Bridge over troubled Washington: Billions needed for infrastructure repair

Washington State highways and bridges are in need of a serious refresh. That’s according to a WSDOT official who told the Washington State Transportation Commission this month:

“We are in the early stages of critical failure due to lack of funding.” - Troy Suing, Director, Capital Program Development and Management, Washington State Department of Transportation

“Preservation” generally refers to the long-term work needed to sustain already existing infrastructure. WSDOT says it’ll need an additional $8 billion dollars over the next decade to do that work.

Jerry Cornfield at the Washington State Standard reported that while the Legislature did approve a 15.5 BILLION dollar budget for the next two years…. less than a billion dollars was earmarked for preservation over that time. That’s well short of the $1.6 Billion needed to keep pace with the wear and tear put on our state’s infrastructure.

GUEST: Senator Marko Liias - Chair of the WA State Senate Transportation Committee

LINKS: 

• ‘Early stages of critical failure’: Funding outlook is grim for WA road upkeep - WA State Standard
• Meeting Agenda – October 14-15, 2025 – Washington State Transportation Commission
• Washington State Transportation Commission - Meeting Video
• Move Ahead Washington
• Legislature approves bipartisan plan to fund Washington state transportation future

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