Contact:
Meghan Jordan Fay Lim
Communications Specialist II Communications Supervisor
Meghan.Jordan@snoco.org Fay.Lim@snoco.org
425-388-3918 425-388-6413
Snohomish County Public Works Garners More Than $1.5 Million in
Project Funding
State funding is anticipated to expedite start dates on two local projects
EVERETT, Wash., April 27, 2018 – Snohomish County Public Works received $1.63 million in state and federal funds to cover part of the costs for two projects. The county will begin construction sooner than anticipated on improvements to the railroad crossing at 240th St SE near Woodinville and pedestrian facilities around Lake Stickney, located in unincorporated Snohomish County between the cities of Lynnwood, Mukilteo and Mill Creek.
“Snohomish County Public Works strives to provide residents with projects to improve accessibility and reduce environmental impact,” said Steve Thomsen, Snohomish County Public Works Director. “But we don’t always have the funds to construct projects as quickly as we would like. Therefore, it is our goal to apply for and receive grants to fill any gaps.”
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and the Federal Rail Crossing Safety Program awarded $417,620 to the 240th St SE railroad crossing project. Improvements include updating the rail crossing, installing a reinforced crossing, upgrading existing pedestrian facilities and adding sidewalks to connect with the existing facilities on the north side of the road. With the recently received grant funding, Snohomish County expects construction to occur in 2019. This grant supplements a previously received $144,000 grant, awarded by WSDOT’s Freight Rail Assistance Program.
The Lake Stickney Low Impact Development (LID) project was granted $1,216,250 by Washington State Department of Ecology (WSDOE). Snohomish County plans to install rain gardens and replace impervious shoulders with pervious walkways to combat excessive phosphorous in Lake Stickney caused by road and lawn runoff near the lake. The new pedestrian facilities will not only help to improve water quality, but also provide elementary school kids with a walking route to get to and from school. In addition, informational lake preservations signs will be placed along the walkways to educate users on the purpose of rain gardens and pervious surfaces. The construction timeline for this project will be determined in the coming months as the project team works with WSDOE and continues to pursue additional funding.
In 2017, Public Works was awarded 15 grants totaling more than $7.3 million in project funding. In addition, Public Works also had 57 active grants totaling nearly $73 million of project billing over many years.
About Snohomish County Public Works
The Snohomish County Public Works Department constructs and maintains county roads; controls and manages surface water quantity, quality, and fish habitats; and oversees the recycling and disposal of solid waste. The department’s main office is located at 3000 Rockefeller Ave., Everett, WA 98201. For more information about Snohomish County Public Works, visit www.snohomishcountywa.gov/PublicWorks.