EVERETT– Snohomish County Public Works completed bridge and rural road preservation projects this summer that wouldn’t have been possible without federal funding.
Crews recently completed repainting and rehabilitating Red Bridge 537 on the Mountain Loop Highway and performing an asphalt overlay of four miles of 140th St NW/NE (Fire Trail Rd) along the north boundary of the Tulalip Indian Reservation. Both projects proactively preserve transportation infrastructure, saving taxpayer funds in the long run when compared to making costly emergency repairs or having to reconstruct the bridge or road.
“These projects are crucial to maintaining our county’s infrastructure, and without grants to stretch our local matching dollars they just would not be possible,” Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers said. “Thank you to the residents and visitors for their patience during construction.”
Snohomish County Public Works relies on state and federal grants to leverage local tax dollars in order to perform critical transportation capital improvements, which can include intersection or corridor enhancements, major preservation projects, and new road and bridge construction. The current six-year Transportation Improvement Plan calls for spending about $3 in grant funding for every $1 in local County Road Fund expenditure on capital projects.
“Our transportation infrastructure is critical for residents to get where they need to go, and critical for us to ensure we’re spending their taxes efficiently,” said Kelly Snyder, Public Works Director. “We are grateful for the ongoing support from state legislators and local congressional members for funding infrastructure programs to help fill the gap above what we collect locally to pay for these critical and costly construction projects.”
Projects completed this summer:
140th St NW/NE Overlay: 63rd Dr NW to 3rd Ave NE
- Pavement repair, 2-inch overlay of asphalt, fresh lane markings
- Cost: $3.1 million
- Federal Highway Administration Surface Transportation Program grant – $840,000
- County Road Fund – $2.26 million
Red Bridge 537 Improvements
- Paint removal, minor structural repairs, repainted with Insignia Red color
- Cost: $3.62 million
- Federal Highways Bridge Program grant – $3.62 million
About Snohomish County Public Works
Snohomish County Public Works is responsible for approximately 1,600 miles of county roads, more than 200 bridges, and manages in excess of 200 traffic control signals. The department also processes nearly 670,000 tons of garbage per year. Its mission is to focus on safety and mobility while practicing fiscal responsibility and preserving the environment. Public Works has won numerous state and national honors for its work and is the second-largest department within Snohomish County government with nearly 600 employees plus seasonal staff. Its main office is located at 3000 Rockefeller Ave, Everett, WA 98201.
Visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/PublicWorks or follow the department on Facebook, Instagram, and X for more information about Snohomish County Public Works.
Source: Snohomish County Public Works
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
