Wenatchee's Confluence Parkway Project is expected to receive millions from the state following today's (03/29) Senate release of its proposed transportation budget.

The governor, the House and now the Senate all include a plan to fund a bridge over the Wenatchee River along with other improvements to ease traffic congestion.

East Wenatchee Senator Brad Hawkins helped secure state funding.

"I'm super excited about Confluence Parkway funding. We went from not having the project funded to getting the project included in the Move Ahead Transportation Package and now getting the project scheduled with exactly the phasing we need." Senator Hawkins said.

The plan aligns with the Department of Transportation's (DOT) and the governor's suggestion to allocate 85-million dollars over the next three transportation budget cycles: $28 million (2023-25), $47 million (2025-27), and $10 million (2027-29).

Hawkins says the proposed funding would allow the City of Wenatchee to fully benefit from the federal grant dollars identified for Confluence Parkway and allow the project to be bid and contracted as one project, streamlining construction and maximizing efficiency.

"This is a big day and I would really like to thank Mayor Kuntz, Congresswoman Schrier, Chelan Douglas Transportation Council, Link Transit, and all the many stakeholders that have been a part of this. This is probably the most significant transportation project ever for our community."

Hawkins says the bulk of the project is scheduled to be finished in the next four years.

When completed, a second bridge will stretch across the Wenatchee River along with a bypass with connection to the Highway 97/2 interchange and Odabashian Bridge.

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