Gov. Gregoire opens new S. Royal Brougham Way bridge; Port of Seattle provides $300 million toward replacing the Alaskan Way Viaduct

For Immediate Release: April 12, 2010

SEATTLE - Gov. Chris Gregoire and state and local leaders gathered on Mariner�s opening day to celebrate two achievements that mark significant progress toward replacing the seismically vulnerable Alaskan Way Viaduct.

Gregoire celebrated the completion of the new S. Royal Brougham Way bridge, a signature feature of the SR 519 Intermodal Access project located between Seattle�s sports stadiums. The bridge eliminates the at-grade crossing of the railroad tracks on Royal Brougham for vehicles and pedestrians. The April 12th bridge opening will be followed in May by the opening of the new I-5/I-90 westbound off-ramp to S. Atlantic Street/Edgar Martinez Drive S providing an important freight connection to the waterfront and Port of Seattle terminals.

�Completing the SR 519 project helps move people and goods faster and safer between the freeways and the waterfront, downtown, the port and the stadiums,� said Gregoire. �This project was completed on budget and almost one year early.�

Opening these two structures this spring meets the state Department of Transportation�s goal of completing the SR 519 project before major construction begins this summer to replace the southern mile of the viaduct.

Gregoire, Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryant and Port of Seattle CEO Tay Yoshitani signed a memorandum of agreement to commit $300 million in Port funding to the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program. The funding is a critical share of the $3.1 billion budget to replace the viaduct and completes the funding plan for the proposed bored tunnel. The Port of Seattle also contributed to the SR 519 project.

�The port is investing in projects that keep freight moving and keep jobs here,� Bryant said, noting that thousands of jobs across the state depend on the port�s ability to move cargo to and from the waterfront efficiently.

The SR 519 project is part of a package of improvements within the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program. This summer, crews will begin work to replace the viaduct between S. Holgate and S. King streets with a new side-by-side roadway that has wider lanes, meets current earthquake standards and improves mobility for people and goods in the south of downtown area.

For more information on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement program, visit www.AlaskanWayViaduct.org. For more information about how the Port of Seattle generates thousands of jobs for Washington state, visit www.portseattle.org.