STATE OF WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
1011 Plum Street SE - PO Box 42525 - Olympia, Washington 98504-2525   (360) 725-4000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:      May 26, 2011
Contact:  John LaRocque,  Public Works Board Executive Director, 360.725.3166
               Penny Thomas, Commerce Communications, 360.725.2805

$324 million approved for 77 public infrastructure projects across the state

Funds from state Public Works Trust Fund will improve public health and safety, create hundreds of jobs

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Public Works Board today applauded the approval of more than $324 million in the 2011-13 state capital budget for 77 public infrastructure construction projects around the state.

“In December 2010, Gov. Gregoire adopted the Board’s recommended loan list of infrastructure projects in her jobs initiative,” said Stan Finkelstein, chair of the Public Works Board. “Over the past five months, we have worked very closely with the state Legislature to finalize the list of projects that was included in the final 2011-2013 Capital Budget.”

“Hiring in the construction sector – the hardest hit in this economic downturn – is vital to our economic recovery,” Gov. Chris Gregoire said. “These investments put people to work, improving and maintaining our essential public infrastructure systems in communities across Washington.”

Finkelstein said all 77 projects on the recommended list were reviewed by the Public Works Board and approved as ready to go to construction. They include roads, domestic water, sanitary sewers and storm sewer systems. Local governments will use funding to upgrade these systems, improve public health and safety, respond to environmental issues, promote economic development or upgrade the performance of the systems.

“We are very pleased that the legislature and the Governor have included these critical local infrastructure needs in the budget,” Finkelstein said.

The 77 funded public works projects are detailed at:

http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/Budget/Detail/2011/hcsummary0525.pdf

Established in 1985, the Public Works Board administers the Public Works Trust Fund, a revolving loan fund that offers low-interest loans to help local governments finance critical public works projects. The Public Works Board receives administrative support from the Washington State Department of Commerce. For more information on the Department of Commerce, visit www.commerce.wa.gov. For more information on the Public Works Board, visit www.pwb.wa.gov.