r
COMMISSION 
AGENDA MEMORANDUM                        Item No.          8d 
ACTION ITEM                            Date of Meeting      October 25, 2022 

DATE :     October 18, 2022 
TO:        Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director 
FROM:    Eileen Francisco, Director of Aviation Project Management Group 
Eric ffitch, Senior Government Relations Manager 
SUBJECT:  Washington State Department of Transportation State Route 509 Completion
Project Stage 2 Memorandum of Understanding 
Amount of this request:                       $0 
Total estimated project cost:         $30,050,000 
ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Executive Director to execute an agreement with the
Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) supporting the completion of Stage 2
of the State Route (SR) 509 Completion Project as part of the Puget Sound Gateway Program. 
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Puget Sound Gateway Program includes two projects: the SR 509 Completion Project in King
County and the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County. WSDOT is working toward issuing a
Request for Proposal for the construction of Stage 2 of the SR 509 Completion Project. Since a
portion of project is within the Port of Seattle corporate boundary, a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between WSDOT and the Port has been developed establishing framework
for  coordination  throughout  the  duration  of  the  project.  The  Port  has  certain  design
requirements or requests to be incorporated into the construction of the project, which include
property access from South 200th Street, Southern Airport Expressway (“South Access”) forward
compatibility, signage on South 188th Street, detention pond treatment, landscaping, and
maintenance of traffic. 
JUSTIFICATION
The Port of Seattle and the Northwest Seaport Alliance consider the completion of the Puget
Sound Gateway Program to be critical to a vital freight corridor that supports the movement of
goods to and from our seaport facilities and our Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The
program provides direct freight links between our facilities and key distribution centers and
improves regional mobility for goods that arrive in the Puget Sound from Eastern Washington
and states along the US supply chain’s northern tier that are bound for international destinations. 

Template revised January 10, 2019.

            COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8d                                 Page 2 of 4
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 

In addition to the economic benefits of improved freight mobility, any upgrades to the
transportation network in the congested Puget Sound region have significant community
benefits as well. Communities in South King County, around the SR 509 corridor, have seen the
challenging impacts of passenger and cargo growth through the airport and in the region.
Upgrading the transportation network that serves their community, is another important reason
the Port supports the Puget Sound Gateway Program.
DETAILS 
In 2018 the Port entered into a local funding and phasing MOU with WSDOT and other local
agency partners.  This MOU identified the Port as one of eighteen local agency partners
committed to providing funding commitments supporting the completion of the Puget Sound
Gateway Program. The Puget Sound Gateway Program includes two projects: the SR 509
Completion Project in King County and the SR 167 Completion Project in Pierce County.
The SR 509 Completion Project is to be completed in three stages: 
• Stage 1a: WSDOT partnered with Sound Transit’s Federal Way Link Extension project to build
a new SR 99 bridge near South 208th Street and new walls to reduce noise to nearby
neighborhoods. The partnership reduces construction impacts by building both projects at
the same time. Work is expected to be complete in late 2022. 
• Stage 1b: This stage is also called the SR 509/I-5 to 24th Avenue South – New Expressway
Project and builds the first mile of new SR 509 Expressway, new I-5 ramps, new 24th Avenue
South interchange, and a new bridge. 
• Stage 2: This stage is also called the SR 509/24th Avenue South to South 188th Street – New
Expressway Project, is the project's final stage. WSDOT will build the remaining two miles of
new SR 509 Expressway, reconfigure SR 509 interchanges at South 188th and South 160th
Streets, and add a southbound auxiliary lane on I-5 between SR 516 and South 272nd Street. 
In 2020 the Port entered into an Interlocal Agreement with WSDOT that identified the Port’s
financial commitment in support of the SR 509 Completion Project. The Interlocal Agreement
identified $15 million in funding to support the first phase with a commitment no earlier than
December 2023. It also identified up to an additional $15 million in funding for the second phase
with a payment schedule to be determined by both parties. An additional $50,000 has also been
identified for staff costs to support of the design and construction of the SR 509 Completion
Project.
This request is to support the execution of a MOU that includes a number of design and
construction components for Stage 2 of the SR 509 Completion Project. This MOU is essential to
support WSDOT’s procurement of the design-build team and includes requirements for runway
protection zones, South 194th Street local access, forward compatibility for the Southern Airport
Expressway (“South Access”), signage on South 188th Street, landscaping, maintenance of traffic
strategies, detention pond treatments, and South 200th Street property access.  The SR 509

Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).

            COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8d                                 Page 3 of 4
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
Completion Project will also require permanent and temporary construction easements on Port
property but these actions do not require Commission authorization. 
Schedule
Stage 1a is currently in construction with work expected to be complete in late 2022. Stage 1b is
also in construction with work expected to be complete in 2025.  Stage 2 is in preliminary
engineering with work expected to be complete in 2028. 
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1 – Do not support the SR09 Completion Project 
Cost Implications: $17,000 in expense costs to date 
Pros:
(1)   Lower financial contribution by the Port 
Cons:
(1)   Does  not  support  improvements  to  the  vital  freight  corridor  that  supports  the
movement of goods to and from our seaport facilities and SEA
(2)   The Port would violate its Interlocal Agreement with WSDOT and the MOU with other
local governments supporting the Puget Sound Gateway Program 
(3)   The Port would potentially compromise its relationship with the Washington State
Legislature 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2 – Support the SR 509 Completion Project 
Cost Implications: $30,050,000
Pros:
(1)   Supports the SR 509 Completion Project 
(2)   Provides improvements to the vital freight corridor that supports the movement of
goods to and from our seaport facilities and SEA 
(3)   Consistent with the Interlocal Agreement and MOU supporting the Puget Sound
Gateway Program 
Cons:
(1)   Higher financial contribution by the Port 
This is the recommended alternative. 



Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).

            COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8d                                 Page 4 of 4
Meeting Date: October 25, 2022 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds 
The $30 million Port contribution is currently written into the Port’s Plan of Finance. The initial
$15 million contribution is scheduled to begin no sooner than December of 2023. The funding
source for this agreement would be the tax levy or general obligation bonds. 
The timeframe for the remaining $15 million Port contribution was based on the timeline put
forward by the Washington State Legislature in their 2017-2019 transportation budget. Since the
project was accelerated that disbursement is being reviewed. Once defined the original Interlocal
Agreement will be amended and will be part of a future Commission action and briefing later in
2023. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
(1)   Draft memorandum of understanding 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
January 7, 2020 – The Commission authorized the Executive Director to execute an Interlocal
Agreement with WSDOT regarding the SR 509 Completion Project 
October 22, 2019 – The Commission conducted the second reading and passed Resolution
3762, a resolution to surplus and sell real property to WSDOT in support of the SR 509
Completion Project 
October 8, 2019 – The Commission introduced Resolution 3762, a resolution to surplus and
sell real property to WSDOT in support of the SR 509 Completion Project, and conducted
the public hearing 
May 22, 2018 — The Commission authorized the Executive Director to execute the Puget
Sound Gateway Local Funding and Phasing MOU with other agency partners 
November 22, 2017 – The Commission convened a roundtable on “Increased Travel to and
from the Airport over the next 20 years” which included a briefing on the Puget Sound
Gateway Program 






Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).