Senator Murray originally created the RAISE grant program, which the awards come from, in 2009
The more than $60 million in combined rewards will reduce traffic and bolster supply chains in Seattle, Longview, Snohomish County, and Aberdeen
Senator Murray: “I created the RAISE program in 2009 to fund transportation infrastructure projects like these ones—projects that reduce traffic, make goods and cargo flow freely, support local economies, and create jobs in Washington state.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced $60 million in new federal awards for four transportation infrastructure projects in Western Washington that will help reduce traffic congestion, ease supply-chain bottlenecks, create jobs, and boost local economies.
The awards were made through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant program. This is the first time four RAISE grants have been awarded at once to Washington state, which also received the second most funding of any state in the nation.
Senator Murray originally created the RAISE program (previously known as TIGER and BUILD) in 2009 and has been a longtime supporter of the program, most recently helping secure $7.5 billion for the RAISE program – a 50% annual increase – in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), signed into law yesterday by President Biden. The program is funded specifically via the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, which Senator Murray is a member of.
“I created the RAISE program in 2009 to fund transportation infrastructure projects like these ones—projects that reduce traffic, make goods and cargo flow freely, support local economies, and create jobs in Washington state. And as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’ve worked to increase funding for the program so that we can get major federal investments like this one—more than $60 million across four projects—that Washington state needs to see more often,” said Senator Murray. “I’m proud that the bipartisan infrastructure bill continues on this work by further investing in the RAISE program—and in the workers, business, and communities it supports—and I’m going to keep pushing to get Washington state the federal dollars we need.”
As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray has consistently fought to increase and protect federal transportation and infrastructure grant programs. Murray created the TIGER/BUILD grant program in 2009—now known as RAISE grants—which invests in important road, rail, transit, and port projects, including many in Washington state.
The following RAISE grants were awarded to Washington state projects:
East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project, Seattle – $20 million
“The federal dollars going towards the East Marginal Way Corridor Improvement Project will help get freight from the Port of Seattle to where it needs to go faster and reduce congestion in and around Seattle, helping to bolster our supply chains by allowing people and goods to move more easily,” said Senator Murray. “I created the RAISE program to help make infrastructure projects like this one a reality, and as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’m going to keep working to get Washington state the federal infrastructure support it needs.”
The project will allow the city to widen and strengthen the road, making East Marginal Way into a heavy haul corridor so the street can accommodate larger and heavier truck traffic into the port. This will improve access to the lower West Seattle Bridge and Terminal 5 at the Port of Seattle for the 3,700 trucks that use the corridor each day. Additionally, the project is expected to significantly improve congestion by using improved traffic signals, resulting in 8,800 fewer hours of traffic annually.
This $20 million grant award will fully fund the project and allow the city to start construction at the end of 2022. The project will support approximately 533 direct and indirect jobs during construction. Project completion is estimated for 2025.
The award comes following Senator Murray sending a letter of support for the project to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in July.
Industrial Rail Corridor Expansion (IRCE), Port of Longview – $16 million
“The federal funding for the Industrial Rail Corridor Expansion is going to mean goods flowing quickly in and out of the Port of Longview—bolstering our supply chains, boosting the local economy, and creating new jobs,” said Senator Murray. “I created the RAISE program to help make infrastructure projects like this one a reality, and as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’m going to keep working to get Washington state the federal infrastructure support it needs.”
The project will double rail capacity at the port by adding two new rail lines with another four track beds to accommodate future needs and extending the length of the existing two rail lines. The project will allow the port to redevelop Berth 4 for bulk exports like soda ash or agricultural products, enabling the port to find new tenants for the terminal.
Prospective tenants to the port’s empty property at Barlow Point have also expressed the need for direct on-dock rail connections. The project is estimated to create more than 1,600 jobs over the next 20 years. Project completion is estimated for 2027. The port is a key economic driver for the community, supporting 19,203 local, regional and national jobs and generates $2.8 billion in economic activity.
The award comes following Senator Murray sending a letter of support for the project to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in June.
US-12 Highway-Rail Separation Project, Aberdeen – $2.08 million
“The federal support for this project will mean safer streets and less traffic for the people of Aberdeen. Removing these highway-rail crossings will also help move goods more quickly in and out of the Port of Grays Harbor, supporting the local economy and bolstering our supply chains,” said Senator Murray. “I created the RAISE program to help make infrastructure projects like this one a reality, and as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’m going to keep working to get Washington state the federal infrastructure support it needs.”
The grant will allow the City to complete the planning phase of the project, which will eliminate three at-grade rail crossings that currently separate Highway 12 from the city’s main commercial area. It will also reduce delays to the Port of Grays Harbor. Currently, US-12 carries 28,000 vehicles per day, and trains can block the seven at-grade crossings in the corridor for up to 30 minutes per train. The rail crossings also delay truck traffic to the Port of Grays Harbor, which supports approximately 1,500 jobs. With completion of the planning phase, the City will be eligible to apply for a $3 billion highway-rail crossing elimination grant to complete construction of the project.
The award comes following Senator Murray sending a letter of support for the project to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in July.
Granite Falls Bridge #102, Snohomish County – $22.1 million
“The federal dollars to help build this new bridge will help critical supplies get to where they need to go like—timber and gravel—and reduce traffic. This bridge will expand access for rural communities to centers of employment and it will expand recreational access for tourist and residents alike. This is a major win for Snohomish County and the entire region,” said Senator Murray. “I created the RAISE program to help make infrastructure projects like this one a reality, and as a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I’m going to keep working to get Washington state the federal infrastructure support it needs.”
This grant will fully fund the replacement of Granite Falls Bridge #102, which crosses the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River on the Mountain Loop Highway, 1.5 miles outside of the city of Granite Falls. The bridge, built in 1934, is the sole southern access route for the more than 60,000 annual visitors to the area’s hiking and mountain biking trails, and gravel quarry and logging operations that employ over 270 workers. It is also an alternative access route for Darrington and other communities in the North Stillaguamish Valley.
Granite Falls Bridge #102 is the highest priority bridge in need of replacement in Snohomish County and with funding secured, construction is estimated for completion by 2026.
The award comes following Senator Murray sending a letter of support for the project to Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg in July.
RAISE Grants Awarded to Washington State in the Last Five Years include:
- $10 million for the Port of Everett’s South Terminal Modernization Project (2016)
- $9.02 million for Spokane Valley’s Barker Road Grade Separation Project (2017)
- $5.6 million for WSDOT’s Rural Rail Rehabilitation project in Whitman, Spokane, and Lincoln Counties (2018)
- $14.3 million for Spokane County’s Geiger Boulevard Infrastructure Improvement Project (2018)
- $11.3 million for Spokane Airport’s Rail-Truck Transload Facility Project (2019)
- $17.75 million for the Port of Everett’s Mills to Maritime Cargo Terminal Project (2020)
- $7.01 million for the City of Ridgefield’s Pioneer Street Extension Project (2020)
- $5 million for the Port of Hood River’s White Salmon/Hood River Interstate Bridge Replacement Project (2020)
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