WASHDOT is implementing a concrete plan to purchase the land they need to build out the North-South Corridor, but this time they are making sure that the process is not as harsh as it was in the 1950’s — when land acquisition for I-90 split the East Central Neighborhood in half.
The Inlander has a great story on the subject in its latest edition. Here is a excerpt:
Construction around I-90 is still years away, but the DOT is now acquiring land systematically from willing sellers around the projected site of the interchange. The new freeway will go north from I-90 between Fiske and Ralph Streets, but the high-speed interchange ramps will spread out as far as Haven and Thor. I-90 will be widened to accommodate extra lanes for the interchange.
Partly to atone for past sins and partly because it makes better business sense, the DOT is taking a new, people-first approach, says real estate acquisition supervisor Roxanne Grimm. “The process is simple, but a little different from what we’ve done in the past,” Grimm says. “It seems to be working effectively as far as the taxpayers are concerned.”
You can read the whole Inlander story online here.