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Efficient regional transportation is a top priority for the Port of Seattle, whether it’s moving freight to and from the shipping terminals, getting passengers and goods to Sea-Tac International Airport or cruise ships, or providing access to other Port properties.
Coordinated through the Economic Development Division, the Port-wide strategy team works together to identify the projects and programs needed to help meet the Port’s transportation objectives and goals. This internal collaboration is invaluable when it comes to determining Port-wide priorities and coordinating efforts.
The Port of Seattle collaborates with partner agencies to leverage investments and develop transportation systems that are key to the region's long-term vitality. It also contributes financially to some projects to help mitigate the impact of its business on the local community. Below is a quick snapshot of important regional transportation projects and programs we are working on. For additional information, web site links are included with each project.
Following the earthquake of February 2001, the State and City realized that the 49-year-old viaduct is at risk from another major seismic event and would have to be replaced. The city's seawall, which supports the Viaduct, Alaskan Way surface street and many utility lines, is also in need of renovation.
The Port depends on the Alaskan Way Viaduct and Seawall for freight mobility, Port facility access and regional mobility. While our container trucks don’t travel on the viaduct, it still carries over 100,000 vehicles which would otherwise be using the Duwamish area streets and conflicting with freight and rail lines. Many people headed to port facilities do use the viaduct as a west side artery; these include the Pier 66 Central Waterfront complex and Cruise Terminal, Pier 69, Terminal 91 and the airport and Port marinas. Finally, we recognize that the viaduct is key to the regional highway system, carrying 25% of the north-south traffic through the downtown area.
The Port is working with the Washington State Department of Transportation and the City of Seattle to ensure that the project meets the Port’s needs and can be funded. The Port’s guiding principles are to maintain the existing corridor capacity and to enable nearby port and rail facilities to continue to operate efficiently. In December, 2006, Governor Gregoire narrowed the choices for replacement of Alaskan Way Viaduct to an elevated structure or a cut-and-cover tunnel alternative and has asked Seattle voters to choose between the two alternatives in spring, 2007. The cut-and cover tunnel is the more expensive alternative and Seattle would need to have a plan to cover the additional cost if the tunnel is selected.
The State Route 519, or South Seattle Intermodal Access Project, is located in Seattle’s SODO District. Its purpose is to improve vehicle and freight access between I-5 and I-90 and the Seattle waterfront, including Port container terminals, the ferry dock and the Seattle International Gateway Rail Yard. It also increases safety by separating road, pedestrian, and rail traffic. Phase 1, which was completed in 2004, provides east-bound access to the freeway system. It includes the Atlantic Street on ramps to I-5 and I-90 and the Atlantic Street overpass. The design for Phase 2, providing west-bound waterfront access from I-5 to I—90, has recently been revised. It includes three components: 1) a new westbound off-ramp from I-5 and I-90 via the current South Atlantic Street Overpass; 2) a grade separated local connector and pedestrian crossing on South Royal Brougham Way; and 3) improvements of the First Avenue S. and S. Atlantic Street intersection. A fourth component, dedicated truck lanes between Terminal 46 and the North SIG Rail Yard, has been incorporated into the Viaduct project.
The Freight Action Strategy for Seattle-Tacoma (FAST) Corridor Partnership was first established in 1998 to pursue funding for 15 high-priority projects for transportation improvements along the railroad mainline and truck corridors near Puget Sound ports between Everett and Tacoma. Ten additional projects were added as part of FAST 2 in 2002. To date, nine projects have been completed with additional projects underway.
FAST is a partnership of state, local and regional agencies, including Puget Sound ports, railroads and the trucking industry. Its goals are to improve mainline rail capacity and connectivity, eliminate roadway chokepoints where rail and arterial roads intersect, provide safe rail crossings in communities and establish reliable truck links between ports, rail yards and freight distribution centers. The Port of Seattle has committed to contributing about $30 million to the program. To date, it has spent almost $10 million in support of FAST corridor projects. See the link to the FAST Corridor for more detailed information on projects.
The Port is constructing this grade separation on Duwamish Avenue South south of South Spokane Street. It will relocate East Marginal Way through this corridor and improve access to Port terminals, UP & BNSF rail yards, and manufacturing & distribution centers. The track to be grade-separated connects on-dock rail at the Port’s Terminal 5 (where containers are loaded directly onto trains rather than onto a truck to be moved to a rail yard) to the rail mainline. The project also supports general purpose traffic and industrial uses in West Seattle.
The proposed extension of SR 509 between S. 188th Street and I-5 at S. 210th Street and the widening of I-5 from S. 210th Street to S.320th Street in Federal Way will ease congestion on I-5, allow industrial trucks to bypass I-5, SR 99 and local streets, and provide improved southern access to Sea-Tac Airport. Environmental review on the preferred alternative is complete, and first-stage construction is scheduled to begin in 2009.
The project is contingent on funding from the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID), which must still pass the ballot in the fall of 2007.
SR-518 is a key limited-access state highway and freight corridor between SR 509 in Burien and I-5/I-405 in Tukwila. SR 518 provides the primary access to Sea-Tac Airport, carrying more than 70% of all passenger and air freight trips. It also serves thousands of commuters in South King County.
WSDOT, the Port of Seattle and the City of Burien, in cooperation with other cities and Sound Transit, are working together to improve SR 518. Currently, WSDOT is focusing on Phase 1, which includes the addition of a third eastbound lane from the airport to I-5/I-405, adding capacity and improving safety. Phase 1 is estimated to cost approximately $30 million. Construction will begin in spring of 2007 and be completed in 2008/09. Phase 2 of the project would improve the southbound to eastbound connection from SR-509 to SR-518. Additional information on the SR-518 project is available at the web link below.
The Port of Seattle is making room for a Link light rail extension to Sea-Tac Airport. The Port's portion of the project, which requires moving the North Airport Expressway (NAE), began in the fall of 2006. This project will create a corridor for Sound Transit to bring Link to the airport, improve access for drivers and make way for growth. The Port roadway projects and light rail service to the airport are expected to be complete by late 2009.
Constructed in the 1930s, the Magnolia Bridge is at the end of its useful life and needs to be replaced, a fact made plain when the Nisqually earthquake in February 2001 closed the bridge for several months for seismic repairs. The project is designed to replace the existing bridge, not add additional capacity. The bridge provides a key access point to the Port's Terminal 91 and North Bay uplands.
The City of Seattle selected a preferred alternative (Alternative A), placing the proposed new bridge immediately south of the existing bridge, and is currently completing its "Type, Size & Location" study. While there are currently no construction dollars for this $200 million dollar project, the city is continuing design and other efforts while pursuing needed funding. The Port will continue its coordination with the city on this vital infrastructure investment.
The City of Seattle is planning for the Two-way Mercer Corridor Project which will widen Mercer Street between I-5 and Dexter Ave North to accommodate three lanes of travel in each direction, parking, sidewalks and a median with left-turn pockets. Valley Street will be narrowed to a two-lane, two-way street.
The Port is coordinating closely on this project to protect the corridor as a viable truck route. The Port participated in the Mercer Corridor Stakeholder’s Committee in 2006 which advanced a broad list of recommendations to the City that would help create a truck corridor on Mercer Street from I-5 to 15th Avenue W.
Many ongoing regional efforts in the Puget Sound area will affect the planning, funding and construction of transportation projects that are important to the Port over the next 20-plus years. These efforts include work by the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC), the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), the Regional Transportation Investment District (RTID) and Sound Transit, the regional transit agency.
The Puget Sound Regional Council is the region’s designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) under federal law, and Regional Transportation Planning Organization (RTPO) under state law. Its role is to work with local communities, government entities, and citizens to develop and plan for implementation of a joint vision for land use, transportation, and economic development in the region. It regularly updates three plans, Vision 2020, Destination 2030, and the Regional Economic Strategy, to achieve these goals. PSRC also distributes federal transportation funds to the region.
Port Commissioners and staff serve on a number of PSRC Boards and Committees, working to ensure that the Port’s needs are considered in these planning documents. Current efforts are focused on better integrating freight mobility needs into the PSRC’s planning and funding decisions.
Port staff is also monitoring the efforts of other regional bodies to address the transportation needs of the region:
The Regional Transportation Commission was created by the Washington State Legislature in 2006 to look at how regional transportation is planned and funded in Central Puget Sound. The Commission was asked to evaluate existing governance structures and to make recommendations on the type of organization that should be making these priority and funding decisions. The RTC put out a draft recommendation in December. Their final recommendations were completed in January, 2007.
Another act of the 2006 Legislature was to require the Regional Transportation Investment District (a special district created by the Legislature in 2004) and Sound Transit to develop a joint ballot to request funds for Road and Transit projects in Snohomish, Pierce and King counties. Over the past year, the two organizations worked on identifying projects and related costs throughout the region, known as the “RTID Blueprint” and the “Sound Transit 2 Package.” Voters inside these two special district boundaries within Snohomish, King and Pierce counties will vote in November, 2007 on a joint ballot measure funding billions in transportation improvements.