WSDOT Proposes Two-Billion-Dollar Trestle Replacement with HOV Lanes

State transportation officials presented a preferred design for replacing the aging US 2 trestle during a Senate committee meeting in Everett. The plan, set to be released to the public in December, features three lanes in each direction of the highway. Each direction will include full-width shoulders and a dedicated High Occupancy Vehicle lane for transit vehicles and carpools. A path for cyclists and pedestrians will run along the north side of the westbound road.

Cameron Kukes, an assistant regional administrator at the Washington State Department of Transportation, explained that the design prioritizes connections to the surrounding network. The plan adds three westbound off ramps into downtown Everett, linking drivers to California Street, Everett Avenue, and Hewitt Avenue. One of these ramps will include an HOV lane providing access to Everett Station. The ramps connecting the trestle to Interstate 5 will also be rebuilt with two lanes each to ease traffic flow.

Kukes stated that addressing these connections was more critical than simply adding lanes to the bridge structure. "What we found was that it didn’t really matter how many lanes you put on the new trestle itself if you didn’t address the connections to the surrounding transportation network," he said. New lanes will also be added between the trestle and 20th Street Southeast on the east side.

The current trestle, a series of bridges connecting east Snohomish County to Everett, faces congestion during peak hours and potential instability during major earthquakes. WSDOT has spent years and millions of dollars analyzing options to replace the aging infrastructure. The agency will release a draft planning and environmental linkages study in December, followed by a public comment period through January.

Allison Krutsinger, a director of external affairs at WSDOT, said the total cost could range between two and four billion dollars. She described these figures as "very, very preliminary." While federal, state, and local funding will be used, the Legislature may also add tolls to help pay for the project. No decisions on tolling have been made yet, and the agency is also considering a public-private partnership.

Construction could begin in 2032, contingent on securing sufficient funding. The state must also fund a $14 billion bridge replacement over the Columbia River between Vancouver and Portland, Oregon. The project is expected to take six to 10 years to complete. Ray Stephanson, former Everett mayor and CEO of Economic Alliance Snohomish County, called the issue a Puget Sound regional concern. Mayor Cassie Franklin added that proactive investment is necessary to avoid higher costs later. Ric Ilgenfritz, head of Community Transit, said the two-way HOV lanes are essential for effective service in the corridor.

The design addresses the need for reliable transit and road capacity in a region that supports major aerospace manufacturing. The trestle serves as a critical link for workers commuting from all over the Puget Sound region to Everett. The new infrastructure aims to support this workforce while improving safety and reducing congestion for local drivers.