Washington’s first stimulus highway project breaks ground- in Ellensburg

According to the Puget Sound Business journal, “The state’s first stimulus-funded highway project, a $2.5 million repaving project along Interstate 90, broke ground Thursday in Ellensburg.

The contract is expected to generate 25 jobs, between prime contractor Columbia Asphalt and its seven subcontractors, said state Transportation Department secretary Paula Hammond
Gov. Chris Gregoire, Hammond, state Rep. Judy Clibborn and others attended the kickoff of the repaving project, which is the first of 181 roads projects to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The Recovery Act requires states to make sure 50 percent of their stimulus money is committed within 120 days, and Washington has met that target two months ahead of time. That means Washington could be in line for additional money from other states that don’t meet that requirement, Hammond said.”

Pierce County will complete five projects with the stimulus funds
· SR 167 Rechannelization in Orting
· Shaw Road Extention phase III in Puyallup
· Lincoln Ave. grade separation near the Port of Tacoma
· Rural Town Center improvements in Eatonville

Additionally, WSDOT received $70 million from the stimulus to to construct HOV lanes from Port of Tacoma Road to the King County Line, supporting an estimated 350 jobs. Design work is currently under way. Construction is scheduled to start in the summer of 2009. The project is scheduled to be open to traffic in late 2011.

The remaining $7.8 million will be used to accelerate preliminary engineering on the I-5/SR 16 Eastbound Nalley Valley project, which is scheduled to go to construction in 2011.