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The Port of Seattle Commission recently authorized the port’s annual budget, which calls for spending more than $9 million on transportation infrastructure projects and $11.6 million on environmental projects in 2011.

The port plans to invest about $8 million in such projects as the East Marginal Way grade separation and Freight Action Strategy for Seattle-Tacoma (FAST) Corridor work in Auburn and Kent, Wash.

The grade separation calls for elevating East Marginal Way through the corridor and improving access to BNSF Railway Co.’s and Union Pacific Railroad’s yards. The track to be grade-separated connects on-dock rail at two port terminals with the Class Is’ mainlines.

Established in 1998, the FAST Corridor Partnership pursues funding for 25 high-priority projects along the railroad mainlines and truck corridors near Puget Sound ports between Everett and Tacoma. The projects are designed to improve mainline rail capacity and connectivity, boost grade crossing safety, eliminate roadway chokepoints, and establish more reliable truck links between ports, rail yards and freight distribution centers. So far, 14 projects have been completed and several others are under way.