The Blog

Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation

06/10/08

With gas prices hovering around $4.25 a gallon in Puget Sound, there was great celebration last week when we cut the ribbon on the I-5 Everett expansion project. The $260 million project is a great example of how WSDOT is actively managing congestion. We added HOV lanes, general purpose lanes and designated ramps for transit and carpool only on I-5 through six miles of Everett.

Community Transit CEO Joyce Eleanor said the ramps will allow the transit system to add more service this fall. Everett Mayor Ray Stephanson noted that he no longer takes alternate, non-freeway routes at 2:30 in the afternoon. The positive comments we've been getting from the public are music to our ears as well.

Thanks to Gov. Gregoire and the legislature who saw the critical need and fast tracked this project, which had an original completion date of 2012. With gas prices going up every day, the public now has more commuter choices out of Snohomish County.

To learn more about this project and how it serves as a model for future WSDOT projects, please find information at the following Web site.