The floating section of the new 520 bridge is now open, offering six total lanes for traffic across Lake Washington, instead of the previous four. This is great news as our state hits a major benchmark in its quest to improve aging roads and bridges and finish projects in key economic corridors. (Washington ranked 31st for bridge quality and 39th for road conditions in the latest Benchmarks for a Better Washington. Our goal is to make Washington a top 10 state in both categories.)
Today’s milestone is the result of years of work by scores of people, from lawmakers in Olympia to the construction crews on site. And, thanks to the 2015 Connecting Washington transportation investment package passed last year, we’ll see more important projects in the years ahead. (Check out this interactive project map to learn more about additional investments along the SR 520 corridor and many other projects statewide.) As Washington Roundtable President Steve Mullin said when the Connecting Washington package passed:
“Investments in roads and bridges, ferries, multimodal projects and other improvements will lead to billions in economic growth and support job creation. It will improve safety and efficiency and help protect quality of life. This is a great package for Washington state.”
To all involved in getting us this far, and for all the work to come, thank you.