I-90 Bridge Project to Receive $14 Million Investment through Grant Program Created by Senator Murray

Funding comes from TIGER grant program that Senator Murray created in 2009 to fund projects that are of regional economic importance and that help create and save jobs

Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, Chairman of the Senate Transportation, Housing, and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations Subcommittee, announced that Sound Transit, in cooperation with WSDOT, will receive $14 million as part of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant program. The funding will be used on the I-90 Bridge Project where WSDOT and Sound Transit are adding HOV lanes in both directions as well as other roadway improvements in preparation for the East Link light rail extension that will run between Seattle and Redmond.

“I’m thrilled that this funding is going to a project that is supporting local jobs today and that in the long-run is going to help ease the commutes of families and workers on the Eastside,” said Senator Murray. “I created the TIGER grant program to help fund projects like this, projects that clear the way for multiple modes of transportation to work together to make travel more efficient and safer. I know this is an area where the rush hour commute can steal vital time out of the day and that’s why we have to work to build a corridor that accommodates car traffic, buses, carpool lanes and eventually light rail.”

The TIGER Grant Program was created by Senator Murray to provide competitively awarded grants through the U.S Department of Transportation to transportation projects throughout the country that support economic growth and employ local workers. Senator Murray expressed support for the I-90 project, and others throughout Washington state, recently in a call to Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.

The I-90 project will construct eight miles of HOV lanes and ramps (four miles in each direction), preserve pavement, and build innovative fire/life/safety and seismic improvements on the bridge and tunnels that connect Seattle and Bellevue. The project significantly improves transit and HOV reliability and reduces congestion.  The project also prepares the center roadway of I-90 for Sound Transit’s East Link light rail expansion to Redmond. 

TACOMA TRESTLE REPLACEMENT

$10 million in funding was also announced today for work to replace the Tacoma Trestle Bridge, a timber bridge built in Tacoma in the early 20^th century. The replacement project would improve reliability by allowing for two main tracks in an area of Tacoma where intercity passenger trains currently share a track with commuter and freight trains.

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