Hawkins excited about federal grant for local transportation projects

State Sen. Brad Hawkins of the 12th Legislative District applauded today’s announcement that a federal grant has been approved for the Apple Capital Loop project in Wenatchee.

The $92.4 million grant by the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) will be used to construct a network of projects on the 11-mile loop, including intersection improvements to State Route 285/North Wenatchee Avenue, construction of a railroad underpass on McKittrick Street, and replacement of a signalized intersection with a roundabout at U.S. Highway 2/Easy Street. It will also create an approximately 2.5-mile bypass of SR-285, replace an at-grade intersection with a half-diamond grade-separated interchange, and widen a segment of State Route 28.

“The INFRA grant award is a monumental moment for our local transportation efforts,” said Hawkins. “A big congratulations to Mayor Frank Kuntz and all of our local partners who have been steadfast in their efforts over multiple years in pursuing this grant. I was proud to support it and thank our federal officials for their advocacy and efforts. This is beyond exciting for our region. A gigantic win that cannot be overstated!”

In a letter sent this April to U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, Hawkins wrote, “As proposed, this grant will fund a package of extremely important transportation projects throughout the Wenatchee Valley and will improve safety, mobility, system reliability and congestion relief for citizens and businesses across the region.”