“I was proud to join my colleagues this afternoon in announcing the Connecting Washington transportation package, which will improve safety and freight mobility, reduce gridlock and create jobs throughout Washington state.
Particularly critical for Eastern Washington is the funding for our international trade route, the North Spokane Corridor. The project is currently halfway through construction, and the funding from Connecting Washington will help drive it to completion.
This project is the number one transportation priority for our region. When fully built, the North Spokane Corridor will boost our local economy, reduce travel time by an estimated two million hours each year, and will save an estimated 1.7 million gallons of gas annually. It also will have a positive environmental impact by reducing emissions, improving air quality, and supporting transportation choices in and around Spokane.
The Connecting Washington package also gets the ball rolling on important projects across Eastern Washington. These improvements will help our farmers, manufacturers and other businesses thrive by making it easier and cheaper to get their goods to market.
I will continue to push for full funding of the North Spokane Corridor and other critical infrastructure improvements as the Connecting Washington package moves through the legislative process. I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to keep commuters and freight moving in Eastern Washington and throughout our state.”