$2 million in aid for U.S. 2 safety

Published 9:16 pm Saturday, March 21, 2009

OLYMPIA — Congress is sending another bit of aid to help make U.S. 2 a safer highway for drivers.

The federal budget bill signed into law by President Barack Obama last week included $2,018,000 for improvements along U.S. 2 between Snohomish and Skykomish.

“We’re obviously happy about that,” said Fred Walser of Monroe, chairman of the U.S. 2 Safety Coalition.

Money will be plowed into safety improvements identified in the state’s 2007 route development plan.

State and federal officials said the dollars are likely to be spent on rumble strips, safety striping and improved timing of traffic signals to assist pedestrians and enhance the flow of traffic through Monroe and Sultan.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, secured the funding through an earmark in the legislation that covers federal spending through Sept. 30.

“Creating jobs and meeting the needs of Northwest Washington families begins with returning their federal tax dollars to projects in their own back yard,” Murray said in a statement.

Larsen, a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said, “U.S. 2 is a critical transportation corridor for Snohomish County families and businesses, and we must do more to make it safe.”

Federals dollars from the budget are separate from the money in the stimulus package that will be spent on U.S. 2.

The state Legislature approved spending $4.6 million of Washington’s share of highway stimulus dollars to repave the stretch between Monroe and Sultan.

This year’s allotment of federal aid marks the third time in four years that Congress has steered money into projects on U.S. 2 where nearly 50 people have died in accidents in the last decade.

“We’ve been trying to maintain a presence before lawmakers. Hopefully it’s been working,” Walser said.

In 2005, Larsen helped secure $1.77 million for installing a new signal and dedicated left-hand turn lane at Sultan Basin Road, providing a dedicated right turn lane from E. Main Street to eastbound U.S. 2 and helping the city of Monroe develop and construct a left-hand turn lane onto Kelsey Street from U.S. 2.

In 2007, Congress allotted $637,000 that went into a state program for putting rumble strips along the centerline and on the shoulder of U.S. 2 between Snohomish and Skykomish.

In 2008, state lawmakers approved $10 million for safety improvements and assigned six Washington State Patrol troopers to patrolling the highway.

Walser said coalition members are already lobbying for aid in the next federal budget, due out this fall, and the state transportation budget, expected to be released next month.

He said money is being sought for constructing the U.S. 2 bypass around Monroe and widening of U.S. 2 between Monroe and Sultan.

Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623; jcornfield@heraldnet.com.