Tolls on other highways could pay for 520 Bridge
A severe windstorm like last year's Hanukkah Eve storm will force the 520 Bridge over Lake Washington to shut down.
An even bigger storm could sink it.
And a major earthquake would be catastrophic.
This grim reality of the 520 Bridge means work to replace must forge ahead, even when no one knows how to pay the $4.4 billion price tag.
Everything is on the table, including adding tolls to roads besides 520.
"The effects are felt wider than that," says 520 Project Director Ron Paananen. "They're felt on I-5, 405 and I-90. As we do that analysis it may lead us to more discussion about what's the right tolling scenario."
Governor Chris Gregoire talked about the 520 Bridge replacement at a Microsoft event.
Thousands of employees here drive 520 and could be both bridge supporters and election year allies.
"The 520 bridge can no longer wait. It needs to be replaced. I intend to provide for Microsoft what it needs to continue to grow," Gregoire said.
Gregoire ordered a new financing plan by the end of the year and promises construction will still begin as scheduled in 2012.
To pay for the new bridge, the state expects more than $300 million from the feds.
Your gas tax will generate $560 million.
Tolls on 520 would raise upwards of $700 million.
That means you'll still be tapped to come up with more than one billion dollars.
Voters rejected Prop One's regional roads and transit plan. But that doesn't stop environmental reviews and construction planning.
"We are going to do our part to keep the project on schedule," said Paananen. "Of course the funding has to fall in place to make it real."
Making it real won't be easy.
Expect to hear more from the state soon about how you'll help fill that billion dollar hole.
The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge was opened to traffic in 1963. The bridge today carries 115,000 cars per day, 49,000 more than it was designed to carry.
For More Information:
http://wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge
An even bigger storm could sink it.
And a major earthquake would be catastrophic.
This grim reality of the 520 Bridge means work to replace must forge ahead, even when no one knows how to pay the $4.4 billion price tag.
Everything is on the table, including adding tolls to roads besides 520.
"The effects are felt wider than that," says 520 Project Director Ron Paananen. "They're felt on I-5, 405 and I-90. As we do that analysis it may lead us to more discussion about what's the right tolling scenario."
Governor Chris Gregoire talked about the 520 Bridge replacement at a Microsoft event.
Thousands of employees here drive 520 and could be both bridge supporters and election year allies.
"The 520 bridge can no longer wait. It needs to be replaced. I intend to provide for Microsoft what it needs to continue to grow," Gregoire said.
Gregoire ordered a new financing plan by the end of the year and promises construction will still begin as scheduled in 2012.
To pay for the new bridge, the state expects more than $300 million from the feds.
Your gas tax will generate $560 million.
Tolls on 520 would raise upwards of $700 million.
That means you'll still be tapped to come up with more than one billion dollars.
Voters rejected Prop One's regional roads and transit plan. But that doesn't stop environmental reviews and construction planning.
"We are going to do our part to keep the project on schedule," said Paananen. "Of course the funding has to fall in place to make it real."
Making it real won't be easy.
Expect to hear more from the state soon about how you'll help fill that billion dollar hole.
The Evergreen Point Floating Bridge was opened to traffic in 1963. The bridge today carries 115,000 cars per day, 49,000 more than it was designed to carry.
For More Information:
http://wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520Bridge