Port of Seattle OKs funds for grade crossing separation

The Port of Seattle Commission yesterday approved $595,000 for the South 228th Street grade separation project in Kent, Wash.

The project, which is slated to cost $25 million, will eliminate a chokepoint at the Union Pacific Railroad crossing, port officials said in a press release.

The work also will help ensure the region's future as a "premier manufacturing and distribution center of worldwide importance," said Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke.

"The Port of Seattle recognizes the need to keep freight, and all other traffic, moving throughout our region," added Commissioner Stephanie Bowman. "Grade separations like these are critical to remove traffic bottle necks, especially areas in the Kent Valley that handle the second largest freight and cargo volumes on the West Coast."