Update 3/11/2016: This funding become less of a certainty after Governor Inslee sent legislators into special session to make cuts in the supplemental budgets.
Original story:
The City of Ferndale announced on their website today,
Last night, the state legislature approved a supplemental budget that included $19 million for the Thornton Street overpass. The funds will be distributed over the next six years with $3 million included for this budget cycle, $11.17 million in 2019-2021 and $5 million in 2021-2023. These funds mean that the city can move forward with this project to relieve traffic congestion on Main Street and improve access to the city’s neighborhoods.
While these funds will not cover the entire cost of the project, it will provide enough to provide the financial flexibility for the City to accomplish the project.
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The House voted 86-10 to approve House Bill 2524, the supplemental transportation budget, which contains money for the Thornton Street overpass as well as work on the I-5 interchange at Slater Road. Information was not available as to what was planned to improve the Slater Road interchange.
Washington State Governor Inslee still needs to sign the budget.
The Thornton Street funding begins in the current 2015-17 budget cycle with the majority happening in the 2019-21 budget period. The Slater Road interchange funding commitment is $21.1 million with $2 million slated in 2019-21 and the majority following in the budget cycles between 2021 and 2025.
During the last state legislative session, the Thornton Street overpass and a Smith Road interchange project were in the initial budget proposals but failed to stay in the budget to the final vote.
BNSF will need to review and approve the initial design as well as the construction work as the project progresses and at completion. Current designs being considered by the city incorporate design elements from other bridge structures which BNSF has already approved.
According to cost estimates provided by the engineer (PDF) contracted to develop initial design options, the project, including a single-lane roundabout at Thornton Street and Malloy Avenue, will cost between $23.6 and $28.4 million dollars if built this year. Costs are expected to increase 5% for every year delayed.