Make a connection

I have been reading about the north-south freeway since the 1970s. Recent Spokesman-Review articles made me ask: Is there any leadership and planning in the Washington State Department of Transportation?

We have plans for a four-lane highway connecting Highways 2 and 395 with Interstate 90. It is unfunded and will take years to build. Has anyone actually thought and planned a corridor based on the main function of the corridor: a limited-access motorway to get people and material from I-90 to the north highways?

The WSDOT plods along building parts at a time as funding comes through. New solution: Build a limited-access two-way, two-lane connector. In other words, finish one side first. Get traffic flowing and then go back and finish the other two lanes. This will give the needed higher-speed access to the north, while giving the public a functional arterial in a manageable timeline and cost.

But watching how the WSDOT has planned and managed the I-90 projects this construction season, I won’t hold my breath on having it done in any timely, efficient manner.

Why not plan, supervise and finish smaller projects in one construction season?

Chip Magnuson

Four Lakes