Gregoire won't shift money to other projects

OLYMPIA — Gov. Christine Gregoire said Monday that Seattle's upcoming vote on replacing the quake-damaged Alaskan Way Viaduct will be flawed and without credibility, but she rejected GOP calls to shift billions of dollars in state financing to other megaprojects.

House Transportation Chairwoman Judy Clibborn, D-Mercer Island, said the March 13 advisory vote will be largely irrelevant as Olympia moves to approve a rebuild of the elevated highway along Seattle's downtown waterfront. That would cost about $2.8 billion, most already approved by the Legislature.

Seattle leaders prefer a tunnel, with a price tag of $3.4 billion — a scaled-back version of a $4.6 billion, six-lane tunnel the city had promoted until recently.

Neither Gregoire nor Senate Transportation Chairwoman Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, were willing to flatly declare the tunnel option dead, though many House Democrats have.

The governor was biting in her comments Monday about Seattle's handling of the vote. She said it's no wonder that some lawmakers are lusting after the billions in viaduct money to use on other projects.

"You know, I tried to warn Seattle," she said at a news conference. "I tried to tell them while you're indecisive and rethinking and asking for extensions of time, the fact of the matter is that every legislator outside of Seattle is looking at that money and saying, 'We're ready to spend it and not debate about it. Our projects are ready.' "

Gregoire said she expects lawmakers to pick a design before they adjourn April 22.

Gregoire said Seattle has done a disservice to its voters by not offering two clear design options.