City Readies 520 Bridge Recommendations For State

Seattle City Council members laid out their recommendations on Monday to guide the Legislature in selecting a six-lane replacement for the Evergreen Point Bridge.

On a day when the 2009 Legislature convened and a tunnel was chosen to replace the Alaskan Way Viaduct, the council called on state lawmakers to find additional funding for the state Route 520 project. Members passed a resolution seeking a new financing plan that would include money for transit operations across 520.

Council President Richard Conlin said he was concerned that a more costly viaduct tunnel would reduce state funding for 520, particularly for environmental, neighborhood and other mitigations. Originally estimated at $3.9 billion, new costs have risen to $6 billion, though some dispute those figures.

"We don't have a lot of information at this point, but there is a lot of stress in the transportation budget," Conlin said. "I'm really worried about possible financial impacts (of the viaduct decision) on the 520 Bridge."

The council did not choose any plan as its preferred alternative. Instead it recommended that all three produced by a multi-neighborhood, multiagency mediation team be analyzed in a supplemental draft environmental impact statement (SDEIS) being prepared by the Washington State Department of Transportation.

Members declined to include a four-lane option in the resolution, much to the dismay of supporters who say four lanes was the most eco-friendly and affordable.