Gov. Gregoire, Sen. Patty Murray announce stimulus funding, jobs at Eastside briefing

For Immediate Release: March 30, 2009

BELLEVUE � Gov. Chris Gregoire and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray announced today that a $277 million construction project to relieve congestion on parts of I-405 in Bellevue is ready to go to bid. The project will be funded in part with $30 million the state received through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Joining Gregoire and Murray for the announcement were Washington Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond, Federal Highway Administration officials, local elected officials and business leaders.

The project will provide relief for one of the most congested sections of I-405 as new multi-level ramps to separate vehicles entering and exiting northbound I-405 will be constructed.

�This transportation project is the latest signal that we�re delivering quickly on my promise to put thousands of Washingtonians to work,� Gregoire said. �The Washington State Department of Transportation is a proven engine for creating jobs, and has a track record for delivering projects on time and within budget. We expect the same performance when it comes to turning Recovery Act funds into jobs now and in the future.�

Washington has received a total of $492 million for state and local highway construction projects from the federal stimulus package.

�Construction is a tried and true way to put people back to work. That�s why I worked to ensure that the economic recovery package made a sizable investment in transportation priorities that will literally pave the way for economic growth,� Murray said. �The federal stimulus money being put into I-405 will help create an estimated 560 jobs. While there�s a lot more to be done, these transportation projects are as important to getting our economy going as they are to keeping traffic moving.�

The federal stimulus package is also providing $40 million to add a new lane on I-405 between 195th and SR 527 near Bothell. That project will help create or support an estimated 440 jobs.

�Mobility continues to be one of the greatest constraints of economic potential for the Eastside,� said Bellevue Mayor Grant Degginger. �The road to recovery begins today.�

�The I-405 Bellevue braids project is a key to fixing one of our most troublesome chokepoints in one of our critical economic corridors,� Hammond said. �Thanks to the Recovery Act, we were able to leverage $30 million in federal funds to move ahead a $277 million project that delivers congestion relief and jobs.�

�For the construction industry, it�s all about jobs,� said Max Kuney, a private contractor from Spokane who has been the lead on several WSDOT projects. �These stimulus projects put people back to work in a down economy.�

Congestion now lasts up to eight hours in and around the I-405 interchange area. Improvements to ease congestion will improve local access, circulation and operations in downtown Bellevue. They will also boost safety by reducing congestion-related collisions and enhance local pedestrian and bicycle access.