Gregoire opposes Seattle officials' request to rethink 520 bridge

Gov. Chris Gregoire pushed back Monday against Seattle lawmakers who are seeking separate transit lanes, instead of a pair of carpool lanes, for the future Highway 520 replacement bridge.

That change and others suggested by Seattle officials would require up to two more years of studies and delay the project, the governor contended.

Her comments put her at odds with House Speaker Frank Chopp of Seattle, a fellow Democrat. He and five other elected officials declared their support earlier Monday for the transit-only lanes.

"The mayor and the council now stand united against the current plan," Chopp said at a news conference, with marshes and abandoned road ramps in the foreground and the roar of morning traffic over Lake Washington.

Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn, City Councilmembers Nick Licata and Mike O'Brien, Democratic state Sen. Ed Murray and Democratic state Rep. Jamie Pedersen joined him, along with 100 supporters. These include the Cascade Bicycle Club; the Sierra Club; the Washington Park Arboretum Foundation; and the Coalition for a Sustainable SR 520, representing Madison Park, North Capitol Hill, Montlake, Roanoke Park, Portage Bay, Laurelhurst and the boating community.

Last week, the Seattle City Council issued a letter saying a greatly enlarged Montlake interchange and a 30-foot-high floating bridge deck, as proposed, are unacceptable — and asked the state for a 120-day period for the two governments to work out a new design maximizing transit opportunities.

State law calls for a toll bridge with two general-purpose lanes and one high-occupancy-vehicle lane in each direction. The governor's letter says in part: "Changing the configuration now would require a new environmental process. The office of Attorney General tells us that revising these decisions from several years ago would set the project back at least 18 to 24 months. Our commitment to ensuring public safety does not allow that kind of delay."

But the letter acknowledges there would be technical discussions with the city before the state Department of Transportation (DOT) states its Montlake interchange choice this fall.

Sen. Rodney Tom, D-Bellevue, a leading advocate for a six-lane bridge as planned, said talks with the Seattle groups have lasted long enough: "To me, every time they turn the corner they come up with a new wrinkle. We have an agreement; let's move forward."

Debates and design research have been under way since 1997 to replace the nearly 47-year-old, four-lane bridge, at risk of sinking in a severe earthquake or windstorm.

The Seattle lawmakers didn't say whether they have bills or other moves in mind for this legislative session.

Murray noted that the governor issued executive orders last year to reduce greenhouse gases. "Simply talking about climate change, and not integrating these goals into a new 520 bridge, is self-defeating."

But it's unclear whether transit lanes would result in a smaller bridge, given that it would need to support a potential 200-ton train and would have barriers to separate trains or buses from car lanes. But supporters say transit would require less highway ramp space than HOV lanes would.

Sound Transit plans to build its first east-west light-rail line across Interstate 90, to open in 2020, instead of putting rail on Highway 520. The agency says its future north-south Capitol Hill Tunnel won't be big enough to allow merging trains there from the east — not to mention difficult construction issues. And the agency doesn't have a funding source for a second cross-lake train line.

A transit-oriented four-lane bridge would be leaner yet, but Seattle isn't pushing for that. "It's not realistic to think we're going to get less than four general-purpose lanes, at this point," Pedersen said.

A few weeks ago, the state chose a contractor to start construction by building pontoons in Grays Harbor, and Pedersen and Chopp emphasized they have no desire to impede that work. They said they hope that, if all sides work in good faith, the bridge can stay on schedule.

The DOT's project Web site says the floating section will open in 2014, but it doesn't give a date for the more controversial Seattle landing.

The $4.65 billion project is at least $2 billion short of funding, and the state has yet to choose a toll strategy to close some or all of that gap.

Mike Lindblom: 206-515-5631 or mlindblom@seattletimes.com