More than $279 million has flowed into Whatcom and Skagit counties for transportation projects since the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed nearly three years ago. These projects include everything from fish culvert installations and bridge repairs to airport and ferry upgrades.
The law is set to provide nearly $1 trillion in funding through fiscal year 2026 for a wide range of projects, including the largest-ever investments in broadband and clean energy, as well as infrastructure.
In Washington state, that has resulted in $9.9 billion for 1,700 transportation projects.
“All these historic infrastructure investments are making our economy stronger and more resilient, and should be continued regardless of the change in administration,” U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) said.
Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump won his bid for reelection and the Republican Party secured power in the Senate and House. The sweeping success puts the party in a position to roll out initiatives and priorities without the need to secure bipartisan support.
As chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Cantwell was the driving force behind many of the provisions in the law designed to meet the needs of Washington, according to a news release from her team.
More than $222 million of federal spending found its way to Whatcom County for transportation projects through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The money has funded 56 projects in the county, addressing everything from roads and bridges to fish culverts and ferries. This includes nearly $18 million for the Port of Bellingham Shipping Terminal Rail Connection and a roughly $9.6 million grant to the Whatcom Transportation Authority for “low or no emission” buses.
Skagit County also saw significant investments from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for transportation: more than $157 million. While the vast majority of this funding, $93 million, was used for roads and bridges, roughly $11 million was provided for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community Master Plan, Pier Design and Boat Ramp Construction Projects.
All these investments in transportation can be tracked, project by project, in an interactive map launched by Cantwell and her team.
The map allows users to filter by county and project type. However, it does not include other types of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law-funded projects, such as the recent $45.7 million given to Puget Sound Energy for the Skagit River Valley Transformation of Climate Resilience Project.
A previous version of this story included a photo of the Little Squalicum Estuary project, misidentifying it as part of the Squalicum Creek Estuary Restoration project. The photo was removed and story updated to reflect this change at 2:45 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 14. Cascadia Daily News regrets the error.
Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s enterprise/investigations reporter; reach him at isaacsimonelli@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.
