Port of Seattle Invests $3.4 million in Spokane Street Congestion Relief Project

Port of Seattle commissioners voted today to authorize a $3.4 million investment in the Spokane Street Widening Project. The port's contribution is the final amount needed to fund the project, a crucial improvement to the primary east-west corridor that links port terminals to I-5 and I-90. Bus riders and drivers alike will benefit significantly from a new Fourth Avenue South off-ramp that separates buses, cars, and trucks from three rail crossings - eliminating delays caused by trains moving goods to markets across the country.

The Spokane Street project will put people to work, said Commission President Bill Bryant. 775 jobs are created during construction - family-wage jobs that help families across King County. This is the right kind of investment for our region's economy.

Port CEO Tay Yoshitani noted that while improving access to port terminals drove the port's involvement with the project, he's pleased that the design benefits transit, bicyclists, and pedestrians by building a wide sidewalk and bike trail as well as enhanced connections to Metro bus lines. We must be able to move cargo in and out of port terminals efficiently, because thousands of jobs depend on it, Yoshitani said. But people need to move efficiently too - and by reducing the time cars spend idling, we reduce air emissions and improve the quality of life around the harbor.

Improvements to Spokane Street will ease congestion during the major construction on the viaduct's replacement. The port's investment in the Spokane Street Widening Project is part of the organization's overall support of the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall Replacement Program.

Learn more about the Spokane Street Widening Project.

Read more about how Port of Seattle container facilities create jobs and growth for the region.