2022-01-11 WSDOT meet-n-greetWSDOT meet-n-greet
January 11, 2022
11:34 a.m.
Present: Commissioner Pollock, Commissioner Swope, Commissioner Grose, Southwest Region
Administrator for Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Carley Francis, WSDOT
Southwest Region Assistant Regional Administrator Scott Langer, County Manager Erik Martin
Guests: Peter Lahmann, Nic Scott
Recorder: Rieva Lester
Commissioner Grose discussed concerns with the quality of Washington State Department of
Transportation (WSDOT) patch jobs along Highway 12.
Carley Francis, Southwest Region Administrator for WSDOT, discussed funding awarded for the North
Lewis County Interchange. Carley discussed the best use of the state funding earmarked for the project.
WSDOT Southwest Region Assistant Regional Administrator Scott Langer said work has begun on the
RFP process.
Carley said future efforts will include the creation of executive committees and other stakeholder
outreach.
Peter Lahmann weighed in on the value of community involvement. Carley said the ports will be
included in future outreach.
Carley said summer projects include the Chamber Way and Mellen Street access projects.
Erik Martin asked if the state plans to expand Interstate 5 to three lanes.
Scott said the $85 million earmarked for 2022 will be used to complete projects that will support future
efforts to expand the freeway to three lanes.
Carely and Scott discussed funding challenges at the state level.
Scott noted that WSDOT gets 8 cents of the state’s 49-cent gas tax. Carley noted that WSDOT’s 8-cent
portion of the state’s tax has remained unchanged since the 1990s.
Meeting ended at 12:04 p.m.