The Washington State Department of Transportation held a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday for the $306 million state Route 520 Eastside Transit and HOV project.

After 18 years of gridlock, the project is finally moving forward.  As co-chair of the SR-520 Work Group, Senator Tom helped broker the deal to begin construction on the Eastside of the bridge.  Under the current plan, the new bridge is scheduled for completion in 2014.

Work will involve widening the corridor, creating three landscaped lids and building new transit and carpool lanes, shoulders and other facilities along 2.5 miles of SR 520 from west of Evergreen Point Road to east of 108th Avenue Northeast.