Date:  Friday, October 10, 2008

Contact: Jason Smith, I-90 Project Environmental Manager, (509) 945-1260 (Yakima)
Amy Danberg, I-90 Project Communications, (206) 962-9635 (Yakima)

YAKIMA – The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has signed an Environmental Impact Statement Record of Decision (ROD) giving the Washington State Department of Transportation’s (WSDOT) long-awaited I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East Project (I-90 Project) the green light to move forward with construction in the spring.

The WSDOT I-90 Snoqualmie Pass East project will improve I-90 by providing a safer, more efficient six-lane freeway from Hyak to Easton. The project will straighten roadway curves, replace old pavement, and reduce rock fall and avalanche hazards. WSDOT will also construct wildlife crossings over and under I-90 for the safe movement of wildlife and enhance wetlands and habitats throughout the corridor. Construction is scheduled to begin on the first five miles of the project in 2009.

“This is a significant milestone representing many years of working with communities and building a coalition of environmental interests, business groups and project advocates around a plan to improve Snoqualmie Pass so that it is safer for drivers and more dependable for our economy,” said Paula Hammond, Secretary of Transportation. “The overwhelming support for this project shows the importance I-90 plays in connecting our state.”

The ROD officially selects WSDOT’s Preferred Alternative as shown in the Final Environmental Impact Statement, as the best alternative to improve safety, resolve traffic congestion issues, reduce pass closures due to avalanche control, stabilize rock slopes, straighten sharp curves, restore fish and wildlife connections, and minimize environmental impacts on I-90 Snoqualmie Pass.

“The Preferred Alternative was selected because it is the alternative that best meets the purpose and need of the project, and will have the least impact to the human and natural environment,” said Dan Mathis, Division Administrator of FHWA. “The Preferred Alternative would be less expensive and present less risk, and would avoid substantial environmental impact on adjacent land.”

WSDOT, state and federal agencies, and other interested parties, concur with FHWA’s selection of the preferred alternative.

“The alternative selected in the ROD is the result of government agencies working in partnership, listening to the public, and incorporating this input into the design of the project,” said Jason Smith, I-90 Project Environmental Manager.

The next step for the I-90 Project is to finish design and move into construction in the spring. The first phase of the project will improve I-90 by providing a safer, more efficient six-lane freeway from Hyak to Keechelus Dam. The project will provide for a safer, more reliable route across the Cascade Mountains by straightening roadway curves, replacing old pavement, stabilizing rock slopes, reducing avalanche hazards, addressing wildlife connectivity issues, and enhancing wetlands and habitats throughout the corridor. The I-90 Hyak to Keechelus Dam received $545 million in funding from the 2005 Transportation Partnership Account.

FHWA’s decision is based on an evaluation of the information presented in the Final EIS, which was released last month, the project’s purpose and need, public input, and interagency coordination.

To view the ROD, please visit our project Web site: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/I90/SnoqualmiePassEast

Copies of the ROD will be available for public review at the following locations in Washington State:

• Bellevue Regional Library
• Carpenter Memorial Library
• Central Washington University Library – Brooks Library
• Ellensburg Public Library
• Issaquah Library
• Lake Hills Library
• Newport Way Library
• North Bend Library
• Seattle Public Library – Central Library
• Washington State Library

The ROD has also been submitted with the Federal Register for an Oct. 17, 2008 publication.

Copies of the ROD and the Final EIS can be obtained by contacting Jason Smith, I-90 Project Environmental Manager – 509-577-1921, SmithJ@wsdot.wa.gov.

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