King says stimulus vote keeps Valley Mall interchange on track

March 4, 2009

OLYMPIA…Sen. Curtis King says the Valley Mall Boulevard/Interstate 82 interchange project, which was at risk of being delayed to 2016, will remain on schedule now that the Legislature has passed a bill to appropriate about $340 million in federal transportation stimulus money.  

“Representatives Johnson and Ross helped move the bill out of the House of Representatives, the Senate caught it at mid-afternoon and now it’s off to the governor’s desk. It’s been a joint effort that I appreciate very much,” said King, R-Yakima. “One of my three goals for this legislative session was to keep the Valley Mall interchange on track. The votes today mean the project will stay on schedule to go out for bid in October.” 

The stimulus transportation funding measure is Engrossed Substitute House Bill 1978.  

“When most people at the Capitol think of highway congestion they think of the Puget Sound region,” said King, who serves on the Senate Transportation Committee, “but as most folks in this area know the interchange at Valley Mall Boulevard and I-82 is overwhelmed by traffic on a regular basis. 

The governor’s proposal to delay this project seven years was unacceptable. Since our state was going to get the highway stimulus money no matter what, I’m glad to see some of it coming this way.” 

For more information contact Eric Campbell
at (360) 786-7503 or campbell.eric@leg.wa.gov.