation spokesman.
Locke’s veto leaves the Valley project still short as much as $5 million of the total cost of the interchange’s construction. The interchange is estimated to cost $12 million to $16 million.
The $3 billion transportation budget Locke signed into law Tuesday will allow the state to maintain existing highways, but will do little to help ease congestion or meet future transportation needs.
Instead of approving money for new construction, Locke pledged to ask the Washington Transportation Commission to prioritize a list of statewide projects.
Those projects could be funded by a $50 million appropriation that Locke plans to push for in the 1998 supplemental budget. The supplemental budget will be considered by the Legislature next year.
Projects that will receive that money will be chosen based on their ability to provide supporting freight mobility, economic development, and partnerships, said Linda Tompkins, a Valley attorney who is chairwoman of the Washington Transportation Commission. Projects that will proceed in a timely fashion, like the Evergreen Road interchange, could be given preference, she said.
“My personal interest … will be to argue the merits of investment in our region,” Tompkins said.
Traffic estimates suggest investment in the Evergreen Road interchange, which is currently in the design phase, likely will be warranted.
Computer traffic projections show cars southbound on Sullivan Road will back up once the Spokane Valley Mall and other retail developments open this summer and fall. Traffic tie-ups during peak weekday hours - 4 to 6 p.m. - are expected to stretch past the intersection of Indiana Avenue.
The interchange, which will be paid for by a combination of state and developer money, would help relieve pressure on an already busy Pines Road interchange and anticipated congestion at the Sullivan interchange.
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