Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson announced a record $2.1 billion in transportation spending to pay for road and bridge maintenance and repairs from severe flooding in his supplemental budget released Friday.
The projects will be paid for with bonds backed by revenue measures included in last year's budget, Ferguson said.
If approved by the legislature, it would be the largest investment to preserve roads and bridges of any budget enacted in 20 years and represent a 34% increase in maintenance projects to preserve infrastructure, the governor said.
In January, lawmakers will begin work on their "short session." The state has a two-year budget, and this year lawmakers will make adjustments to the $78 billion biennium budget Ferguson signed in May.
Ferguson's proposal includes $1.1 billion to pay for bridge maintenance and $920 million for paving projects over the next decade. In addition to road projects, the budget proposal includes $160 million for slope control in Washington's mountain passes and other places that are vulnerable to landslides.
"Painting a bridge or sealing a road may not seem very exciting, but it's like changing the oil in your car or replacing the timing belt," Ferguson said. "If you skip that basic maintenance, you could have a catastrophic failure and pay more down the line. That is what these funds are working to avoid."
He added that failure to maintain roads and bridges can result in reconstruction or replacement, which can be three to five times more expensive.
The funding could also be used to help the state recover from damage incurred from flooding caused by the series of severe rain storms that soaked the state over a 10-day period.
"The recent historic flooding underscores how critical this investment is. Taking care of our roads and bridges is good for individuals, communities and our economy," he said.
The Washington National Guard and first responders have evacuated 967 people and rescued 363 people, according to the Washington Emergency Management Division.
This deferred maintenance and preservation risks shutting down critical transportation corridors, which impacts individuals, communities and our economy, Ferguson said. For example, he said, earlier this year the state permanently closed the 103-year-old Carbon River Bridge, causing ripple effects for businesses and families in nearby communities.
Statewide, 342 bridges are 80 years old or older — the typical lifespan of a bridge, according to the governor's office.
Of those bridges, 80 are in "poor" condition, the lowest of the three ratings that the Washington State Department of Transportation uses to assess bridges. This means they have serious deficiencies such as deterioration, cracking or even damage to the primary structure.
Currently, 45 steel bridges are due for painting and 60 are past due. Combined with structural repairs, timely painting of a bridge can protect the steel for 30 to 40 years, and help stave off premature failure.
Bridges Ferguson highlighted as needing attention include the 64-year-old Hood Canal Bridge, which connects Jefferson and Kitsap counties; the 75-year-old Tacoma Narrows Bridge, which has had lane closures seven times in the past two years for repairs; and the 63-year-old Beebe Bridge near Chelan, which needs deck rehabilitation and painting.
