OLYMPIA, Wash. — Legislative leaders said transportation projects across Washington state could face delays after costs are expected to be higher than originally estimated.
Republican Sen. Curtis King said the state will have “challenges” to deal with in the upcoming legislative session, which begins Monday.
King used the projected costs for the state’s 520 highway project at Portage Bay as an example.
“I think it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of $650 to 700 million over the estimate,” said King.
King also said legislators recently learned the work to improve culverts for fish passage across the state could cost $4 billion more than originally predicted.
Senate transportation committee chair Marko Liias blamed the increases on COVID-19 pandemic-related staffing shortages and supply chain disruptions for what he called “significant cost escalation.”
Liias said he does not want to cancel any projects already approved by legislators. He added that lawmakers are looking at delaying projects and looking for ways to save money on those under construction, as well as raising new money to pay for the projects.
”An example of that is something my constituents are not super-excited about: increasing tolls on I-405, to help cover the costs of increases there. No one wants to pay more, but I think we do need to look at ways that users of infrastructure can contribute more to it,” said Liias, a Democrat.
Liias said he would not propose raising the gas tax.
King said the state should look at using sales taxes generated in auto sales to help pay for projects.
That funding currently goes to the state’s general fund.
Speaker of the House Laurie Jinkins said legislators are going to have to be creative to find ways to complete the projects.
“They’re going to have to be, but also probably deliver some news not everybody’s going to like to hear because all the projects are likely aren’t going to stay on the same schedule they’ve been on,” said Jinkins, a Democrat.
Republicans have tried to get sales taxes from auto sales to be used for road projects, but Democrats – who control the majority are write the budget – say that would result in cuts to state services elsewhere. Those Democrats also point out that if the Climate Commitment Act is thrown out, that would cut about one-third of the state’s transportation budget, digging a deeper hole into those projects.
One thing to note is there doesn’t seem to be an appetite for raising taxes. After all, 2024 is an election year.
In fact, there will be a push for some tax rebates because of the Climate Commitment Act generating more money than the state expected. Gov. Jay Inslee has proposed giving $200 to low-income households. Meanwhile, two Republicans from the House are sponsoring a bill to cut checks around that amount for anyone who has a registered car in the state.