State's plan to widen I-405 termed a 'white elephant'

By Eric Pryne
Seattle Times staff reporter

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The report was released yesterday by the environmental group Friends of the Earth, and by Taxpayers for Common Sense, a budget watchdog organization whose interests often dovetail with those of environmentalists.

It labels I-405 and 26 other highway projects around the country as "billion-dollar white elephants," and says they should receive no federal money.

The Washington Department of Transportation's long-range plan for I-405 calls for two more lanes in each direction, as well as HOV, bus, van-pool and arterial improvements. It has the backing of many local officials.

The agency says the plan, estimated to cost between $9 billion and $11 billion, would ease congestion, curtail sprawl and improve the environment. Local environmentalists maintain it would do exactly the opposite.

The first stage of the I-405 plan received $485 million last year from the Legislature and would widen the interstate at spots in Bellevue, Renton and Kirkland. State officials hope to go to voters for help in paying for the next round of construction, which would build two new lanes in each direction from Renton to Bellevue and one new lane through Kirkland. However, it's unclear when that could happen.

Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company

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