Summary

King County Executive Dow Constantine and Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Jan Drago and Julia Patterson today thanked the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) for approving a $15 million contribution toward replacement of the South Park Bridge.

Story

King County Executive Dow Constantine and Metropolitan King County Councilmembers Jan Drago and Julia Patterson today thanked the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) for approving a $15 million contribution toward replacement of the South Park Bridge.

“Over the past few months, we have worked hard to assemble funding from local and state sources to make our Tiger II grant application as strong as possible,” said Executive Constantine.  “I want to thank the PSRC for providing a critical contribution to this effort. This not only puts us in an excellent position to compete for the grant, but it also helps us put people to work right away preparing the site for the eventual bridge construction.”

The funding from the PSRC can be obligated immediately and is earmarked to cover the costs of demolishing the existing bridge to prepare for construction of the new South Park Bridge.

”Replacing the South Park bridge is not only a priority for the great neighborhood it serves, it is a regional priority because of the jobs it serves now and will serve in the future,” said PSRC Executive Director Bob Drewel.  “Today’s unanimous support for this project from elected leadership throughout our region is a demonstration of a region that is solidly in support of completing this project as quickly as possible.”
 
“Every dollar pledged gets us that much closer to a winning application for the federal TIGER II grant,” said Councilmember Drago, who represents the South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods. “I want to express my thanks to the members of the PSRC and to Senator Murray for supporting this critical regional project.”

“Replacing the South Park Bridge is my highest priority, and I am thrilled to see the financial support and the community support really coming together these last few weeks,” added Drago. “We’re hard at work on another key ingredient in our federal application, and that’s the letters of support from other local governments, community organizations, and local businesses. The application is due next month, so the race is on to get as many letters as possible to boost our chances of winning more federal support.”

“This support from the Puget Sound Regional Council is a significant investment for the entire region,” said Councilmember Julia Patterson, who serves as Chair of the Council’s Budget and Fiscal Management Committee.  “While there is still work to be done, we are closer than ever to meeting the funding requirements for a new bridge, at which point we will once again be able to move thousands of vehicles through our major transportation corridors, improving commerce and saving additional costs to the County and the region.”

The news from PSRC comes less than a day after U.S. Sen. Patty Murray announced her push for $3 million in federal grant money to go towards construction of a new bridge. The two latest contributions bring the total amount of pledged funding to $98 million for the $131 million dollar project.

All three officials commended the residents of South Park for their tireless work over the past several weeks in support of bridge funding. The contributions from PSRC and Senator Murray top a whirlwind month of pledge announcements from King County, the City of Seattle, the Port of Seattle, and Governor Chris Gregoire.
 
PSRC has provided the project a total of $9.7 million to date, with the latest $15 million targeted for demolition of the existing structure and can be used this year to help create jobs.

PSRC began funding efforts to replace the South Park Bridge in 1999 and provided additional funds in 2002, 2006, and 2009. The bridge serves two regionally designated “Manufacturing and Industrial Centers” which together support roughly 80,000 jobs.

Secured pledges toward demolition of the old bridge and construction of a replacement now total $98 million:

• King County                     $30 million
• State of Washington      $20 million
• City of Seattle                  $15 million
• PSRC                               $15 million
• State Transportation Improvement Board   $10 million
• Port of Seattle                 $5 million
• Federal DOT-HUD funding bill    $3 million

The existing South Park Bridge closed on June 30 due to extensive structural deterioration and life-safety issues.