TULALIP—The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) awarded a $4,975,000 million grant on June 26 to the Tulalip Tribes to plan, design and construct improvements to the 4th Street and 88th Street NE crossings of Interstate 5 (I-5). These two interchanges at 88th Street NE and 4th Street NE/State Route 528/Marine Drive regularly experience congestion and mobility challenges for cars, trucks, pedestrians and transit users.

DOT awarded the funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Discretionary Grant Program, which enables communities of all sizes to carry out road, rail, transit and other surface transportation projects with significant local or regional impact. 

“Anyone who uses the 4th Street and 88th Street NE crossings knows how congested and dangerous these intersections are during peak travel hours,” said Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Tulalip Tribes has the funding it needs to make significant improvements at these crossings to ensure all road users can safely travel to and from the Tulalip Reservation, Quil Ceda Village, and communities in Snohomish County and along the I-5 corridor.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law authorized $7.5 billion over five years for the existing RAISE Discretionary Program, formerly known as TIGER and BUILD grants – a 50 percent increase in funding. This year, DOT awarded nearly $90 million to eight projects in Washington state – the most RAISE grant funding awarded to any state in this round of funding – including $17.9 million to the Port of Bellingham.

Larsen Has Secured $82.4 Million in RAISE Grants for WA-02 Since 2022

Larsen has secured five RAISE grants totaling $82,406,000 for local communities since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law was signed in November 2021. In addition to the $4.9 million grant, Larsen has helped deliver:

• $25 Million for Lynnwood’s Poplar Way Bridge – In August 2022, DOT awarded the City of Lynnwood a $25 million RAISE grant to construct a new six-lane, multimodal bridge over I-5 in Lynnwood, between the intersections of 196th Street SW (State Route 524)/Poplar Way and 33rd Avenue W/Alderwood Mall Boulevard.
• $25 Million for Whatcom County’s Lummi Island Ferry – In August 2022, DOT awarded Whatcom County a $25 million RAISE grant to replace the 60-year-old Lummi Island ferry with an electric-battery hybrid ferry and build related infrastructure.
• $9.5 Million for Blaine’s Bell Road Project – In June 2023, DOT awarded the City of Blaine a $9.5 million RAISE grant to improve safety and accessibility and reduce congestion at the Bell Road (State Route 548)-BNSF at-grade rail crossing. 
• $17.9 Million for the Port of Bellingham’s Shipping Terminal Rail Connection – In June 2024, DOT awarded the Port of Bellingham a $17,931,000 RAISE grant to renovate a shipping terminal site to return it to a fully functioning multimodal terminal and allow for more efficient loading and unloading of railcars on the terminal.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is Working for Washington

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) is creating jobs and building a cleaner, greener, safer and more accessible transportation system in Washington state. So far, $8.9 billion in BIL funding has been announced for Washington state with more than 800 specific projects identified for funding. Click here to learn more about how the BIL is working for Washington.

SOURCE: Office of Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02)