I-5 project never should have been in jeopardy

Speeding up the widening of I-5 through Everett, an idea with virtually no opposition, nearly became road kill last week because of a squabble centered in King County. Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed on the final day of the legislative session.

Work on the I-5 project, which will add a carpool lane in each direction between the Boeing freeway and U.S. 2 and an all-purpose lane from 41st Street SE to U.S. 2, now can begin in 2006 rather than 2008. That means a major traffic chokepoint will be cleared sooner, and that construction won’t stall traffic going to and from the Vancouver Olympics in 2010.

The new schedule had already been agreed on as part of a supplemental transportation bill, but the entire measure appeared to have fallen victim to a stalemate over local transportation funding in the Puget Sound area. When the chairmen of the Legislature’s two transportation committees, both from King County, couldn’t agree, they threatened to let the new I-5 schedule and other projects die.

ADVERTISEMENT
0 seconds of 0 secondsVolume 0%
Press shift question mark to access a list of keyboard shortcuts
00:00
00:00
00:00
 

The I-5 project is part of the nickel gas tax package approved by lawmakers last year, and moving up its schedule was part of the state’s agreement with Boeing to have the 7E7 built here. Keeping faith with that deal is important if the state wants to have credibility in recruiting other major employers.

Too much was at stake to let politics doom this project’s speedy completion. King County leaders need to sit down and agree on their own transportation priorities before other worthy projects get caught in the crossfire.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Monday, May 19

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Wildfire smoke builds over Darrington on Friday, Sept. 11, 2020 in Darrington, Wa. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Loss of research funds threat to climate resilience

The Trump administration’s end of a grant for climate research threatens solutions communities need.

Comment: Cuts to Medicaid will make fentanyl fight harder

Medicaid’s expansion is helping many get the addiction treatment they need, reversing the crisis.

Comment: PBS, NPR need funding, and a good shake-up

PBS’s best dramas come from British TV. It needs to produce its own money-makers like ‘Downton Abbey.’

Saunders: Why did Tapper wait until now to admit Biden’s decline?

It was clear to voters long before Biden dropped out. Yet, now the CNN host has a book to sell.

Goldberg: How did so many Democrats miss Biden’s infirmity?

Democrats need to own up to the cover-up now while there’s time to earn back voters’ confidence.

In the summer of 2021, members of the Skagit River System Cooperative counted fish in the restored estuary of Leque Island near Stanwood. What they found was encouraging. (Chuck Taylor / The Herald) 20210817
Comment: Ignoring the climate choice to adapt or die

The loss of funding for climate adaptation science will leave regions to weather impacts on their own.

Reverse Congress librarian’s unjust firing

I am beyond heartbroken by the unceremonious firing of Dr. Carla Hayden,… Continue reading

Should states handle issue of immigration?

OK, here we go again. The southern states have been screaming ‘states’… Continue reading

Candidates without opponents should decline donations

No candidates registered to run against Jared Mead or Nate Nehring for… Continue reading

Sarah Weiser / The Herald
Air Force One touches ground Friday morning at Boeing in Everett.
PHOTO SHOT 02172012
Editorial: There’s no free lunch and no free Air Force One

Qatar’s offer of a 747 to President Trump solves nothing and leaves the nation beholden.

The Washington State Legislature convenes for a joint session for a swearing-in ceremony of statewide elected officials and Governor Bob Ferguson’s inaugural address, March 15, 2025.
Editorial: 4 bills that need a second look by state lawmakers

Even good ideas, such as these four bills, can fail to gain traction in the state Legislature.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.