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Hinkle asks governor to make
a decision on I-90
Rep. Bill Hinkle is asking
the governor to make the right decision on repairs for Interstate 90
through Snoqualmie Pass. Hinkle cites a recent Department of
Transportation report that recommended expedited repairs through the
Lake Keechelus area.
“I corresponded with the governor late last year and she told me that
DOT was still looking at a late 2010 time frame to begin the repair work
on I-90,” said Hinkle, R-Cle Elum. “Now, the DOT report is calling for
quicker repairs for three sites. I don’t think that we can wait any
longer. We need to get this project going right now.”
DOT issued the report on the unstable I-90 slopes Wednesday after a
one-month effort studying the problem. The governor had requested DOT
compile the report as quickly as possible. The 121-page report said that
the agency plans to expedite repairs on three particularly hazardous
projects near milepost 57 but would need $7 million to do so. DOT also
asked the governor and Legislature to approve a $50 million bond program
for these and future projects.
“I’m going to be studying the funding possibilities,” Hinkle said. “But
this calls for some leadership on the governor’s part. The problems we
had through the pass during the holidays and recent deaths call for
quick action by DOT to alleviate these dangers to drivers.”
DOT’s report outlines 40 hazardous areas through the I-90 corridor over
Snoqualmie Pass. Five of those areas are considered extremely dangerous:
three at milepost 57 and two at milepost 50, near where three women lost
their lives last September.
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For more information, contact:
John Handy, Assistant
Communications Director - (360) 786-5758
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