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One June 6, the Port of Tacoma, Wash., opened the Lincoln Avenue grade separation to highway traffic.

Completed a few days earlier, the 2,200-foot-long overpass crosses four sets of BNSF Railway Co. and Union Pacific Railroad tracks. The grade separation eliminated an at-grade crossing near the port.

Lincoln Avenue serves as trucks primary road connection between Interstate 5 and the port. Before the overpass was completed, rail switching operations and mainline train traffic caused vehicular delays of up to 30 minutes every two hours, according to the port.

The project, which began in September 2009, received $15.4 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds.

Meanwhile, the Port of Seattle plans to complete the East Marginal Way grade separation in fall. The project calls for creating a northbound and southbound grade separation on Duwamish Avenue South, and relocating East Marginal Way through the corridor to improve access among port terminals, BNSF and UP yards, and local manufacturing plants and distribution warehouses. The port is providing $14.2 million for the $49 million project, which received $2.9 million in ARRA funds.