(The following story by Erin Snelgrove appeared on the Yakima Herald-Republic website on May 19.)
YAKIMA, Wash. — Railroad traffic is expected to double in Yakima in the next three to five years, according to a representative with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.
Officials predict traffic will rise from about seven trains per day to 14. This is due to railroad construction on the main lines in the Columbia River Gorge and over Stevens Pass, which connects Spokane with Wenatchee and Everett, said John Carl, regional economic director for BNSF. He spoke Friday morning to Yakima City Council members.
Traffic could increase further depending on international markets, capacity and whether the Stampede tunnel, near Snoqualmie Pass, is expanded to allow taller trains, he said.
No date has been set for the tunnel work, which is estimated to cost more than $100 million. The plan is to enlarge the tunnel, allowing trains to carry Boeing fuselages and double-stacked containers that can be transferred to trucks.
Gov. Chris Gregoire included $25 million for the project in her proposed 2007-09 budget.
The increased traffic has been projected for more than a decade and prompted plans for two underpasses downtown on Lincoln Avenue and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
Construction is slated to begin next year. If there’s enough money, the city will build both underpasses back to back, starting with Lincoln Avenue. The two underpasses are budgeted at about $33 million.
Yakima still needs an estimated $6.9 million to complete the project. Most of the funding is through state and federal grants.
One council member, however, continues to debate the need for the project. Bill Lover would like to go back to the drawing board to see if a less expensive solution could be found.
“It seems to me we’re using a bazooka to kill a mouse,” he said. “Let’s scale this down if we still can.”
But Neil McClure said the city has already invested a lot of time to come up with its plan, and waiting longer would result in a smaller project costing as much as, if not more than, the existing one.
City officials say the underpasses will allow firefighters, police and ambulances to travel across town without being delayed by trains.