City of Wenatchee to receive $85,000,000 state match from Move Ahead Washington transportation package to complete Confluence Parkway
The City of Wenatchee will receive $85 million in funding to complete Confluence Parkway from the “Move Ahead Washington” state transportation plan. In June of 2021, the City received $92 million from the federal government through the Fiscal Year 2021 Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) program which funded the McKittrick Street underpass, Confluence Parkway South which provides a grade separation at Miller Street and other improvements to the North Wenatchee and Miller Street intersection, and the South End Bike/Ped Bridge Extension which extends the current south pedestrian bridge over a railroad on the west and Sunset highway on the east. The INFRA grant did not include funding for Confluence Parkway North which encompasses the new roadway abutting the railroad tracks west of the Horan Natural Area and a new bridge over the Wenatchee River connecting the corridor up to the US2/Euclid interchange. The $85 million state match will complete funding for the entire corridor and will allow the project to capitalize on the efficiency of implementing the entire corridor at once instead of separate phases.
“The funding strategy for Confluence Parkway always anticipated a state match; a project of this magnitude requires local, state and federal commitments. The City and its regional partners spent a significant amount of effort applying for and crafting the right project for the federal grant dollars and we continued to work closely with our state legislators to include the necessary state match in a future transportation package. I’d like to thank Jeff Wilkens with the Chelan-Douglas Transportation Council, Richard DeRock with Link Transit, Senator Brad Hawkins, Senator Marko Liias and a special thank you to Congresswoman Kim Schrier for their unwavering support for this region.”- Mayor Frank Kuntz
The Confluence Parkway environmental assessment is currently underway and proposes to be completed by the end of 2022. The implementation of the project is predicated on concurrence by the Chelan PUD; the PUD manages land that the project needs to acquire, the project will replace those lands with lands of in-kind or better replacement value. For more information on Confluence Parkway please visit wenatcheewa.gov
Join us to learn about the enhancements to the Apple Capital Loop Recreation Trail as part of the Confluence Parkway project – 8am March 19th at Walla Walla Park at the flagpole. #letslooptogether
Additionally, the Chelan County Public Utilities District (PUD) is planning a series of events on Wednesday, March 30th to gather feedback from the community about the proposed mitigation measures for impacts to recreational areas owned and managed by the PUD as a result of Confluence Parkway.
Public Open Houses:
Wednesday, March 30: 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., and 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Confluence Technology Center, 285 Technology Center Way, Wenatchee
Self-guided trail walks – with PUD staff positioned between Hawley St. and the pedestrian bridge – are set for 9:30-10:30 a.m. and 3-4 p.m. the day of the open houses.
Original source can be found here.
