Lynnwood awarded $25 million grant to build new I-5 overpass
Aug 18, 2022, 2:00 PM
Photo from the city of Lynnwood
The city of Lynnwood has recently been awarded $25 million from the federal government with a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant to build a new bridge over Interstate 5.
The new overpass will be located between the intersections of 196th St SW/Poplar Way and 33rd Ave W/Alderwood Mall Blvd. It is anticipated to carry around 30,000 vehicles a day, and the goal is to relieve congestion on the nearby Alderwood Park Mall bridge.
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“Lynnwood has conducted many studies over the years in an effort to reduce congestion, improve traffic flow, address traffic safety, and improve access for walking, biking, and transit,” said City Engineer David Mach. “The Poplar Way Bridge project regularly ranks as the most effective solution towards reaching these goals by providing a much-needed additional I-5 crossing, and relieving the pressure on the highly congested existing crossings and freeway interchanges.”
The new bridge is being built with funding from the Department of Transportation (DOT) from their RAISE grant program, which is part of a broader federal program in which $8.9 billion has been set aside for regional infrastructure investment projects.
The DOT awarded a total of 166 projects across the country, for an investment of $2.2 billion from the RAISE program
A big push in these grants is toward decreasing environmental disruption. The Poplar Way bridge attempts to achieve this by creating fewer backups onto I-5, leading to reduced carbon emissions.
The new bridge will also include a protected pedestrian and bike path which will allow the whole community to use the new infrastructure, as well as encourage more biking and walking to reduce emissions.
“We are incredibly grateful to be awarded a $25 million federal RAISE grant for the construction of Poplar Way Bridge, which will make traveling in and around Lynnwood easier, getting folks where they need to go,” stated Mayor Christine Frizzell. “We’ve been working closely with our Congressional representatives letting them know Lynnwood’s top priorities, and we are so thankful for the advocacy of Senators Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Congressman Rick Larsen and Congresswoman Suzan DelBene.”
The City of Lynnwood anticipates being ready for construction in late 2023 or early 2024.
