By Gwen Davis

Given the greater Seattle area’s notorious and horrific traffic problems, highway improvement is a must for lawmakers.

During the SeaTac City Council meeting on Tuesday, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) presented plans to finish SR 509 and SR 167. The council was supportive, and thanked Craig Stone, the WSDOT administrator who facilitated the presentation. The completion efforts are part of the state’s Puget Sound Gateway Program.

“509 improves transportation connections between urban and manufacturing centers in south King County,” Stone said. “There is broad recognition about how important this is to the state of Washington.”

The total funding required for the project is $1.87 billion. Most of the revenue comes from gasoline sales tax.

Stone said that the project could have easily cost more than $3 billion, and planners needed to be aggressive in prioritizing the most important aspects of the project.

The project started in 2016 and the plans are to be finalized by the end of this summer. “We will do that with public outreach,” Stone said.

The project is to be completed by 2040. Planners will work closely with Sound Transit, to ensure that both vehicles and buses will have adequate road accommodations. “Every square foot that we do not use, they want to use,” Stone stated to the council. The two organizations are “joined at the hip,” Stone said.

The Puget Sound Gateway Program receives funding directly from the Washington State Legislature, and will be given handfuls of money during specific years going forward. Stone said that planners submitted an application for a $130 million federal grant, called Fastlane, but with the new administration, the process is on hold. However, Stone is confident the project is sound, and if Fastlane is to continue, WSDOT would be competitive.

However, because the legislature has not give the project the full amount of money ahead of time, there are uncertainties. If needed funding is not received, the project cannot move forward.

Councilmember Tony Anderson asked if the grant would offset the total cost, and the project would therefore require less tax money.

Stone replied that there are too many uncertainties to say for sure. Given inflation, grant money might be worth less if the state receives the grant years from now, versus today, Stone cited as one uncertainty. Stone also doesn’t know if the state will actually receive the grant. Plus, the Trump administration may nix the Fastlane grants entirely.

In 2029, WSDOT plans to put tolls on certain parts of SR 167 and SR 509 to help pay for the project.

Councilmember Peter Kwon asked Stone if the new tolls are to remain there forever.

“The legislature still has to pass a bill up or down,” Stone replied. “It depends what they say, and what their considerations are at this time.”

While the legislature might decide to end the tolls at a certain point, it will probably be a good source of revenue for the maintenance work that will need to continually be done on the roads, Stone speculated.

Mayor Michael J. Siefkes commented that he’s not a fan of tolls, and hopes tolling ends at a certain point.