The Washington State Department of Transportation is seeking public input on its Interstate 5 study of the 9-mile corridor from Burlington to Mount Vernon in Skagit County.
Skagit County is expected to grow by 46,000 residents by 2045, with the majority of that growth concentrated in the county’s urban areas. With the rapid rise in population comes increased traffic congestion, and WSDOT is planning for the future of the interstate and regional transportation in the vicinity of Burlington and Mount Vernon, between Old Highway 99 and Cook Road.
WSDOT has released an I-5 Phase 1 study report, which found that some parts of the interstate corridor experience more traffic and crashes, as well as inadequate ramp operations.
On top of that, the interstate, the Skagit River and the four east-west state highways in the area all limit pedestrian and cycling connectivity. Only two bridges span the river: the Riverside Drive Bridge and the I-5 Trooper Sean M. O’Connell Jr. Memorial Bridge. The study points to the need for more non-motorized transportation connections and mass transit options.
In the second phase of the I-5 transportation planning project, WSDOT anticipates working with the Skagit Council of Governments, individual municipalities, tribes, ports and other agencies to identify strategies and solutions to the identified issues.
Written comments must be submitted by Friday, Sept. 27 to I-5SkagitStudy@wsdot.wa.gov or mailed to WSDOT at NW Region Mount Baker Area, Attn: John Shambaugh, 1019 Andis Road, Burlington, WA 98223. Find more information and sign up for future updates on the project page.
Julia Tellman writes about civic issues and anything else that happens to cross her desk; contact her at juliatellman@cascadiadaily.com.
