February 10, 2022
Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Transportation infrastructure is critical to our area’s economic growth and quality of life. Not only is having an efficient and effective transportation system important for getting our crops to market and shipment of other products, it is important for safety. Over recent years, local traffic congestion is also becoming an increasing challenge for our everyday commutes. These are all reasons why the issue of transportation continues to be one of my top priorities as a legislator.
“Move Ahead Washington” proposal
House and Senate Democrats this Tuesday released a major new transportation investment package for Washington, referenced as the “Move Ahead Washington” proposal. The bill information (revenues and spending) are included as Senate Bill 5974 and Senate Bill 5975. The Move Ahead Washington plan assumes $16.8 billion in revenues ($5.4 billion from the new Climate Commitment Act law, $3.4 billion from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act signed by President Biden last November, a $2 billion one-time transfer from the state operating budget, license plate fees, stolen vehicle check fees, and other sources of revenue). The related appropriations, occurring over 16 years, currently include $2.6 billion for new road projects, $1.4 billion for existing funding gaps, $3 billion for preservation and maintenance, and $2.4 billion for fish passage culverts, as well as investments in multimodal options (cycling, transit, and pedestrian), ferries, and railroads. For more, click here or watch Tuesday’s press conference.
Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council projects
The Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council is a local planning organization that meets throughout the year in Wenatchee. This group is comprised of local elected officials and other transportation leaders throughout Chelan and Douglas counties. To learn more about its transportation plans, click here.
 This map shows the transportation projects in the Wenatchee Valley, including funding (in red) awarded to Wenatchee in a recent federal Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) grant. To learn more, click here.
Federal grant partially funds key projects
Last summer, the city of Wenatchee and local partners received terrific news from the federal government that their multi-year Infrastructure for Rebuilding American (INFRA) grant application has been selected. I’d like to thank Wenatchee Mayor Frank Kuntz and his staff, Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council, and many local leaders who helped to make this a reality. I was proud to support the grant as well, but it was Mayor Kuntz and his team who deserve so much of the credit for their time, advocacy, and leadership in seeking the grant funding. The city has been steadfast in its efforts to secure much-needed federal funds. I’d also like to thank Congresswoman Kim Schrier, who played a key role in helping at the federal level with this federal award. There is no doubt that “it takes a village” to bring transportation projects to fruition, and the planning of these projects has been years in the making. With significant funding received, the Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council is emphasizing the importance of proper preservation and maintenance of our existing transportation system and completing the collection of projects below:
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McKittrick Street BNSF Railroad Underpass ($33 million). This project would create a much-needed underpass at the railroad crossing near McKittrick Street in North Wenatchee. The proposed underpass is ranked No. 2 statewide among priority railroad grade separation projects. When constructed, the new underpass will replace the street-level railroad crossing one block to the north at Hawley Street. This project received full funding from the recent INFRA grant. View map.
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U.S. 2/97 Wenatchi Landing Interchange ($36 million). Dedicated in name to the Wenatchi native Americans who originally lived in the area, this project would be located in Douglas County near the Odabashian Bridge. It would include construction of a half-diamond interchange with arterial street connections that would function as the east half of the interchange. The project would create highway access to the 300-plus-acre site within the East Wenatchee Urban Growth Area to facilitate development. This project is not yet funded. View map.
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Apple Capital Loop Trail South End Community Connections ($10 million). On the Wenatchee side of the Columbia River, the project would construct a BNSF Railroad overpass to establish a pedestrian/bicycle connection to the Apple Capital Loop Trail for South Wenatchee neighborhoods. On the East Wenatchee side of the Columbia River, a pedestrian/bicycle overpass would be constructed over SR-28, replacing the crosswalks at the SR-28/9th Street intersection. These two bridges help provide a much-needed connection between neighborhoods on both sides of the river, downtown East Wenatchee and our loop trail, providing safe access by avoiding the railroad crossings and heavy traffic on SR-28. This project received full funding from the recent INFRA grant. View map.
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Confluence Parkway ($134 million). This project would help mitigate the growing traffic challenges in North Wenatchee near the Wenatchee River and create additional options for transit and pedestrians. A new roadway and new bridge would be constructed and connect to the U.S. 2/97 Interchange. The project also would shift the Apple Capital Loop Trail away from the railroad tracks and closer to Horan Natural Area, and build a railroad underpass near the SR-285 connection where Miller Street currently crosses at street level. This project received partial funding – in the amount of $49 million – from the recent INFRA grant. The remaining $85 million is not yet funded. View map.
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SR-285/North Wenatchee Avenue Phase 2 Improvements ($30 million). This project will reduce congestion and improve safety and LINK bus services on North Wenatchee Avenue in the vicinity of Maiden Lane and Horselake Road. The first phase of this project is already funded through the 2015 Connecting Washington transportation revenue package. Construction of Phase 1 improvements is scheduled to begin in 2023. This Phase 2 project completes the remaining improvements identified in the North Wenatchee Avenue Preliminary Engineering Summary Report. Phase 2 is not yet funded. Click here to see the report. View maps: Phase 1 and Phase 2.
 The $134 million Confluence Parkway, including a second bridge across the Wenatchee River in Wenatchee has long been our region’s transportation priority. To learn more about this project, click here and here.
 Another key project is the $36 million Wenatchi Landing Interchange, named after the Wenatchi native Americans. This project would be located in Douglas County and could complement with other infrastructure enhancements. Learn more here.
 This project will reduce congestion and improve safety and bus services on North Wenatchee Avenue in the vicinity of Maiden Lane and Horse Lake Road.
 The Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council completed a U.S. 2 Upper Wenatchee Valley corridor study in 2020 for part of the highway, identifying potential improvements near Leavenworth. This improvement is designed for traffic flow.
 This pedestrian underpass is a potential project identified along Highway 2 in Leavenworth between Cashmere Valley Bank and the U.S. Forest Service buildings. The high volume of tourists in Leavenworth creates many challenges throughout the year. This project is a creative solution to increase both safety and traffic flow.
Please share your thoughts with me
There are differing opinions about most issues considered in the Legislature, including transportation issues. Hearing from you is always important and helpful. As the session continues, I want to hear directly from you about transportation and other issues. Please submit your feedback to me from my website’s Contact Me page.
KOHO Radio interview on Confluence Parkway
Each week during the legislative session, I call our local radio stations to participate in live interviews about the latest happenings in the legislative session. On Tuesday of this week, I had an extended discussion about the Confluence Parkway project. Click to listen to my KOHO Radio Interview.
If you have questions about transportation or other issues, please contact me anytime.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your 12th District state senator.
Sincerely,
 Brad Hawkins
State Senator Brad Hawkins
12th Legislative District
Website: senatorbradhawkins.org
107 Newhouse Building - P.O. Box 40412 | Olympia, WA 98504-0412
(360) 786-7622 or Toll-free: (800) 562-6000
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