SPOKANE: Senators Murray, Cantwell Applaud Major Federal Investment in Geiger Boulevard Infrastructure Project

Championed by Senators Murray and Cantwell, $14.3 million federal award will support critical improvements to Spokane’s Geiger Boulevard 

New Geiger Boulevard development could support more than 3,200 new jobs and over 1,300 new residents

Grant awarded through Department of Transportation’s BUILD program—formerly known as TIGER, and created by Senator Murray in 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. –  Today, U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, announced a significant federal award to make vital infrastructure improvements to Spokane’s Geiger Boulevard. The $14.3 million competitive grant was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s BUILD program—formerly known as TIGER—and will support several key upgrades to the area that will improve freight and vehicle travel times, increase safety, and spur continued economic development in the greater Spokane region.

“This is a major win for the greater Spokane region. As local infrastructure needs evolve with Spokane’s steady growth, federal investments in projects like Geiger Boulevard will upgrade our roads and prepare our communities for the future. I’m proud to see our work in Congress pay off for Spokane-area residents and business,” said Senator Murray.

“Overhauling the transportation infrastructure at Geiger Boulevard paves the way to bring nearly 3,000 new jobs and over 600 new housing units in Spokane County. When complete, this project will help businesses throughout the region grow, boost the economy, and create new jobs,” said Senator Cantwell.

In addition, today Senators Murray and Cantwell also announced an additional multi-million dollar BUILD grant that will support key improvements to the Palouse River and Coulee City (PCC) Rail System. More information on the federal award is available HERE.

BACKGROUND:

Adjacent to I-90 and the Spokane International Airport, the Geiger Boulevard area includes more than 400 acres of available land primed for continued industrial, commercial, and residential development to support the region’s economic development. The Geiger Boulevard Infrastructure Improvements project would upgrade Geiger Boulevard to a three-lane asphalt road, put signals in at the Hayford Road intersection, improve two high-traffic interchanges at Medical Lake Road and Grove Road, install water and sewer utilities to prepare the area’s open land for development, and add bicycle and pedestrian pathways to make it easier for commuters to access regional transit, including the new West Plains Transit Center. Additionally, the new development could support more than 3,200 new jobs and over 1,300 new residents. Senators Murray and Cantwell both previously wrote letters to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao in support of the improvement project.

Senator Murray created the TIGER program in 2009 as a unique, cost-effective program to help state and local agencies tackle complex transportation challenges in their communities, while putting people to work and boosting regional economies. Since then, the program has awarded $5.6 billion to help facilitate 463 projects in every state in the country, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. Of that total, Washington state has received $248 million to support 17 projects, including: the Barker Road grade separation in Spokane Valley, the Tacoma LINK Expansion, a new ferry terminal in Mukilteo, the North Spokane Corridor, the Mercer Corridor Redevelopment project in Seattle, the South Park Bridge Replacement in King County, the West Vancouver Freight Access project at the Port of Vancouver, improvements to I-5 to relieve congestion around Joint Base Lewis-McChord, and terminal modernization projects at the Ports of Seattle and Everett.