Awards will fund 51 projects across 29 counties, including $10 million to Hoquiam for a flood protection project and $7.34 million to Bellingham for a landfill cleanup

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Public Works Board approved $169,012,992 in construction funding and $6,276,321 in pre-construction funding at its Sept. 6 meeting. PWB grant and loan funding will support public water, sewer, stormwater, roads, streets and bridges, while investing in local solid waste, recycling and organics infrastructure projects in 51 communities statewide.

“For 40 years, the Public Works Board has been a partner with local governments, helping provide funding for essential infrastructure projects across the state. Our Board is pleased to provide these low-interest loans and grants to support public works projects that are foundational to a community’s health and safety,” said PWB Chair Kathryn A. Gardow, PE.

“We know Washington residents count on having access to clean drinking water, as well as reliable sewer, roads and bridge infrastructure in their communities. With state funding, the Board supports essential and urgent infrastructure projects and helps keep utility rates affordable,” said Gardow.

PWB construction awards will support 40 essential community infrastructure projects across 21 Washington counties. These critical projects will protect safe drinking water supplies, treat wastewater, and manage stormwater to prevent contaminants from entering Washington’s waterways. PWB grant and loan funding will also support public transportation projects and cleanup of a contaminated landfill site. In addition, PWB pre-construction awards will fund projects across eight counties, and will assist community planning for future drinking water and wastewater construction projects.

View the full list of construction and pre-construction awards (PDF), or visit the interactive awards map.

Project highlights include:

• City of Bellingham – $7,345,000 for the Cornwall Avenue Landfill Cleanup Project. A former municipal solid waste landfill bordering the Bellingham Bay, the Cornwall Landfill will be cleaned and capped to contain contaminated sediment and restore habitat. In the future, the waterfront site is envisioned as a city park.
• City of Hoquiam – $10 million for the North Shore Levee West Segment Construction Project. This project will build approximately 5.5 miles of FEMA certified flood protection levee west of the Hoquiam River. This local effort will build climate resilience by addressing major flooding issues in the city, and leverage significant federal investment in the process.

The PWB received 69 applications that sought more than $262 million in funding. This includes 58 construction applications and 11 pre-construction applications. These investments build on previous PWB action to support more than $220 million in critical local infrastructure projects.

The Washington State Public Works Board was created by the Legislature in 1985. Since its creation, the 13 member board has provided more than $3.1 billion to over 2,000 infrastructure projects across the state. The purpose of the board is to encourage self-reliance by local governments in meeting their public works needs and to assist in the financing of critical public works projects by making loans, grants, financing guarantees, and technical assistance available to local governments for these projects. For more information on Public Works Board programs and funding opportunities, visit pwb.wa.gov.