Highway maintenance, efficiency emphasized in 2011-2013 budget plan
OLYMPIA – Two Southwest Washington lawmakers today called the House Democratic transportation budget proposal a dramatic and important leap forward in:
- Keeping Washington’s communities connected.
- Strengthening Washington’s infrastructure.
- And creating family-wage jobs for Washington’s citizens.
State Reps. Dean Takko and Brian Blake emphasized that the $53.2 million package of maintenance, preservation and other highway-improvement projects is much needed and very timely.
“This budget is great economic news for our region,” said Takko, who is a member of the House Transportation Committee. “It’s great economic news whether you’re talking about rebuilding the infrastructure at the I-5/SR 432 interchanges on Talley Way near Longview or replacing a Norris Slough culvert along SR 105 west of Raymond or any one of a number of other projects.
“These are exactly the major-type projects – and yes, also the smaller, more nuts-and-bolts-type projects – that keep our state moving. We want to focus on maximizing efficiency and stretching taxpayer dollars,” Takko added.
Blake said that “these projects will prove to be of great importance to our district as they create jobs, bring investments to our area and accelerate efforts to restore our economy.”
Takko and Blake represent the 19th Legislative District, which is made up of parts of Cowlitz and Grays Harbor counties and all of Pacific and Wahkiakum counties. Here’s a general list of the 19th Legislative District projects included in the proposed transportation budget:
For more information, including a county-by-county list of transportation projects that would be funded in the 2011-2013 transportation budget proposed by the House Democratic Caucus, please go to this Washington State Department of Transportation projects website.