• Millions of pounds of cherries shipped through Sea-Tac
• Maritime Fest set for July 17 
• No July 4 holiday service on Kitsap Transit
• I-90 rock blasting, lane closures east of Snoqualmie Pass 
• Overnight ramp and lane closures on I-5 Tacoma

The region’s transit agencies would receive $456 million in federal funds under a recommendation made June 22 by Puget Sound Regional Councils’s Transportation Operators Committee.

Pierce Transit would receive $15.6 million for purchase of new buses.

The money would help pay for bus replacements, maintenance on Link and Sounder rail, ferry repairs and more.

It’s part of PSRC’s project selection process that distributes funds from the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration every two to three years.

A policy framework adopted by PSRC’s Executive Board guides how funds are distributed. The majority of the funds are distributed to the transit agencies based on how much service they provide and other factors such as population density.

Some of the projects include:

King County Metro – Bus Replacements $108,847,493

Kitsap Transit – Bus and Over-the Road Coach Purchase  $9,956,361

Pierce Transit – Clean Fuels Bus Replacement/Expansion  $1,575,795

Washington State Ferries – Vessel Preservation and Improvement  $2,421,798

More information: www.psrc.org/assets/11932/TOCagenda20160622.pdf#page=7

The funding recommendation will go to the Transportation Policy Board on July 14.

– Puget Sound Regional Council

Millions of pounds of cherries shipped through Sea-Tac

Cherry season goes into full bloom, bringing a big economic benefit at Sea-Tac airport and across the Pacific Northwest.  In 2015, the total international cherry volume through Sea-Tac airport was 30 million pounds with a declared value of $85 million.

Exports to Asia in July, primarily cherries, can be five times the amount of tonnage shipped on the most active airline at Sea-Tac. Other Asia airlines usually have volume increases of two to three times their normal monthly tonnage. Approximately 220,000 pounds of cherries can be loaded into a 747-400 freighter, one of the most common cargo planes at Sea-Tac.

 – Port of Seattle

Maritime Fest set for July 17 

Get a ship-side view of one of North America’s largest container ports on the Port of Tacoma’s annual guided boat tours Sunday, July 17.

The boat tours depart from 535 Dock St. in downtown Tacoma at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m., 4 p.m.

Tours are first come, first served. Free tickets will be available at the Port booth the day of tours for the next available sailing time. Tickets for the 10 a.m. tour will be available beginning at 9 a.m.

Arrive 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time to line up for boarding. Passengers with mobility challenges should plan to take the 4 p.m. tour when the tide makes it easier to board.

– Port of Tacoma

No July 4 holiday service on Kitsap Transit

Kitsap Transit’s routed, ACCESS and Worker/Driver buses and the Kitsap Transit Foot Ferry will not operate service on Monday, July 4.  BI Ride and SK Ride service will not operate.

Kitsap Transit’s Customer Service Office in downtown Bremerton, our information phone lines and our Administrative Office in Bremerton will be closed.

– Kitsap Transit

I-90 rock blasting, lane closures east of Snoqualmie Pass 

The Washington State Department of Transportation and contractor crews will close I-90 at 8 p.m. for about an hour Tuesday, June 28 and Wednesday, June 29 for rock blasting. During rock blasting closures eastbound drivers will be stopped at milepost 56 near Gold Creek and westbound drivers will be stopped at milepost 62 near the Stampede Pass interchange.

Construction related impacts will cause delays for drivers through Thursday, June 30 from the summit of Snoqualmie Pass to Vantage. Although work will be suspended for the Fourth of July weekend, drivers will still encounter delays due to a single lane eastbound closure across the Vantage Bridge.

– Washington State DOT

Full southbound I-5 lane closure postponed until July 9 

The full southbound I-5 lane closure has been postponed and will occur early morning Saturday, July 9, between 12:01 a.m. and 4 a.m.  Single-lane closures will take place between 9 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday, and double-lane closures will occur between 11 p.m. Friday and 5 a.m. Saturday.

Drivers can expect a full nighttime lane closure on southbound I-5 between Mounts Road overpass and the rail bridge in order to complete the demolition of the existing concrete rail structure. The rail bridge is being rehabilitated as part of the Point Defiance Bypass project, which reroutes Amtrak Cascades passenger trains to an inland rail line through DuPont, Lakewood and Tacoma.

– Washington State DOT

Overnight ramp and lane closures on I-5 Tacoma

Lane closures

All lanes of northbound I-5 near South 38th Street will be routed onto the northbound I-5 collector/distributor and detoured via either State Route 7 or Interstate 705, Thursday, June 30, 11:59 p.m. to Friday, July 1, 4 a.m.

Ramp closures

Tuesday, June 28 — East 28th Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning.

Northbound I-5 collector-distributor exit to northbound I-705 and southbound SR 7 will close from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning.

Wednesday, June 29 – East 28th Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning.

The following ramps will close from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning:

Southbound I-5 exit to City Center

Southbound SR 167 (River Road) on-ramp to southbound I-5

Portland Avenue on-ramp to southbound I-5.

Thursday, June 30 – East 28th Street on-ramp to northbound I-5 will close from 8:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. the following morning.

– Washington State DOT