State hands out $70 million for statewide bridge fixes
Dec 12, 2014, 12:41 PM | Updated: 1:27 pm
The state is distributing $70 million in federal highway funds to help pay for the repair or replacement of 32 bridges.
The city and county projects across Washington were selected for funding by a state advisory committee, according to Washington State Department of Transportation engineering manager Kyle McKeon.
“We evaluate and prioritize based on condition and those in the worst condition typically rate the highest,” he explained.
Local governments made 73 applications for projects valued at $180 million. The federal money is distributed every two years.
Bridges on the funding list will get money for everything from paint to deck overlay to seismic retrofit to replacement.
More than 1/3 of the money is going toward two bridge replacements, including West Cashmere Bridge, in Chelan County and West Kenmore Bridge. Each will get $12 million.
This is the same pot of money that generated $20 million in 2010 to help pay for replacement of King County’s South Park Bridge.
