OLYMPIA — A cadre of community leaders asked lawmakers Wednesday for a portion of state money to help solve big transportation problems on U.S. 2 between Everett and Snohomish.
They asked the House Transportation Committee to endorse legislation providing $400,000 for a study of safety and congestion-fighting improvements needed on U.S. 2 between the Port of Everett and Highway 9 in Snohomish.
The full cost of the study is $800,000. The city of Everett and Snohomish County are each committing to pay $200,000 apiece to cover the rest of the tab.
The money would pay for a route development plan of the roughly five-mile stretch ending at Bickford Avenue in Snohomish.
When completed, the plan will identify existing and potential transportation problems and prepare a list of possible improvement projects. Having such a plan in hand will boost the state’s chances of obtaining federal transportation dollars in the future.
Rep. Mike Sells, D-Everett, is seeking the money with House Bill 1575.
He told his colleagues U.S. 2 is a major east-west route and this particular segment is becoming an increasingly busy corridor for freight.
Sells and Snohomish County Public Works Director Steve Thomsen said the study will help in developing a long-term replacement strategy for the aging trestle, which is a major link for commuters traveling from I-5 to points east.
Sells said it is not seismically safe and “one good shake and those pilings could implode.”
Also speaking Wednesday were Bryan Sass, an Everett city engineer; Patrick Pierce of the Everett Area Chamber of Commerce; and Kevin Weed of Snohomish County Committee for Improved Transportation.
Weed said once there’s a list of projects, the group and the community can start pushing for money to construct them.
In November 2007, the state completed a route development plan for U.S. 2 between Bickford Avenue and Skykomish in 2007. It identified 56 projects with a total price tag in excess of $1 billion.
Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or jcornfield@heraldnet.com.
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