Renton to receive $2 million in federal stimulus money for Rainier Avenue improvements

By Dean Radford • March 3, 2009 7:27 pm
A project to improve Rainier Avenue South
A project to improve Rainier Avenue South

The City of Renton will receive $2 million from President Obama’s economic stimulus package for improvements to Rainier Avenue South in downtown Renton.

The improvements include the Shattuck Avenue stormwater bypass that will help control surface water coming from Rainier Avenue.

The $2 million is part of an estimated $78 million in Federal Highway Administration funding from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

The money that will go to governments in the Puget Sound region for transportation projects was approved by the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board Thursday.

The two boards also approved $136 million in Federal Transit Administration funding. None of that money will go to a Renton project.

Two other South King County projects in other jurisdictions could benefit Renton residents. They are:

• $2 million for Kent for improvements to the East Valley Highway between State Route 167 and South 212th Street.

• $4.6 million for Sound Transit for accelerated final design and construction of the Tukwila Commuter Rail Station. This money is from the Federal Transit Administration

The funding was approved unanimously Thursday by the regional agency’s Transportation Policy Board and then the agency’s 32-member Executive Board, which includes Renton Mayor Denis Law.

The money is designed to fast-track projects that are ready to go. The bids for the projects could start going out within days, according to Rick Olson, an agency spokesman. The agency wants all projects to go to bid within 90 days.

The Rainier Avenue project is part of a state highway, State Route 167, the Valley Freeway. Earlier, the City of Renton and Burlington Northern replaced and widened four railroad bridges through downtown Renton. Replacing the railroad at Rainier Avenue was critical in order to add lanes for buses and business access along the thoroughfare. Those lanes will extend from Grady Way South to South Second Street.

The federal government will monitor the projects nationwide. Updates are available at recovery.gov.