520-BRIDGE

Liz Jones
04/18/2006

Washington State Department of Transportation has come up with design proposals for a new 5-20 bridge across Lake Washington. On the table are options for a six-lane bridge replacement. KUOW’s Liz Jones has more.

THE SEATTLE CITY COUNCIL YESTERDAY (Mon) REVIEWED SEVERAL REPLACEMENT ALTERNATIVES FOR THE EVERGREEN POINT FLOATING BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS SEATTLE TO THE EASTSIDE. THE OPTIONS INCLUDE THREE VERSIONS OF A 6-LANE FLOATING BRIDGE. ITS PROPOSED WIDTH WOULD BE MORE THAN DOUBLE THAT OF THE CURRENT 4-LANE ROUTE. IT WOULD BE BUILT JUST NORTH OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.

ALL OF THE 6-LANE OPTIONS INCLUDED AN HOV LANE IN BOTH DIRECTIONS. BUT COUNCILWOMAN JAN DRAGO SAYS A NEW BRIDGE NEEDS A DEDICATED LANE FOR RAPID MASS TRANSIT.

Drago "None of them are acceptable alternatives. Today, the bridge carries 153,000 vehicles a day. And it’s being built to accommodate 200,000 vehicles a day. That’s an increase of nearly 50,000 vehicles. Where are those vehicles going to go?"

DRAGO ALSO QUESTIONS WHETHER A TUNNEL OR TUBE WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION. WASHINGTON STATE TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS SAY A TUBE OR TUNNEL WOULD COST BETWEEN 4 AND 8 BILLION DOLLARS. AND THAT COST WOULD ONLY COVER THE BRIDGE PORTION, NOT THE INTERCHANGE AREA. THEY SAY THEY HAVE 1.2. BILLION DOLLARS IDENTIFIED FOR THE PROJECT.

DOT OFFICIAL JOHN MILTON IS DIRECTOR OF THE 520 BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECT COMMITTEE. HE SAYS A TUNNEL OR TUBE OPTION PRESENTS MANY OTHER COMPLEXITIES.

Milton: "Any of these options, particularly as it’s designed and particularly as it lays in this location, has some significant difficulties. The underwater interchange is one of those. One of the things we’d also have to do is provide for fire, life and safety through the area. We would have to try to assimilate or accommodate pedestrian traffic that is in the tunnel."

WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION WILL ALSO REVIEW THE PROPOSAL WITH CITY REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE EASTSIDE.

THE PROJECT IS ON AN AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE TO COORDINATE ITS WORK WITH A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION. GOVERNOR GREGOIRE WILL APPOINT THE COMMISSION BY JUNE. IT WILL FACE A JANUARY 1 DEADLINE TO SUBMIT A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION REFORM PACKAGE AND FINANCING PLAN TO THE LEGISLATURE. LIZ JONES, KUOW NEWS.

© Copyright 2006, KUOW