$139M Mukilteo Multimodal Terminal Opens Next Year
Featuring the Mukilteo Deep Storm Water Utility Project!
Written by Jennifer Rupp, CEG Correspondent
A link to the full article can be found here.
“Investing in transportation infrastructure creates jobs and keeps our economy moving,” said U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “This new terminal is a critical investment in the region's mobility network and will build upon the work of the city of Mukilteo and other stakeholders to increase the public's access to the waterfront.”
The Mukilteo Multimodal Project relocates the Mukilteo ferry terminal to a decommissioned U.S. Air Force tank farm site, one-third of a mile east of the existing terminal. The project includes a new passenger and maintenance building, a supervisor's building, transit center and four new toll booths. Its location near the Sounder commuter rail station improves transit connections. Removal of the tank farm pier eliminates thousands of tons of toxic creosote-treated debris from Puget Sound.
The $139 million budget is comprised of a mix of federal and state funds. In 2016, Gov. Jay Inslee and Washington State Legislature approved funding to complete the project as part of the Connecting Washington transportation funding package.
The ferry route between Mukilteo and Clinton is part of State Route (SR) 525, the major transportation corridor connecting Whidbey Island to the Seattle-Everett metropolitan area. It is WSF's busiest route for vehicle traffic and has the second highest annual ridership, with more than 4 million total riders in 2015. During the afternoon peak commute period, walk on ridership is expected to increase 124 percent between 2010 and 2040.
There have been no significant improvements to the Mukilteo terminal since the early 1980s and components of the facility are aging and do not meet current seismic standards. The current terminal layout makes it difficult for passengers to get in and out of the terminal and contributes to traffic congestion, safety concerns and conflicts between vehicle and pedestrian traffic. The new terminal will improve operations and multimodal connections and safety.
The fall 2017 contract was celebrated with a groundbreaking ceremony as the deep storm water utility construction began. IMCO General Construction Inc. of Ferndale won the $2.3 million bid for construction of the deep storm water line, including outfall and other work at the ferry terminal.
“This project is the culmination of years of work to replace an aging and seismically vulnerable terminal,” said Amy Scarton, WSF assistant secretary. “It'll also make things easier for drivers and safer for people who walk on, all while freeing up Mukilteo's waterfront."
